A trip to the Antilles, a wild and wonderful destination. We are in Guadeloupe and here is what we recommend to eat, visit and where to sleep for a low cost holiday. Airplanes and costs included in the post.
Before Christopher Columbus sighted it during his second trip in 1493, and assigned the name in honor of the Madonna of Guadalupe, venerated in Extremadura, the Caribs who lived there called it "Karukera", or "the island of beautiful waters". Yes, because despite being very varied in landscape, it is above all its postcard beaches that bring thousands of tourists to Guadeloupe every year. And so also we, who after finding a low cost flight on New Year's Eve with Air France (340 euros return including taxes, departing from Madrid and stopover in Paris), did not miss the opportunity to visit the island of Guadeloupe, recognizable on the map by its shape that resembles a butterfly.
Formed by two main islands, Grande-Terre and Basse-Terre, joined by three bridges, together with other smaller islands (Marie-Galante, La Desirade and Les Saintes) constitutes an overseas region of France, so in Guadeloupe, albeit overlooking the Caribbean Sea, we are in all respects in Europe : to enter, an identity card valid for expatriation is sufficient and no currency exchange is necessary. However, this has some disadvantages, first of all the high cost of living, in line with that of the most renowned French tourist resorts.
Where stay
It always depends on what you want to do: planning a lot of sea, perhaps in the shade of a few coconut palms, it is advisable to find accommodation on the island of Grande-Terre, which is flatter in the east. If, on the other hand, you are counting above all on exploring the wildest area of ​​Guadeloupe, its paths and natural parks, it is better to have a base on the more mountainous island of Basse-Terre, perhaps right in Basse-Terre city, on the coast. A good compromise could be to stay in Pointe a Pitre, the capital located about halfway between the two main islands, and perhaps the most authentic city of Guadeloupe, with its lively port and colorful market.
We stayed in Sainte Anne, in the southern area of ​​the island of Grande-Terre, on what is considered, up to Saint Francois, the stretch with the most beautiful beaches. The cost of the house was 500 euros for 10 nights, including transfer from the airport (otherwise if you land in the evening when public transport is not running, please add 50 euros for the taxi). It was a large house (66 sq m), with two floors and a garden, perhaps excessively large for two people, but in fact in line for the price with other nearby and much smaller accommodation (35 sq m). The only flaw is the distance of about two kilometers from the city center via a dark and medium-flowing road where in the evening it was dangerous even just to walk because of the many cars. Cheaper accommodations can be found on the island of Basse-Terre and generally outside the main tourist resorts such as Le Gosier, Sainte Anne and Saint-Francois.
Getting around
The island of Guadeloupe is quite small (300 kilometers the length of the circumnavigation) but due to the not very widespread public transport on the territory (they cover only the main cities and are active until 5-6 in the afternoon), you can get around better with your own vehicle, especially if you want to explore it in every corner. From the airport there is no public transport to the city center, and the cost of a taxi from the airport to the center of Pointe a Pitre costs 20 euros (but the price can be negotiated and the taxis do not have a proper tariff). To rent a car, you can save something by turning to the many "location de voitures" in the city rather than one of the best known international agencies based at the airport (Heartz, Europcar, etc…). We rented a car in Saint Francois for 230 euros from 1 to 9 January, against the 400-500 euros proposed by the agencies. The rental of a bicycle varies between 10 and 15 euros per day, but in the low season the prices also drop to 25 euros per week. The prices for the rental of scooters are slightly higher, but in high season they are practically unavailable if not booked from home well in advance. A bus ride from Pointe a Pitre to Sainte Anne costs € 1,90, from Pointe a Pitre to Saint-Francois € 2,80. Hitchhiking is also a fairly common way to get around the island, but the waits can be quite long. We did not fail to offer a ride to a local lady, who in return gave us some tips on where to eat and taught us a few words in Creole! The road network in Guadeloupe is of recent construction and in excellent condition: the section from Pointe a Pitre to Le Gosier, just before Sainte Anne, is the most dangerous as it has three lanes and fast running. The traffic at rush hour and the high number of cars and SUVs even in the heart of urban centers, were in our opinion the only negative aspects of Guadeloupe, as they affect the beauty and tranquility that instead reign in the less "motorized" areas. .
