Guadeloupe

Eco-friendly travel guide to Guadeloupe advises how to be a responsible tourist. Learn how to travel in a sustainable way and how to respect the local people and culture. Make your trip green by supporting locally owned hotels, organic restaurants and other businesses. Read more on how to protect the environment by making conscientious choices and how to travel green in Guadeloupe, Caribbean, North America.

Shooting of the Saintes from the small port of Trois Rivières, small islands of volcanic origin south of Basse-Terre in Guadeloupe

Air quality: 4 / 5

Bus connections: 4 / 5

Train connections: 3.2 / 5

Hitchhiking: 4.5 / 5

National parks: 5 / 5

Outdoor activities: 4 / 5

Locals' English level: 3.2 / 5

Safety: 3.8 / 5

Accommodation: US$1200 - $1300

Budget per day: US$1000 - $1200

Responsible Travel

The eco-friendly travel guide always advises the travelers who are traveling to Guadeloupe to be organized tourists throughout the trip. You will be learning how to explore the entire city in a more organized and responsible way while respecting the culture and traditions of the localities. You can simply start to admire the city and its culture by planning your stay in a locally-owned hotel, organic cafes and restaurants, and many other things like that. Guadeloupe is a French overseas region, and it is a group of many islands situated in the Southern Caribbean Sea. Guadeloupe is an island that resembles the shape of a butterfly. The Salee River separates the two largest islands of Guadeloupe. Guadeloupe is famous worldwide for different beaches with clear water. The place is a beautiful island and is famous for nature lovers as it has some beautiful beaches with basking, active volcanoes, sugar plantations, waterfalls, scuba diving. This place is also well known for its amazing National Park and towns filled with ancient art and French Fort. The National Park at Guadeloupe is known worldwide for its coral reef and terrestrial animals. An entire day is required to explore the National Park of Guadeloupe. Guadeloupe will provide a delightful journey for the traveler's senses. It would be best if you started your journey at Sainte-Anne first at Guadeloupe to begin your trip. There you will find some fantastic beaches with palm trees of classic Caribbean style and powdery sand. The Sainte-Anne water is very much evident and calm because the coast is protected by one offshore reef. Before you plan to visit all the fantastic places of Guadeloupe city, make sure to fulfill all your duties as a responsible and sensible traveler.

Opt for staying at the green hotels and avoid regular hotels. Green hotels are good for the environment as they can recycle the waste generations and reduce the generations of waste.
Make sure to find proper ways so that you can protect the environment from getting damaged. Always try to opt for vehicles that are non-fuel-based when you are traveling in the city.
Try to be one of the responsible tourists by protecting the cultural and historical sites in your travel list as the city's highlighted places.
You can opt for walking or riding bicycles to explore the inner part of the city. Nowadays, eco-friendly scooters are also available in various tourist spots, helping you explore the local places.
Always visit the local restaurants and shops. This will eventually provide excellent support to the tourist places' economy and make you a responsible tourist.
Show your support towards the city by traveling around the city using local trains and buses.
Make sure you visit the green parks of the city. This will help you stay in a much healthier environment and enjoy nature's fresh air and beauty.

Air Quality and Pollution

The city experiences a tropical climate that is strengthened by the northeast trade winds. There are two different seasons- the dry season, which extends from December to April, and the rainy season, extending from July to October. The dry season is locally known as "Creole Lent." The precipitation varies with orientation and elevation. The city is known to experience an almost healthier air quality throughout the year except for few places. The city also experiences air pollution due to sandstorms and vehicles caused by industries, motor vehicles, wood heating, etc. The temperature in the coastal regions of Guadeloupe may vary between 25 and 28 °C to 20 and 34 °C. Whereas on the other hand, the mountains' weather may differ from 16 °C to 4 °C.

The last time the island faced Hurricane Maria was in the year 2017. The city is safe for visitors throughout the year. Still, everyone needs to be careful and take necessary precautions beforehand if you are sensitive or when you are traveling with kids or age-old persons. Be prepared as the weather on the island can go from the sunshine on one side to downpours on the other.

