Guadeloupe, a French overseas territory, is an archipelago in the southern Caribbean Sea. The Butterfly Island, split between Grande Terre and Basse Terre, is an ideal spot to spend the winter in the tropics. We went for 14 days between February and March 2022.
✓ Trip in February 2022Here's a rundown of the activities and spots we visited during these 14 days across the different areas of the island — far from an exhaustive list, given how diverse the island is.
01A first taste of the Caribbean
Departure from Paris Orly aboard an Air Caraïbes A350-900 at 2:40pm, arriving in Pointe-à-Pitre at 6:30pm local time, after an 8h50 flight. Ti-Punch is served on board — a great preview of what's to come.
02Grande Terre
Le Moule
A week spent with friends at the Résidence de la Baie des Bambous — four villas just steps from the bay and a small shopping area (Carrefour Market, bakery, pharmacy, pizzeria).
Saint-François
Pointe des Châteaux is a must — striking cliffs, powerful waves, a beach at the base. Down below, a ten-minute walking trail leads to the Cross and its panoramic view. Just before it, the food stand "Au Soif les Bronzés" serves bokits, cod fritters and Antillean specialties.
Along the way, a spot that's well known but poorly signposted: la Douche — several rocky pools where the swell rushes in like geysers. A salty shower guaranteed.
The Marina de Saint-François brings together restaurants and water activities — this is where we left for Petite Terre with AWAK. Some French women from Moselle also launched Donuts BBQ Boat here, for a day out on the lagoon.
Sainte-Anne
Morne-à-l'Eau
The Morne-à-l'Eau cemetery is, to say the least, extraordinary — its black and white checkerboard graves give it the look of a giant chessboard, arranged like an amphitheater on a hillside. One of the oldest graves is said to date back to 1847. Every year on All Saints' Day, the cemetery lights up with thousands of candles at nightfall, in a surprisingly festive atmosphere.
To the north, Anse-Bertrand
03Basse Terre
Deshaies
For the second half of the trip, 6 nights booked at the Hôtel Le Rayon Vert in Deshaies — a pool with a panoramic view of the Caribbean Sea. The curfew (8pm-5am at booking time, pushed back to 11pm by the time we arrived) led us to choose half-board — and we didn't regret it: a different menu every day, courtesy of a chef from mainland France.
Sainte-Rose
Pointe-Noire
Bouillante
Known for its geothermal power plant, which releases water at 70°C — you can bathe at the "Bain Chaud," said to have therapeutic properties.
Basse-Terre (town)
The Bologne distillery is right on the road as you arrive — large shop, view of the warehouse, tastings. A walk along the Esplanade offers a great view of Mont Caraïbes.
The trip ended with a head full of memories, and a burning desire to come back to this beautiful island...
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