BEFORE YOU GO
Maps 🗺️ matter a lot. Google Maps was useful but not detailed enough. The [Garmin] GPS unit I rented was also very helpful (and reassuring at night to know which way the road was about to turn), but had a truly horrendous places search directory (e.g., it thought the nearest Plage de la Grande Anse was in Martinique). I strongly advise that you download Maps.me or any similar app that gives you offline access to OpenStreetMap. Unlike Google, Garmin, and anyone else, OSM actually has all the roads and trails you care about. It will be invaluable when you’re wondering “are we there yet” on a hike, where certain hot springs are, etc.
Rental car 🚗 — get one. Most cars are manual transmission, so if you prefer automatic reserve sooner than later. And acquaint yourself with French road signs if they are not familiar to you (especially do not enter and no parking). People will tailgate you, driving at night is not the most relaxing activity, and Garmin will tell you to turn the wrong way on one-way streets in Pointe-à-Pitre, but overall driving here is not too bad and it is hard to see the islands any other way. Pull over to let people pass you as often as you like. 🙂
Footwear 🥾 — You will probably want to go on hikes with rocks, mud, and streams, and also go to the beach, and also eat at restaurants. Tevas were a really efficient solution for me that were functional and acceptable in all these places.
The Islands 🏝️ — the “mainland” of Guadeloupe looks like a butterfly-shaped island, but it is in fact two islands. Basse-Terre on the west has fewer people and less traffic, with stunning nature and hikes. Grande-Terre on the east has a string of the most popular resort towns. I split my time between the two, staying half my time near Deshaies and then the rest in Le Gosier. If you have more time than I did, you can also explore the other islands like Les Saintes.
Some vocabulary:
- Anse: bay
- Jardin: garden
- Morne: hill
- Plage: beach
- Randonée: a hike
- Ti punch: literally “little punch,” the ubiquitous drink of rum with some sugar/syrup and a slice of lime
Basse-Terre
Places
- Jardin Botanique de Deshaies 🌺 (site; map) is a stunning botanical garden. I thought my host was exaggerating when she said I would spend 2-3 hours here, but she was right.
- Maison de la Forêt 🏞️🥾 (site; map) had some beautiful short and medium hikes, and was a good place to explore part of the very large Parc National that makes up the center of the island. Just down the road, the nearby Cascade aux Écrevisses ⛲ (map) has a very short paved walkway to beautiful waterfalls you can bathe beneath.
- Le Littoral de Deshaies 🥾⛰️🏝️ (site; site) is a hike between Deshaies and Plage de la Perle. It starts with a short-distance but intense hike over Gros Morne, which will lead you to the stunning Plage de la Grande Anse (see below) and on to the also beautiful Plage de la Perle. I suggest starting this hike mid-morning so you can enjoy lunch at Chez Samy on Plage de la Grande Anse. Have offline OpenStreetMap downloaded before you start! The route is clearly labeled there, but the route and key landmarks do not exist in Google Maps (as of March 2019).
On the Deshaies side, the hike starts right behind the sports courts of the school next to the cemetery at the northern end of town (map). Walk up the unlabeled short flight of steps just in front of the school fence to get to the trailhead. Bring lots of water. You will not want to do the return hike (going once over Gros Morne is enough!). My host told me the best way to get back to Deshaies is to hitchhike, which is safe and common on Basse-Terre. - Plage de la Grande Anse 🏝️ (site; map) is too beautiful a beach to believe. Enormous expanses of beautiful sand. Toward the southern end of the beach, wander through the trees to eat at Chez Samy.
- Gwakako 🍫 (site; map) is a wonderful experience where you will see how chocolate is made, from cacao pod to tablette de chocolat. You’ll come home with two bars of your own custom chocolate. You must reserve in advance. While you’re there, check out the beautiful, small outdoor chapel of Notre Dame des Larmes which is just down the road.
- Musée du Café / Café Chaulet ☕ (site; map) is a nice small museum about coffee production and history, though all explanations are in French. It has a very nice gift shop where you can buy very excellent and inexpensive Guadeloupean coffee beans!
- Bain des Amours 👙 (map) are beautiful natural hot springs from the island’s volcanic activity. On the short hike to the main (crowded) hot springs, the main springs are toward your left, but you can hike to the right and get to other hot springs with fewer people. Incidentally, the drive to get here, passing through the towns of Basse-Terre and Vieux-Fort, and then up route D7, was the most beautiful drive of my entire trip. I mean, I had to stop to take a picture of a bus stop.
Food
In general, I got good recommendations from browsing around TripAdvisor and Google Maps.
- Chez Samy 🍽🐔🐟 (site; map) was a delicious place to get Creole food on Plage de la Grande Anse. You choose either chicken or fish, and get delicious sides with it.
- Route du Roots 🥪 (site / site; map) is an amazing food truck on Plage de Petite Anse near Ferry. They make delicious savory and sweet crepes with coconut milk & coconut flour, and fresh local juices. A great place for lunch.
- Paradise Kafé 🍽⛵ (site; map) and La Savane (site; map) have beautiful views of Deshaies harbor. Paradise Kafé has a menu that is mostly Southeast Asian, while La Savane is French and Creole. Great places to have dinner and watch the sunset. Reservations strongly recommended.
- An Ba Tol La 🍽 (site; map) was strongly recommended by my host for classic Creole skewers, though it was closed for Mardi Gras when I tried to go!
Grande-Terre
Places
- Memorial ACTe 🏛️ (site; map) in Pointe-à-Pitre is an incredible museum about slavery, colonialism, and Afro-Caribbean culture, and is absolutely not to be missed.
- Marché nocturne du Gosier 🎠 (site; map) is the night market held on Friday nights in Le Gosier starting at 5:00 p.m. Lots of food vendors and arts and crafts.
- Petite-Terre 🏊♀️🐟🐢 (site; map) is an island off the east end of Grande-Terre, and is a popular snorkeling destination. I did a wonderful day trip there with Authentique-Excursion. Reserve as far in advance as possible.
While I did not do this, I also planned a scenic day of hiking the mangroves near Plage du Souffleur at Port Louis, visiting the Distillerie Damoiseau, and then hiking at Pointe des Châteaux. But I had lunch instead with a family I met on my snorkeling trip!
Food
- Petit Jardin 🍽🌴 (site; map) is in a beautiful garden courtyard in the center of Pointe-à-Pitre. It has fantastic Creole food. This was a delicious last meal for me in Guadeloupe!
- Chez Emy 🍽🏡 (site; map) is in a converted house in Sainte-Anne, and it was one of the warmest dining experiences I had. You don’t order off the menu — they will just bring you what they are making today (so if you have any dietary restrictions, say so!). It was a very filling meal with a variety of dishes all for less than 20€. Reservations recommended.
- Ti Maki 🍽 (site; map) in Le Gosier has great food, including lots of Creole classics as well as food from other tropical islands (like the delicious Tahitian-style tuna ceviche in coconut milk that I had). Reservations recommended.
- Sorbet à coco 🍨🥥 is a specialty sold at open air markets and other places (like the parking lot at Pointe des Châteaux). It’s made in the distinctive sorbetière antillaise (a wooden manual-crank sorbet maker) and is really good — buy it when you see it.
I did not end up going to Le Mabouya dans la Bouteille in St. François, but was also told that it was a wonderful restaurant.