Plan your trip to Guadeloupe

Guadeloupe, made up of the islands of Basse-Terre, Grande-Terre, Marie-Galante, La Desirade and Îles des Saintes, is a department (first-order administrative unit) of France in the Caribbean Sea.

All the activities of an island paradise are available to travelers: pristine beaches, good food (French-influenced, of course) and ample opportunity to play and/or relax. The two main islands, Grande-Terre and Basse-Terre, form the so-called “butterfly” of Guadeloupe. Grande-Terre, the eastern island of the pair, is known as the “Little Brittany of the Antilles.” Beyond the beaches, the island offers plenty of opportunities to sample Creole cuisine, nightlife and the museums and monuments of the economic capital, Pointe-á-Pitre. Basse-Terre is covered in almost 66 square miles of tropical forest that have been a national park since 1989. Well-marked hiking trails wind through lush vegetation to reveal exotic wildlife and waterfalls. The Jacques Cousteau Underwater Reserve, with a submerged bust of the scientist, offers a peek at the marine life around the island.