Guadeloupe Resort Vacations

This cosmopolitan island is lined with gorgeous beaches and filled with a mountainous, lush terrain. Sample its famous Creole cuisine, where there's over 200 restaurants on the island! Explore Pigeon Island, named one of the world's 10 best dive sites by Jacques Cousteau.

Things To Do in Guadeloupe

1. Explore the island of Les Saintes, Guadeloupe

2. La Soufriere Volcano, Parc National: The highest mountain in the lesser Antilles is also a volcano and an important landmark of Guadeloupe's landscape.

3. Route de la Traversee, Parc National: Take a scenic drive through the mountains and feast your eyes on the tropical landscape of the Caribbean.

4. Fort Napoleon: A restored fort dating back to 1867 overlooks the harbor.

5. Carbet Falls (Chutes de Carbet), Parc National: You know you need lots of vacation photos, so why not take them here? These three waterfalls showcase the natural beauty of the tropical landscape.

6. Island of La Desirade: For those people who really want to get away from it all, this former leper colony is the least visited island in the Guadeloupe archipelago.

7. Historic village of Bourg des Saintes: The most highly populated city on the island of Terre-de-Haut still retains a small-town feel, with small, whitewashed and red-roofed houses overlooking the sea.

8. Aquarium de la Guadeloupe, Pointe-a-Pitre: The aquarium of Guadeloupe is really worth a visit. The fish are beautiful and colourful and the tanks are really huge. They even have big, vicious green eels.

9. Jacques Cousteau's Underwater Reserve: See the beautiful marine life of the Caribbean by snorkeling, scuba diving or glass-bottom boat touring.

10. Edgar Clerc Archeological Museum, Pointe-a-Pitre

11. St. Anne Beach

12. Cascade aux Ecrevisses, Parc National: Scenic waterfall in the middle of a tropical rainforest.

13. Anse Tarare Beach: Romance abounds at this isolated beach, best known for its spectacular breakers and its dramatic rocky landscape.

14. Island of Marie-Galant: Brush up on your French if you want to visit this island: untouched for the most part by English-speaking tourists, it's hard to find someone who will understand English, but you will be able to enjoy the natural splendor of the island without fighting the crowds.

15. Monument to Liberty: A monument that both celebrates the end of slavery on the island, and laments its cruelty and injustice: a poignant reminder of one of the darker periods of the island's history.

16. Valley of the Ancient Caribs: Ancient artwork by the Caribs, the original inhabitants of the island.

17. Hiking Trail at the Guadeloupe National Park

18. Visit the historical museum, Musee Schoelcher, Pointe-a-Pitre

19. Golf Municipal Saint-Francois, Pointe-a-Pitre: The island’s golf course is situated in Saint-Francois, close to the marina with a view of the sea and the town, in the proximity of the plantations and the road leading to the Pointe des Chateaux. The course bears the name of the famous Robert Trent Jones, and proposes 18 holes in a magnificent setting of coconut and palm trees. A club house is also available with a restaurant and a number of shops.

20. Nightlife: Guadeloupe has nightspots galore, including discos and nightclubs (either stand alone or located in the larger hotels) and a variety of piano and jazz bars. Some hotels offer dinner dancing and performances by folkloric troupes. The popular dance music is Zouk, created in Guadeloupe and performed regularly by many local groups. Nightlife is most plentiful in the major resort towns of Gosier, Bas-du-Fort and St. François, along with Le Moule, and in Gourbeyre, on the Basse-Terre side of the island, but nightspots can be found throughout the island.

21. Casinos: There are two casinos on Guadeloupe, one in Gosier and the other in St. François. Legal age is 18. Proof of identity (passport or driver's license with photo) is required for entry to the game room and an entrance fee is charged at both casinos. Dress is casual; jacket and tie are not required. Casinos offer blackjack and American roulette in the game rooms. Slot machines are located outside the game room entrances.

22. Land Sports: Land-based sports include golf, tennis, and biking (a major sport as evidenced by the 10 day Tour de la Guadeloupe international race held on the island each August). Hikers will find challenges on trails of varying length and difficulty in the Parc National’s spectacular rain forest, climbing La Soufrière volcano, or exploring the Caribbean’s highest waterfalls , Les Chutes du Carbet. Horseback riding is offered at a number of different locations on the island. Off-road exploration by quatre-quatre (4x4) vehicle is also available, primarily on Basse-Terre.

23. Swimming & Snorkeling: For swimming and snorkeling, nature can change the coastline, so it's a good idea to ask locally for the current best places to go. Snorkeling equipment is available at most hotels. Glass-bottom boats at Malendure Beach offer snorkeling trips to Pigeon Island. The best surfing spots are along the north shore of Grande-Terre at Le Moule, Port Louis and Anse Bertrand; the best months are October and April. In the summer, Ste. Anne, St. François and Petit-Havre occasionally have good waves. Boards generally rent on either a daily or weekly basis and are available in Le Moule and St. François.

24. Scuba Diving: the most popular spot is Pigeon Island off Guadeloupe's west coast, which Jacques Cousteau called "one of the world's 10 best" diving areas. On or near Malendure beach, facing Pigeon Island, several schools have licensed instructors. Dives are also available from the Gosier area and from the small island of Terre-de-Haut off the southern coast of Basse-Terre. All dive operations are supervised by monitors who have French Government certification. They offer a variety of programs, from initiation to one-day and week-long courses. Dive operators are located in the Malendure/Bouillante/Pigeon area, Pointe Noire, Deshaies, Port Louis and Sainte-Rose on Basse-Terre. Although the west and north coasts of Basse-Terre are the most popular dive areas, scuba is also available through dive operators in Gosier, Sainte-Anne and St. François on Grande-Terre.

25. Windsurfing: Windsurfing is so popular a sport that prestigious, international windsurfing events are held on the island, including "Ronde du Rhum" and the "Funboard World Cup.” Lessons and rentals are available at most beachfront hotels.

26. Water Skiing: Water skiing is available in 15-minute increments per outing, with facilities at the beachfront hotels in Gosier as well as at Baie Mahault. Motorboats can be rented on an hourly basis. Canoeing and kayaking are available in the resort areas of Gosier, Bas-du-Fort and St. François as well as in Sainte- Rose and Petit-Bourg. Jet skiers will find rentals available in Gosier, St. François and Sainte-Anne.

27. Sunfish, Hobie Cats and pedalboats are available at many beachfront hotels, usually at an hourly rental rate.