A landscape that many travelers seek has beaches, sun and turquoise waters. There are several destinations with these characteristics, but without a doubt the Caribbean Sea it is one of the most popular. And here the Guuadalupe Island.
This group of Caribbean islands are under French flag, so the currency is the euro and French citizens can cross the Atlantic and settle here to work, study or enjoy its beauties. Luckily not only the French, so today we have to know the tourist attractions of Guadalupe Island.
Guadalupe Island
As we said at the beginning, it is really an archipelago that is made up of six larger and inhabited islands and two other uninhabited islands. They are south of Antigua and Barbado and the capital is the city of Basse-Terre, on the island of the same name. The other inhabited islands are Grande-Terre, Marie-Galante and La Désirade.
The aboriginal name of the islands is Karuker, but Christopher Columbus renamed it Santa María de Guadalupe, for the image of the saint who is in Guadalupe, Extremadura. The original peoples were the Arawak and the Caribbean Kariba and although the Spanish made several attempts to seize them they were always rejected. The French succeeded in the mid-seventeenth century and filled it with settlers.
Obviously, the aborigines caught all the pests that their bodies were not used to and many died. Some time later they were forced into slavery and the time of the sugar plantationsr. Between the XNUMXth and XNUMXth centuries there were seven years of British occupation. Later it returned to French hands and the plantations spanned the coffee and cocoa. The French Revolution produced chaos on the islands and at the beginning of the XNUMXth century they were even in Swedish hands, ceded by the English.
Actually the archipelago is numerous, it has around 12 islands, islets and rocky islets, within the Leeward Islands, part volcanic. The two main islands are popular because they look like a butterfly when viewed from the sky. They are mountainous islands, with even an active volcano, coral reefs, white beaches and turquoise waters.
Guadeloupe Tourism
The two most popular islands are Grande-Terre and Basse-Terre. They are linked by a bridge, while the other islands, Marie-Galante, Les Saintes and La Désirade are reached by ferry. The islands have the Caribbean to the west and the Atlantic to the east, so their climate allows forests, mountains, multicolored beaches, waterfalls and corals.
The gateway and the heart of Guadeloupe is Grande-Terre. On Basse Terre is the Guadalup National Parkhey the beautiful active volcano La Grande Soufrière. The best time of the year to go to Guadeloupe is between December and February. The rainy season lasts from June to October so avoid it. Of course, if you are looking for culture in addition to beaches, it's a good idea to go during an event, for example, the carnival in February or the Fète des Cuisinières, in August.
Guadalupe can be reached by plane from the United States or from Europe. To move around the islands it is advisable to take a taxi or rent a car to have more freedom. The larger islands have a good infrastructure with well marked highways, so one can wander without fear of getting lost. Getting to Marie-Galante, the gastronomic capital of the islands, La Désirade or Les Saintes implies taking the ferry, there are services every day for which you can buy tickets online or up to an hour before at the departure site.
Basse-Terre is very green, it is a paradise to explore the tropical forest. It is a volcanic island dominated by the Soufriere volcano, surrounded by 17 thousand hectares of tropical forest, national park, with multiple trails, waterfalls ...
The truth is that it is super beautiful and here you can not miss: the Cousteau Reserve and Paloma Islands, the beaches of all the colors you imagine, the Carbet Falls, Cascade aux Ècrevisses, Deshaies beach, the volcano, the Grand Cul-de-Sac Marin Nature Reserve, Fort Delgrés, the coffee and cocoa plantation of L'Habitation and the Archaeological Park des Roches Graéeves.
Grande Terre It has pristine beaches, turquoise lagoons and sugar plantations, many. Here the main attractions are: Fort Fleur dÉpée, the anti-slavery museum of Pinte-á-Pitre, the Basilica Saint Pierre et Saint Paul, the islet of Le Glosier with its underwater world, the biodiversity of the Pointe-des-Chateaux, the cultural and educational center Le Pays de la Canne, the old More-á-l'Eau cemetery and the impressive cliffs of la Grande Vigie and La Porte d'Enfer.
Désirade It is an island that is reached by sea or by air and has a single route that runs the entire length of it, but you can explore it on foot or by scooter. Is a remote and beautiful islandIt is barely 11 kilometers of rocky but beautiful sandy beaches and protected corals. To dive then Petite Riviere, to sunbathe the beausejour beachFor the cultural part you can visit the ruined leper colony of a former cotton plant, or delight in the natural beauty of the Petite Terre islands or walk for an hour along Le Morne du Souffler.
The Saints It is an archipelago of two islands: Terre-de-Haut and Terre-de-Baus plus seven islets. Breton and Norman settlers arrived here and it is a popular place for its colorful streets, its colorful fishing boats and its wooden houses. Her pearls are the Pompierre beach, Fort Napoleon with its breathtaking views, the calm bay of The Bay of Marigot and the natural beach of L'Anse Crawen. Add the village of Pétite-Anse, the trails of La Trace du Dessus de L'Etang, the Trace des Falaises, the Grande-Anse beach and the ruins of a ceramic factory.
In short, Guadalupe Island is a typical destination of the Caribbean Sea with a beautiful mix of nature and culture and history. Finally, I leave you some practical data:
- . The official language is French, but Creole and English prevail quite a bit in daily life, at least in tourist areas.
- . Electricity is 220 volts, at 50 AC, with a French plug.
- . The local currency is the euro, but credit cards are accepted. Of course, in the smaller bars and cafes the money runs in cash.
- . From France there are six daily flights from Paris and other cities. The flight lasts about 8 hours.
- . Guadalupe is a cruise ship destination. The main cruise port is Pointe-à-Pitre.