100% customisable travel idea
Guadeloupe - Basse-Terre - Grande-Terre
100% customisable for you
Meet and greet at Pointe-à-Pitre airport and pick up your rental car. Drive to Le Moule and stay for four nights in a charming little villa overlooking La Desirade island and the surf spot of Anse Salabouelle. The property's typical Creole style features lots of wood. The whole place is set in a lovely tropical garden. Relax and settle in, getting to know your surroundings by heading to one of the nearby beaches or simply strolling along the splendid coastal path leading to Porte d’Enfer bay.
Le Moule, on the Atlantic coast of Grande-Terre, has an enchanting coastal atmosphere, with its colourful Creole houses and lively market. Founded in the 17th century on a former Amerindian site, the town became the most important port on the island in the 19th century. Visitors can explore the Edgar Clerc Amerindian Archaeology Museum, admire the Zevallos Colonial Estate, discover the Damoiseau distillery and visit the Gardel sugar refinery. Along with the nearby beaches, the horseshoe-shaped cliffs at Porte d’Enfer are well worth a visit.
Optional extra - Guided tour of Saint-Francois market.
Things to see and do - Laze by the pool or on the beach - enjoy a local snack watching surfers chasing the waves - take a road trip and explore the Atlantic coast - take in the view from Pointe des Chateaux, which looks a bit like Brittany - head to Bois Jolan beach and swim in its calm, shallow waters - have a family picnic on the beach, in the shade of the palm trees.
Drive to Basse-Terre heading to the Cousteau Reserve, near Malendure beach in Bouillante.
On your schedule - Snorkelling in the Cousteau Reserve. This protected marine environment includes the Pigeon Islands and extends to cover nearly 1,000 hectares (2,470 acres) of underwater habitats. The abundant corals shelter a multitude of tropical fish. Everyone slip into your wetsuits, snorkel, masks and fins, you’re off on an unforgettable adventure. Just do as your attentive and patient instructor says. Follow their advice and keep your eyes peeled to spot the sea turtles seeming to dance gracefully beneath the ocean’s surface.
Next, head to the hills of Vieux-Habitants, where you stay for three nights. Cross a lush, colourful garden to reach a red wooden villa that has everything you need. There are plenty of rooms where you can lounge lazily. The garden is full of lemon trees, coconut palms and banana trees.
In Vieux-Habitants, you are in Côte Sous Le Vent, the western side of Basse-Terre, with is charming and authentic nature and culture. At the heart of the village stands Saint-Joseph Church, the oldest in Guadeloupe. Head up the lush green valley of Grande Rivière des Vieux-Habitants to discover a historic coffee plantation that brings to mind the Caribbean of days gone by. Nearby are the tropical forest and coastal mangroves of Guadeloupe National Park, which is home to a wide variety of wildlife such as exotic birds, mongooses and endemic bats. Towering over it all is the Soufrière volcano, which rises to 1,467 metres (4,813 feet). It sometimes releases fumaroles, a sign that it is still active.
An experience not to be missed - From bean to bar. At the Gwakako cocoa plantation you can make your own chocolate bar. Take part in each stage of the process from roasting and grinding to conching, to transform cocoa beans into chocolate, and leave with your own delicious souvenir!
On your schedule - Explore Les Saintes in an electric buggy. Les Saintes, discovered by Christopher Columbus, is made up of nine unspoiled islands in total, two of which are inhabited: Terre-de-Haut and Terre-de-Bas. Arriving in Terre-de-Haut, after a short 20 minute boat crossing from Trois-Rivières, you immediately feel the island’s typical gentle way of life. Take your time here and explore everything at your own pace. The small colourful wooden houses, narrow streets, fishermen’s boats, Sugarloaf Mountain and wild beaches all add to the charm of Terre-de-Haut. Not to mention its inhabitants, who are mostly descendants of Breton settlers who arrived on the island in the 17th century. Sometimes words similar to those from the Gallo language of Brittany are dropped into the Creole patois. In fact there are even a few creperies. It all seems quite familiar if you’ve been to Brittany. On your electric buggy, you can go wherever you want. The island has a host of attractions to visit. Fort Napoleon, overlooking the Bay of Les Saintes is home to a museum about the island’s history. Its collections include models recreating the famous 1782 Battle of the Saintes. Explore the Creole village of Terre-de-Haut with its colourful fishermen’s houses, typical of the French West Indies. And head to palm fringed Pompierre Beach, where you can bask in the sun alongside iguanas, and the occasional friendly goat.
Drive to Pointe-à-Pitre, return the rental car and direct return flight. Night on board, arrival the following day.
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