The most beautiful beaches
It is necessary to spend a few words to remember that, if like us you go to Guadeloupe in high season (New Year's Eve), some of the beaches that have been indicated to you as "the most beautiful", may reserve some disappointment, being crowded with tourists and even dirtier . This is the case, for example, of the beach "Le Caravelle", at the entrance to Sainte Anne coming from the west, which on January 1st was very busy (we left it immediately) due to the presence of a nearby holiday village, while it was quite another thing to see her a week later when most of the vacationers had already returned. Anyway, apart from the double face of Le Caravelle, here are the most beautiful beaches in Guadeloupe, in our opinion:
Jolan Wood: beach of clear sand and palm trees, crystal clear water. In the vicinity of Sainte Anne, Grande-Terre.
Anse du Souffleur: beach of clear sand and palm trees, crystal clear water. Near Port Louis, Grande-Terre.
Plage de Salines: beach of clear sand and trees (not palm trees), and crystal clear water. In the vicinity of Sainte Anne, Grande-Terre.
Plage de Raisins Clairs: beach and lawn with a beautiful palm grove and crystal clear water. In the vicinity of Saint-Francois, Grande-Terre.
Plage de Cluny: dark sand beach, with less crystal clear waters. It always remains one of the most beautiful in Basse-Terre, where the whole coast is higher and the sea less clear.
To see
Having 9 full days available, we have organized them as follows: 3 for the visit of Basse-Terre (one for the waterfalls, one for the volcano, one for the northern beaches, the botanical garden and the rum museum); 2 for excursions to the islands (Marie-Galante and Ile de Caret); and 3 in Grande-Terre for relaxing on the beach and short walks in the surrounding area.
Waterfalls excursion. The "chute du Carbet" are waterfalls located in the southern area of ​​the island of Basse-Terre. The closest can be reached with a 20-minute hike, the next two, placed one close to the other, require a walk of 1 hour and 45 minutes. The departure is from the end of the D4 road, which can be taken from Anse St Sauveur. For the excursion you need good hiking shoes, enough food and water to walk over three hours (considering the return) and a k-way. The entrance to the path costs 1,80 euros.
Excursion to the volcano. The Soufrière volcano represents the highest peak of Guadeloupe with its 1467 meters. It is located in the southern part of the island of Basse-Terre and can be reached on foot from Saint-Claude in a challenging 1 hour and 45 minute hike. Despite our good will, to reach the volcano even with the fog and a light rain, in the end it will be a violent storm to make us give up (and not only us) after half an hour of walking in the forest with completely soaked clothes! Entrance to the trail is free.
The botanical garden. It is located on the island of Basse-Terre near Deshaies. Admission costs 15 euros per person, which is a bit expensive as it takes less than an hour to visit. The garden is home to a wide variety of plant species, most of which, however, are not native to the place but have been brought here from other parts of the world, particularly from Asia and Equatorial Africa. For example, in the garden there is a very common palm in Guadeloupe, in the shape of a fan, imported from Madagascar.
The rum museum. It is located in Sainte Rose, also on the island of Basse-Terre. Admission costs 6 euros. Composed of a single room, the museum houses many period photographs from the first settlement of the French (in the first half of the 1600s) and the description of the entire rum production process, from the cultivation of sugar cane to bottling. The texts are in English and French, while in a second room a video is shown in several languages, including Italian. In the museum you can taste different rum specialties (white, ambrè, flavored with fruit).
Marie-Galante
Marie-Galante is the largest of the smaller islands of Guadeloupe. Located about 30 km south of Grande-Terre, Maria Galanda was baptized by Christopher Columbus in honor of his caravel. The island can be reached daily from Saint-Francois by boat which takes about an hour, the cost of which is between 20 and 35 euros round trip depending on the season. As soon as you disembark in Saint-Louis, you will have no difficulty in finding accommodation and renting a car or moped from the sellers of the agencies who will welcome you directly at the port. Most agencies offer rental cars for 20-25 euros per day + 15 euros for petrol (for a complete tour of the island). Our visit to Marie-Galante lasted only one day, the time to stop for an hour on the most beautiful beaches of the west coast. It is even superfluous to mention a few: every few kilometers you will find more enchanting ones. In our opinion, in Marie-Galante we have seen the best beaches in Guadeloupe: of white sand, with clear and calm water, and above all deserted! In short, the real postcard Caribbean beaches! In one of these beaches we attended an unforgettable physical education lesson of a class: and more than at school it seemed that the boys had gone out together to have fun! There are also many rum distilleries on the island, some of which can be visited.