Respect the Culture

The people of Guadeloupe lavishly celebrate the New Year. Apart from that, there are great festivals that are celebrated in Guadeloupe. Annual carnivals of the chefs, who came from different parts of the world for cooking, are being observed in Guadeloupe. In just one day, tourists get the opportunity to try out different types of delicacies. The people of Guadeloupe love holidays. Christmas is one of the holidays that Guadeloupe celebrates despite no snow during Christmas in the city. Well, this does not bring any changes in the festive mood. Some concerts take place during this time of the year. During this time of the year, the city experiences fun and joy, and there is no place for sorrow. You can see people walking around the street wearing fancy costumes.

When visitors travel to Guadeloupe, they can see how famous dancing and singing are in this city, and it becomes tough to resist enchanting the rhythms of the Guadeloupeans. If you want to witness some Caribbean spirit, all you need is to wait for some festival. You can travel to the central square of Le Moule, and it is a town in the east of the Grand-Terre. There you will find the spirit of dancing and fun lasting for several hours.

Some remarkable buildings in the city mark the testimonies. They represent colonial architecture by describing the former coffee, banana, sugar plantations, colonial houses, center-cities, and strongholds. This city also has two slave ports- Pointe-à-Pitre, Le Moule, and slave cemeteries.

Guadeloupe is a blending land that mingles innovations and traditions by exhibiting incredible historical, cultural, and patrimonial riches. The actual asset of the territory's development and attractiveness is this diversity, and it also asserts it as the virtual lab for the world. The city promotes heritage and culture based on two significant points, i.e., showcasing and promoting the locals' talents. Still, it also keeps in mind to enhance and restore the heritage.

Top 10 Places to Visit

When tourism is concerned, Guadeloupe is considered a beautiful place that visitors will like to go to. This island offers its visitors a wonderful experience in the beautiful beaches and some great sites that blend both traditions and innovations. It has different places of attraction for the people because you will get some picturesque spots that have some attractive views and a feeling of peace for your holiday trip. Read further to know some of the most exciting places that are worth visiting during the journey to the city.

Les Saintes - The tiny islands that are 10kms away south of Basse-Terre are the Guadelopeans' highlight of many people because they allow the tourists to enjoy the slice of the old Caribbean. The latter is far from the urban sprawl and development that have been on the mainland. The place is filled with mountainous charmers and with some great beaches. Les Saintes is not at all a secret for many day-trippers of the Basse-Terre. But still, this place is explored the least and is known to be a beautiful region. You will find some outstanding restaurants as well as first-class diving on the splendid beaches of Les Saintes. Les Saintes is also known as Iles Des Saintes and is made of a total number of nine unspoiled islands, among which two of them are inhabited, i.e., Terre de Bas and Terre de Haut. Euro is the official currency of Guadeloupe, and French is known to be the official language. Tourists will also find the street signs to be French. This place is known to be the most beautiful bay in the entire world and is experienced the best when visitors view it from over the bay from Fort Napoleon.

Petite Terre - The Petite Terre islands are protected by the nature reserve covering both land and sea and are surrounded by one coral reef. The Petite-Terre islands are home to some beautiful natural treasures. This island's local fauna includes hermit crabs, West Indian iguanas, migrant and sedentary birds, lizards, sea turtles, and a wide range of fishes. In contrast, the flora includes agave, gaiac, goat weed, and sea violets. These islands are indeed considered the little corner of paradise. Tourists need to take a boat to visit this place. You will be able to walk among iguanas and swim with turtles, sharks, and many other fishes. There are few food joints under the palm trees where you can enjoy some fantastic local foods.

