Must-SeeGuadeloupe National Park
The rainforest heart of Basse-Terre, with the La Soufrière volcano to climb, the triple Carbet Falls and the Cousteau marine reserve offshore.
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Guadeloupe
A butterfly of islands, French and Creole.
US travel advisory: Level 1, Exercise Normal Precautions · checked 2026-11-07This is a first draft of the Guadeloupe list. The full region guide is being written, and tiers may still change.
Guadeloupe is a French archipelago in the Lesser Antilles, part of France itself, shaped like a butterfly by its two main islands. Basse-Terre, the western wing, is mountainous and green, with the La Soufrière volcano and waterfalls in its national park; Grande-Terre, the eastern wing, is flatter, with white-sand beaches and the main city, Pointe-à-Pitre.
Smaller islands lie offshore: Les Saintes, with a lovely bay and a hilltop fort, rural Marie-Galante, known for rum and empty beaches, and quiet La Désirade. Travelers come for diving in the Cousteau Reserve, Creole food and culture, and a slower pace than the busier Caribbean islands.
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- Best Time
- December to May, the dry season; hurricane season runs June to November
- Ideal Trip
- 7–10 days: Basse-Terre's rainforest and volcano, Grande-Terre's beaches and a ferry to Les Saintes
- Fly Into
- Pointe-à-Pitre (PTP), with flights from Miami and Paris
- Getting Around
- A rental car; ferries to Les Saintes, Marie-Galante and La Désirade
- Entry
- No visa for stays of up to 90 days; Guadeloupe is outside the Schengen Area
- Money
- Euro; tipping isn't expected, as service is included
- Power
- European two-pin, 230 volts
- Drives On
- Right
The Short List
Type
Rank
Must-SeeMust-SeeLes Saintes
A cluster of small islands off Guadeloupe, with one of the world's loveliest bays, a hilltop fort and a sleepy village of scooters and fishing boats.
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Worth a DetourMarie-Galante
A flat, rural island of sugarcane fields, ox carts and empty beaches, known for its strong rums and old stone windmills.
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Worth a DetourDeshaies
A west-coast fishing village near the golden sands of Grande Anse, with a botanical garden, and the setting of TV's Death in Paradise.
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Worth a DetourSaint-François
A marina town near Guadeloupe's eastern tip, with lagoon beaches, ferries to the outer islands and the wild cliffs of Pointe des Châteaux.
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If You're NearbyPointe-à-Pitre
Guadeloupe's main city, with a spice market, colonial squares and the Mémorial ACTe, a striking museum of slavery and Caribbean history.
Guide Coming Soon
On the Map
Grey pins: guides still being written.
Good to Know
Getting Around
A rental car is the way to see both wings, joined by bridges near Pointe-à-Pitre, as buses are slow and infrequent. Ferries run to Les Saintes, Marie-Galante and La Désirade from Pointe-à-Pitre, Saint-François and Trois-Rivières.
Weather
It's warm all year, around 84°F, with a drier season from December to May and rain and the chance of hurricanes from June to November. Basse-Terre's mountains are much wetter than Grande-Terre.
Food
Try accras, colombo curry, bokit, a fried sandwich, and fresh fish with sauce chien, with a ti' punch of local rum; Marie-Galante makes some of the region's strongest rums.
Before You Go
Americans don't need a visa for stays of up to 90 days, and Guadeloupe uses the euro like mainland France. French is spoken everywhere, with Creole at home, and a climb up La Soufrière is best started early, before clouds cover the summit.