Checked with the organisers
Coming up in Guadeloupe
- Fri 23 Oct 8 PM
Baie-Mahault concert
Thierry Cham, 30 ans de carrière
Thierry Cham en concert à Lacaz'Art, une salle à taille humaine où l'on profite de la voix de près. Pensez à prendre vos places à l'avance.
Prévente 30 € ; standard 35 € ; sur place 40 € Lacaz'Art, La Jaille
Price TBC
Prévente 30 € ; standard 35 € ; sur place 40 €
Lacaz'Art, La Jaille
- Sat 24 Oct 6 PM
Sainte-Anne concert
Studuo Live : Fred Deshayes et Yannick Cabrion
Fred Deshayes et Yannick Cabrion réunis pour un live en petit comité. Une soirée pour écouter, au plus près de la scène.
€25 Le Studio, impasse Fond Dupré
€25
Le Studio, impasse Fond Dupré
- Sat 24 Oct 8 PM
Basse-Terre culture
Laurence Joseph, « Just me »
Un seul-en-scène où Laurence Joseph rit d'elle-même et de nous. Deux heures d'humour à Basse-Terre, à prix doux.
Tarif unique 20 € Auditorium Jérôme Cléry, place du Cours Nolivos
€20
Tarif unique 20 €
Auditorium Jérôme Cléry, place du Cours Nolivos
01
Snorkel with turtles, straight from the beach
On the west coast of Basse-Terre you walk into the water and the green turtles are grazing a few metres down. The Cousteau reserve at the îlets Pigeon is a short boat or kayak ride away. Moor on the National Park buoys: anchoring is banned there.
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Malendure : les tortues sur les herbiers
Walk in from the sand: seagrass beds at 3-4 m where green turtles graze. Best to head up to the north end of the beach, away from the boats. Don't touch or feed them.
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Îlets Pigeon, réserve Cousteau
The two islets 1.1 km from Malendure. Jardin de corail, Piscine, Aquarium, hot springs, bust of Cousteau submerged at around 12 m. By boat, kayak or with a club; anchoring banned.
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Îlet du Gosier
Islet with a lighthouse opposite the town centre, served by a shuttle boat from the beach. Snorkelling on the reefs around it; mooring is now organised as a ZMEL (organised mooring area).
02
The beaches locals actually go to
Every island has its own: the long golden sand of Grande Anse in Deshaies, the shallow water and white sand of Bois Jolan, the palm-lined lagoon of La Feuillère on Marie-Galante. We picked the ones people from here go to on a Sunday.
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Plage de Grande Anse (Deshaies)
Long golden sand beach lined with coconut palms north of Deshaies town, one of the busiest on Basse-Terre.
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Plage de Bois Jolan
Sainte-Anne beach with very shallow water and white sand, popular with families and for paddleboarding or kayaking.
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Plage du Souffleur (Port-Louis)
White sand beach in Port-Louis popular with families; seafront restaurants and playgrounds nearby.
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Plage de la Feuillère
Lagoon lined with fine sand and palm trees in Capesterre, a kitesurfing and windsurfing spot; restaurants and carbets on site.
03
Waterfalls and rivers: check what's open first
Several waterfalls are closed by official order this season, including the 3rd Carbet fall, and the foot of the 2nd fall is off limits: you admire it from the viewing platform. The Cascade aux Écrevisses, a few minutes from the car park, is the easy one, and it gets very busy.
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Première Chute du Carbet
The 3rd fall has been closed since 29 June 2026 and access to the foot of the 2nd fall is banned (National Park).
The highest of the three Carbet falls, reached by a mountain trail from the visitor area. River crossing.
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Deuxième Chute du Carbet
Access to the foot of the fall is banned: you admire it from the viewing platform (National Park).
The most visited of the Carbet falls, reached by a renovated trail that is partly wheelchair-accessible as far as the first viewpoint. Foot of the fall off limits.
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Cascade aux Écrevisses
Waterfall and pool on the Corossol river, beside the Route de la Traversée, a few minutes from the car park. Very busy site.
04
Climb La Soufrière, hike the rainforest
The volcano is the big one: since the prefectoral order of 22 July 2026, the summit can only be done with a licensed mountain leader. Plenty of trails need no guide at all, from the coast to the rainforest.
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La Soufrière
The summit is only accessible with a licensed mountain leader (prefectoral order of 22 July 2026). Check the observatory's alert level before you set off.
Active volcano, 1,467 m high. Summit access regulated since 2024 (official order of 22 July 2026): the public may only go up with a licensed mountain leader.
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Le Chameau
The highest point of Terre-de-Haut (309 m), reached by a trail maintained by the ONF.
05
Take the ferry: Les Saintes, Marie-Galante, Petite-Terre
Guadeloupe is an archipelago, and the small islands are worth a day each at least: the bay of Les Saintes, the coves and rum of Marie-Galante, the iguanas of the Petite-Terre reserve (only with an authorised operator).
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Fort Napoléon
19th-century fort, a classified historic monument, high above Terre-de-Haut, housing a museum on the history of Les Saintes and a succulent garden.
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Pain de Sucre
Small beach at the foot of the peak, ~40 minutes' walk from the ferry landing. Seagrass in the middle (1-3 m); the best part is on the rocks on each side: sea fans, sponges, fish.