Pointe des Chateaux - Do not leave Guadeloupe until you visit Pointe des Chateaux. This place is considered to be a historic walking area of Guadeloupe. It is a gorgeous place, and you can witness some beautiful beaches here. The site is very rough, as well as the sea and the rocks. It is a fascinating contrast to the "normal" seasides of West Indian. Guadeloupe always had a problem with parking. But the walk from the parking area is worth it. You need to climb throughout the trip. The most crucial point is you need to wear a good pair of shoes. Tourists have great eye-catching views as they witness the Caribbean and Atlantic crashing into majestic rocks that are offshore. . It is incredible to see the Rock formations in the Cliff, and then you can also check the rock pools and fishes. Most of the visitors try coconut ice cream here. It tastes gorgeous. There are also some tiny places where you can enjoy light meals.

St. Anne Beach - Stee-Anee is a bustling town that sees many visitors, but it also retains many local characters. The main road between St-François and Pointe-à-Pitre runs through the middle of the city Ste-Anne. It brings a constant traffic flow and has one beautiful seaside promenade, an amazing white-sand beach that stretches along the eastern side, and a lively market famous for selling some local produce. The beach at Ste-Anne offers a good swimming experience and is also shaded by many sea-grape trees. These are very popular among the islanders who have the will to surf, paddleboard, and kayak. If tourists want a less busy vibe, they can always head towards a short distance that is west to Plage de la Caravelle.

Ilet Caret - Ilet Caret is an island that is a small one, so it can be called a sandbank. There is gorgeous water around the island. Visitors visit the place to relax at home and have a good swim. But according to reports, the island is sinking underneath the waves because of global warming. On the way to the island, visitors can also visit the mangroves. Snorkeling on the island is not such a great one, as there are only a few fishes and the color of the corals also seems to be grey. You can try to rent a boat and visit this island.

Zoo de Guadeloupe - Zoo de Guadeloupe is a beautiful rain forest full of flowers and plants. Their tourists will not spot a lot of animals, but the layout of the zoo is unique. While you visit this zoo, you will have a feeling of visiting a zoo and a botanical garden at the same time. The canopy bridges present at the zoo were adventurous and fun for both the children and adults. Visitors can enjoy the lush setting of the jungle as one transverse into the zoo. It aims at the conservation of the rainforest ecosystem. Some of the animals you will encounter are ocelots, spider monkeys, colorful parrots, iguanas, jaguar, and raccoons.

Jardin Botanique de Deshaies - This botanical garden gives shelter to a wide range of trees and plants, including hibiscus, bougainvillea, orchids, and different other types of flowers as well as birds. The Jardin Botanique de Deshaies sits on more than 10-acre property, which was once owned by a comedian of France and was designed by a reputed landscape designer Michel Gaillard. According to some recent visitors, the gardens are worth spending time and exploring. Some of the different collections in the park include arid plants, palm trees, and Asian tropics.

Vinales National Park - Visitors can enjoy good horseback riding all through the Vinales National Park. They will also get a chance to visit the plantations and tobacco factories assisted by a local expert on this subject. The excursion of the tourists begins in the Vinales Valley. It is a National monument since the year 1979, and it was first recognized as the cultural landscape throughout the American Region by UNESCO. It was also declared as the National Park in 2001 and Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 1999.

La Vanilleraie Fety - La Vanilleraie Fety is a farm in Guadeloupe. Many visitors decide to stay at this place instead of staying at hotels. They book homestays near the farm and get a mesmerizing view of both the farm and the beach. It is considered to be a peaceful stay. It is advised to take guided tours if you want to go to the farms. If you can time the trip correctly, it could be one of the most interesting ones. Tourists interact with the farmers and buy things from them instead of buying from big brands. You can also learn about cultivation from the ones who know about it. For example, everyone is familiar with the taste and smell of vanilla, but it is interesting to see how they grow from orchid plants.

Ilet Du Gosier - The inhabitants of the human race unspoil this island. Tourists get away from the hustle and bustle of the city by visiting this island. This is a tropical island, and you can reach the place with a short boat ride from the main town. Even strong swimmers also try to get the island without any help.