Ile de Caret
Without doubt one of the most suggestive places in Guadeloupe. This small island a few hundred square meters, is located a few kilometers north of Basse-Terre close to the coral reef. You can get here with one of the many organized excursions. We booked one for 85 euros which included a full day on the boat with a stop on the island, lunch, various snacks, drinks including alcohol and snorkeling on the coral reef. Maybe a little expensive but it was definitely worth it, even more so considering that this little paradise, able until a few years ago to host three houses and a football field, and which today has seen its extension significantly reduced to due to the rising of the waters, in two or three years it is estimated that it may even disappear under them.
Cuisine and restaurants
Creole cuisine offers different dishes, some very spicy and often accompanied by rice: from Creole puddings, made of entrails, to fried meatballs served hot, as well as obviously various fish dishes. But given the heat, often, at least for lunch it is pleasant to dine based on the tasty and colorful local fruit: in fact, in Guadeloupe there is no shortage of tropical fruits such as pineapples, bananas, avocados, mangoes, marakuja, goyave and of course… coconuts! But don't buy these, it will be a pleasure to pick them up on the beach as soon as they have fallen from some palm tree and strive to open them and then eat them fresh! But be careful, not all coconuts are good, look for those that seem drier, wood-colored, and if you don't have a machete to break them, go in search of a large stone (at least 10 kilos) and hit the coconut several times, you will see that in the end you will win it and it will be a satisfaction! The local spices and sauces are also very tasty, in particular we appreciated the typical Caribbean salt and the chien sauce, to accompany rice or fish. The other local product par excellence in Guadeloupe is rum, and even if you are not a fan, you cannot miss a tasting every now and then. In addition to drinking it dry, you can prepare tasty fruit-based cocktails. In every city a visit to the local market is a must, to buy fruit and spices among colorful and fragrant stalls.
Restaurants we tried 3
Lucullus: highly reviewed on the internet, nice and well-kept place. Cuisine with Creole and fish specialties. Refined and tasty dishes, good portions. Try the Creole menu, or some fish delicacies such as prawns in coconut milk and curry sauce. In the locality of Sainte Anne.
Chez Momo: the lady we drove recommended it to us. Prepare both meat and fish on the grill. It is quite typical as it is frequented almost exclusively by locals. Takeaway dishes cost about 30% less, in fact there is practically no one at the tables. Near Sainte Anne, in the Ffrench area.
Chez Anne: the best ever: in terms of quality, prices, location and typicality of the place. It is located in Sainte Anne not far from the center and in front of a magnificent Caribbean beach. The place is spartan and welcoming, as are the two ladies who run it. Fish specialties. Do not miss the lobster menu: 25 euros per person includes different side dishes and banana flambé for dessert.
Summary information
He flew: the price of a return flight (including a stopover in Paris) is almost never lower than 700-800 euros. We got away with 340 euros thanks to an offer from Air France.
Noleggio auto: with small agencies in the city you save a lot compared to international operators based at the airport.
Where stay: renting a house is in our opinion the best solution for accommodation, depending on the size and location you can find accommodation for all budgets, even outside the city from 35-40 euros per night.
Climate and when to go: in Guadeloupe there are two seasons, a hot and humid one that goes from June to November, characterized by higher temperatures, 25-32 ° C, and tropical rains (with the possibility of hurricanes), and a drier and cooler one that goes from December to May with temperatures between 20 and 30 ° C.
The most beautiful beaches: Bois Jolan, Anse du Souffleur, Plage de Salines, Plage de Raisins Clairs, Le Caravelle (but only in low season), the west coast of Marie Galante.
To be seen: the “chute du Carbet” waterfalls, the Soufrière volcano, the botanical garden and the rum museum on the island of Basse-Terre; the beaches on the island of Grande-Terre. At least a couple of excursions to nearby islands: Marie-Galante, Ile de Caret, Les Saintes and La Desirade.
Cost of the holiday for two people: 2500 euros including flight, house for 10 nights, car rental, 2 excursions and 5 dinners out (including New Year's Eve dinner). In short, to be a 10-day trip to the Caribbean, in high season and without missing anything, really low-cost.