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Anse Canot
Cove sheltered by cliffs about 4.5 km from Saint-Louis, calm sea; good snorkelling on the right-hand side of the cove.
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Îlets de Petite-Terre
Nature reserve: go with an authorised operator, the number of visitors per day is limited, and the islet of Terre-de-Haut is closed to the public.
Two uninhabited islets off La Désirade, the largest iguana population in the Lesser Antilles. Lagoon with turtles, rays and lemon sharks. Visit on an approved trip.
06
Wild coastlines and big views
Limestone cliffs over the Atlantic, a chasm where the swell surges in, and the eastern tip of Grande-Terre. At Pointe des Châteaux, the car park is unattended and there are no lifeguards.
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Pointe des Châteaux
Unattended car park and no lifeguards (National Park).
Eastern tip of Grande-Terre facing La Désirade and Petite-Terre, a protected site since 1997, with salt ponds and a marked trail.
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Pointe de la Grande Vigie
The northernmost point of Guadeloupe: limestone cliffs towering over the Atlantic. Geology interpretation trail since 2024.
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Gueule Grand Gouffre
Chasm and natural arch in the limestone cliffs of northern Marie-Galante where the swell surges in; viewing platform.
07
Rum, cocoa and history
Rum distilleries open to visitors, a cocoa visitor centre, forts, and the Mémorial ACTe on the history of slavery: the heritage of the islands, told on site. The Mémorial has had long closures, so check its opening hours before you go.
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Mémorial ACTe
The museum has had long closures: check opening times before you go.
Centre devoted to the slave trade, slavery and their abolitions, built on the site of the former Darboussier sugar factory. An overhaul of the permanent exhibition was announced in 2026.
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Fort Delgrès
17th-century fort, a classified historic monument (MH), where Louis Delgrès resisted the reinstatement of slavery in 1802; permanent exhibitions.
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Distillerie Damoiseau
Rhum agricole (cane-juice rum) distillery in Le Moule (Grande-Terre), open to visitors according to the tourism board.
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Distillerie Bielle
Rhum agricole (cane-juice rum) distillery on Marie-Galante, open to visitors.
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Maison du Cacao
Private visitor centre on cocoa growing and chocolate making, on the Côte-sous-le-Vent.
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Cimetière de Morne-à-l'Eau
Cemetery famous for its tombs tiled in a black-and-white chequerboard pattern, lit up with candles for All Saints' Day.
08
Gardens, mangroves and wildlife
Tropical gardens, a wildlife park in the forest with canopy walkways, the mangrove of the Grand Cul-de-Sac Marin, and whales and dolphins off the west coast. Wild animals at sea stay at least 300 m away: that is the law in the Agoa sanctuary.
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Jardin botanique de Deshaies
7-hectare botanical park in Deshaies (once owned by the French comedian Coluche): palm trees, tropical flowers, waterfalls and sea views.
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Zoo de Guadeloupe – Parc des Mamelles
Wildlife park in the forest on the Route de la Traversée (more than 80 species) with canopy walkways 20 m up; home to a care centre for wild animals.
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Grand Cul-de-Sac Marin
National Park area: landing is banned on some islets, and îlet Blanc is closed from 15 April to 30 September.
A 24,500-hectare bay between Basse-Terre and Grande-Terre: mangroves, seagrass beds and a 39 km reef, the longest in the Lesser Antilles.
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Baleines et dauphins de la Côte-sous-le-Vent
Approaching whales and dolphins closer than 300 m is banned (Agoa sanctuary), whether by boat or swimming.
Watching trips mostly between Basse-Terre and Deshaies, where resident populations live; the Agoa sanctuary covers the whole EEZ (exclusive economic zone) of the French Antilles.
09
Go out like a local
The real Guadeloupe comes alive after dark: gwoka drums at a léwòz, a zouk or kompa night, a village festival for the patron saint, and from January the carnival parades every Sunday. Our What's on is checked every week with the organisers.
Frequently asked questions
What are the must-do things in Guadeloupe?
Snorkelling with turtles at Malendure, a day on Les Saintes or Marie-Galante, the Chutes du Carbet, the hike up La Soufrière with a licensed guide, Pointe des Châteaux, and a night out at a gwoka léwòz or a village festival. Every place on this page is on our map, with what to know before you go.
Where can you see turtles in Guadeloupe?
From the beach, the easiest spots are Malendure and Petite Anse in Bouillante, where green turtles graze on the seagrass a few metres down. They are protected: you don't touch them and you don't feed them.
Can you climb La Soufrière on your own?
No. Since the prefectoral order of 22 July 2026, the summit of La Soufrière can only be done in a group led by a licensed mountain leader. Many other trails need no guide: our hiking guide sorts them by level.
When is the Guadeloupe carnival?
It starts after Epiphany, with parades every Sunday, and ends on Ash Wednesday. In 2027, the big days are Sunday 7 to Tuesday 9 February, and it closes on Wednesday 10 February.
What's on this weekend in Guadeloupe?
Our What's on page lists the concerts, parties, gwoka nights, sports and family outings of the coming days, checked every week with the organisers.