Les Saintes - Terre de Haut

Explore

The places mentioned above are considered the ten best tourist attractions that every tourist opts for paying a visit to Guadeloupe. In addition to these places, some other must-visit places in the city like museums and parks that anyone would consider checking out while going for a tour in Guadeloupe. Below-mentioned is the list of sites that one would like to explore while visiting Guadeloupe.

City Parks

Parc Municipal Hyacinthe Bastaraud - This is a huge area located in the Guadeloupe city. This park offers exercises for everyone, be it adults or children. Most of the ground of this park is made of red bricks. There are lots of trees in the garden, and it offers a natural shade for the visitors. The air quality is also very fresh, and it is kids friendly.

National Parks

Guadeloupe National Park - This national park is located on Basse-Terre and was created in the year 1989. It became the overseas territory's first French National Park. Creating this national park aims to preserve Antilles' nature and its flora and fauna, both terrestrial and marine. The park area is 22,000 hectares, including 17,300 hectares of tropical forest and 3,700 hectares in a marine and humid environment. Guadeloupe National Park is also full of unique local wildlife.

Guadeloupe National Park

Beaches

Plage de Grande Anse (Deshaies, Basse-Terre)- This beach is regarded as one of the most beautiful beaches in Guadeloupe. Grand Anse is a much more comprehensive, mile-long beach of blond sand that is located in Deshaies. It offers a breathtaking view and has big palm trees.

Plage de Grande Anse

Landmarks

Fort Napoleon - This site is considered to be the most binding site on Guadeloupe's miniature archipelago. It offers tourists breathtaking views of the Caribbean. The panoramic view of the water dotted with many sailboats and surrounded by many bluffs makes the visit worth it. But the fort is also visited for its historical interest.

Fort Napoleon

Museums

Memorial acte - Located at a 15 min walking distance from the cruise terminal and is visible from the sea. The architectural wonder deals with the history of the slave trade and slavery. It provides valuable knowledge about the historical dark age of trafficking. It gives an audio tour with a handset and a recorder where the earphone can automatically switch tracks in your preferred language as you change your location in the museum. They even give you a pensioner's discount with age proof.

Kreol West Indies - It is a museum along with an art gallery that is enriched with the contribution of many local artists and contains ancient artifacts from Guadalupe with pieces of modern art. The museum also has a boutique or a gift shop. There are several accessories, jewelry, bags, artworks, and prints made by the local disabled people. They use boating fabrics to make their handicraft which makes the pieces waterproof and unique which can be bought at an affordable price.

Musée Costumes et Traditions - The museum stores informative knowledge about the costume tradition of the island and reveals the diverse cultural heritage through lifestyle, religious practices, medicinal plants, and toys all around the world. The educational tour of the museum takes you way back into history and concludes with a movie. Though it is compact, it does not affect the content of the museum.

Ecomusee Creole art de la Guadeloupe - The museum tells stories about the different medicinal plants, herbs, clothes, and island districts. Historians, herbalists, and botanists will appreciate the museum as they include a little bit of everything about the island. The cocoa drink available here is one of the main attractions for the visitors and its lush garden.

