Guadeloupe |
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 Boats, boats... |
.jpg) One of many beautiful beaches |
 Click to enlarge |
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Guadeloupe is actually two islands with a population over 300,000, separated by a natural salt-water channel that winds its way from north to south over a distance of about two miles. |
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Boats drawing less than seven feet can navigate this channel, but carefully. |
.jpg) A tropical paradise |
Administratively, Guadeloupe is actually a French province, having all the rights and regulations of any on French soil. |
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.jpg) Not Palm Beach |
There are several harbor anchorages on the west side of the island including, Deshaies (pronounced day-hay), Pigeon Island & Cousteau National Park and Basse Terre. |
 Club Med II |
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.jpg) ...and more boats |
Centrally located between the two halves of the island at the mouth of Riviera Sale lies the largest town on Guadeloupe, Pointe-à-Pitre (pronounced pont-a peet), a vibrant Creole city that is one of the yachting centers of the Caribbean. |
 Near Marina Riviere Sens |
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The older, eastern half of Guadeloupe named Grand Terre, is a land of rolling hills where the island's reliance of production of sugar cane and cane products is obvious. The larger half of the island to the west, Basse Terre, is more rugged, having two dormant volcanoes oriented north-south along that wing of the island. |
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Deshaies is typical of many small French shoreline villages, built on the beach. The smell of fresh-baked croissants and pain au chocolat wafts in the early morning air. Several good restaurants provide evening meals in the French style. Hikers will enjoy a walk going east along the Deshaies River. Sun worshipers can relax on the fine, sand beach north of town, and snorkeling at the north end of the beach provides entertainment for the novice and experienced alike. Approximately at the north-south midpoint of the western shore lies the Cousteau National Park and Pigeon Island providing excellent underwater terrain for SCUBA divers as well as deep-water snorkelers. Ashore one finds thermal springs powering the town's electrical needs. |
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Basse Terre, the capitol of Guadeloupe is located at the southwestern end of the western half of the island. You will enjoy the architecture as well as the good food found in any one of numerous good restaurants. Basse Terre can serve as the jumping-off point for taxi tours of the island mountains and rain forests. |
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