Eat

As Guadeloupe is located in the French West Indies, it is a Caribbean island group that draws appetizing influences from France and India and Africa. It gives a perfect getaway to Caribbean staples, French classics, and creole delicacies. Being home to several tropical fruits, Guadeloupe is a hub for fresh homemade fruit juice. It offers eight to ten varieties of fruit juices, along with the seller offering their unique blend. Guadeloupe's economy flourishes on the fish market. Its easy access to the sea gives the surety of only fresh seafood. One should not leave the island without tasting local seafood such as stuffed conch, land crab, grilled mahi-mahi, Caribbean lobster, and Maine. Fish such as shark, marlin, and vivaneau cooked with lime juice in barbecue, chicken or lamb curry which is Indian influenced, catalog or smashed vegetables, a mixture of cod and avocat which is known as feroce, taken from African tradition, bebele is a traditional dish in Marie Galante are some of the local foods which are a must in your to-do list. You will come across various food joints offering delicious dishes and delectable. For example, different versions of a hamburger without outstanding and unique flavor. This is a total traditional local restaurant with affordable homemade recipes. You will also get Caribbean, French, and seafood cuisines. It is renowned for its cocktails, dishes, and desserts. The punch coco cocktail, Melba toast made from baguette, fish trilogy are some of the dishes which are recommended. With outstanding fish dishes such as tuna tartare, which was served with fried bananas, French fries, and a cabbage slaw permeated with curry flavors, duck breast, desserts such as framboise and coconut flan, the tour of the island will be exceptional. The mid-19th century brought some real contemporary food to the market along with abolishing slavery. Bokit is such an alternative to the sandwich, which Johnnycake inspires. It is price-worthy and savory simultaneously, with different bokit stands offering their own unique and customized twist. Another such street food is accras which is influenced by African cuisine. It is filled with lobster, shrimp, and cod and is served with spicy sauce. It can also be vegetarian with an eggplant version.

Drink

The Caribbean islands specialize in rum distilleries. Ti’punch is a rum-based easy-to-drink specialty on the island which is of French Antilles. It is famous among the locals. An alternative to sugar cane and lime juice is rum on the island, and to have a good experience of the drink, one needs very smooth rum. Ti’punch is usually a traditional cocktail made of sugarcane, lime, and rum. Coconut goes hand in hand with the seaside, and the incredible production of coconut in Guadeloupe is beneficial for the locals. Besides using coconut for drinking, breakfast, and dessert, it is commonly consumed in frozen form by the locals. Sorbet coco in the outdoor markets and sea beaches made with sorbet, condensed milk, coconut, cinnamon, and nutmeg, which taste more like gelato than sorbet. It is affordable as well as tasty for any tourist.

Tap-water

The tap water of Guadeloupe is generally safe and chlorinated, but it is advised to drink bottled water for the first few weeks of the stay. Guadeloupe is known for its high health standard. Thus one can trust the foods and drinks of the island.

Activities

Guadeloupe is a beautiful butterfly-shaped island that can help you swim in the turquoise water while immaculate beaches and bathe in the sun. The beaches are lined with many coconut palms. You can also swim along with sea turtles or discover biodiversity or swim with parrotfish. There are many tour options that you will get in Guadeloupe, but everything depends upon the activities that you need to do. You can opt for going on excursions through mangroves or coffee plantations, walk in the morning on the island of La Desirade, and kayak at sea.

Accommodation

The accommodation at Guadeloupe is maintained thoroughly as the city experiences not a massive crowd because it is a bit off the map. But the city offers its travelers reasonable accommodation. Let us read about some of them.

Green Hotels

Green hotels are the places that offer all the basic facilities that any tourist would get in an average hotel. Besides the facilities, they play a significant role in the betterment of the atmosphere of the city. All the green hotels use eco-friendly methods, and they make sure to recycle all the wastes generated so that the country is clean. Some of the best green hotels in Guadeloupe are Au Jardin des Colibris Ecolodge&Spa, Piton Bungalows, lI’ton fruits.

Hostels and Guest Houses

Hotels and guest houses offer tourists an experience like the localities. These are highly preferred by those who want to stay in the city for more than one week. It also helps to save the money of the tourists.

Apartments

Apartments that are available in Guadeloupe help the tourists to stay peacefully and comfortably during the trip. They get many premium features in the apartments ranging from cheap ones to expensive ones.

Couchsurfing

Couchsurfing helps the tourists to experience the culture of the city more closely. It is also a money-saving method. In this type of accommodation, a group of tourists helps other tourists by offering them food and shelter while visiting their country or hometown.

Camping

There are many camping grounds available in Guadeloupe where you will find many tents and caravan sites. Many villas offer the tourist to experience free Wi-Fi and also enjoy unique foods from the restaurants.

Regions

Map of Guadeloupe

Islands

Basse Terre: green and lush vegetation, mountainous with a sulphuric volcano.
Grande Terre: flat and dry with a lot of beaches, some of them very touristic.
Marie Galante: the biggest island out of mainland Guadeloupe.
Les Saintes: composed of Terre de Haut and Terre de Bas, one of the most beautiful bays.
La Désirade: dry and cliffy.
Petite Terre: uninhabited and untamed.

Cities

Pointe-à-Pitre : with its suburbs, it is the economic capital of Guadeloupe
Gosier : maybe one of the most interesting places of Guadeloupe to enjoy nightlife. (You can enter most nightclubs with proper clothes, that is, no sneakers, no shorts)
St François
St Anne: a very nice but also very touristy city and beach
Morne à l'eau
Anse Bertrand
Abymes: nothing special to see, but the weekend, there are 3 local nightclubs: L'instant, Caraibes and Latin Club. They are located at the same place.
Baie-Mahault

Getting There and Moving Around

Many options can help you to get to Guadeloupe. The fastest way to reach the island is via airways. There are many direct flights to Guadeloupe which can be benefited to the tourists by saving their time. To roam in the city, you can use a bus, scooters, etc. you can also opt for waterways to travel from one island to another.

Air

The only international airport of Guadeloupe is Guadeloupe Pôle Caraïbes Airport, which is 6km away from the city center and north of the Pointe-à-Pitre. Many airlines serve Guadeloupe such as Corsair From Paris, Air Canada From Montreal, Air Caraïbes From Paris, American Airlines From San Juan and Miami, Air France From Paris, Miami (USA), Cayenne (French Guiana), and Port-au-Prince (Haiti).

Guadeloupe Pôle Caraïbes Airport

Bus

Bus service at Guadeloupe is charming and frequent on the main routes. The operating hours of bus service are from 5:30 am to 6:30 pm. There are no bus services on Sundays.

Bus in Guadeloupe

Train

There are no railways services in Guadeloupe

Hitchhiking

This is very common in Guadeloupe, mainly in the areas where the bus service is abysmal

Others

There are many transport facilities in Guadeloupe. Waterways play a significant role. About 95% of the transport in Guadeloupe is done via rivers. Ferries connect one island to the other. There are also electric cars and scooters available. Shuttle service is top-rated in the city as well.

Sustainable Shopping

Local boutiques are in high trend as a sustainable shopping source where people buy local handmade products at an affordable price. It is much more aesthetic and supportive to the local people than buying branded products during travels and tours. The island markets offer a wide range of jewelry, accessories, and other handmade items as souvenirs.

Recycling

Guadeloupe maintains a high-class recycling center under ERDF funding. High-quality collection and waste treatment facilities have been set up on the island by ERDF funding. It helps in reducing pollution and manages the threat to the farming and tourism industry.

Waste

The island has taken necessary steps to free it from waste and pollution. Being a tourist attraction center creates an appropriate amount of garbage that is further recycled for proper disposal and reuses instead of reincarnated or dumped in landfills. The island has limited places for landfills which is why appropriate treatment of waste is necessary.

Work and Study Abroad

The education department comes under the Department of France, which has quite several schools and colleges. Being a tourist destination, locals engage in all type of jobs and activities which make money.

Exchange Student

The students opting for student exchange are fortunate enough to scout around the famous destinations and tourist spots that will be combined with their educational program. Other than that, they can stay with local families and engage in off and on-campus sports. Through the student exchange program, a student can ultimately involve themselves in cultural and academic education.

Au Pair

The facility of au pair offers the international students and workers a shelter with the island's family. An individual can choose from the list of legal au pair candidates with whom he/she is willing to stay.

Volunteering

People from all around the world can lend a helping hand to social causes along with enjoying the comfortable island. The island provides a blend of French and Caribbean cultural influences within which volunteering for any reason is an adventurous and educational journey.