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Mountain slopes are covered with thick forests of bamboo, chestnut, mahogany, palm and gum trees, while the lower elevations display colorful orchids and hibiscus. Grande-Terre and Basse-Terre are so close together that it’s difficult to see their separation, yet their strikingly dissimilar landscapes easily distinguish one from the other. The Carib Indians called this island KaruKera, or "Isle of Beautiful Waters." The title is just as true today as it was then. The islands that make up Guadeloupe, Grande-Terre and Basse-Terre, resemble the shape of a butterfly in flight.

Pointe-à-Pitre is reminiscent of a port on the French Riviera. Tall, modern architectural structures form a backdrop for the city’s tree-shaded historic area centered around the Place de la Victoire, where there are many quaint wooden houses with open-air balconies that date back to the island’s old colonial days. Nearby is the 19th-century Cathédrale de St. Pierre et St. Paul, nicknamed the Iron Cathedral because of its skeleton of bolted iron ribs, designed to keep the church standing through hurricanes and earthquakes.

South of the Place de la Victoire, the Rue Duplessis borders La Darse, the old port. West of here are the Guadeloupe Office of Tourism, on the corner of Rues Delgres and Schoelcher, and the main shopping streets, the Rue Frébault and the Rue de Nozières. To the north, between the two streets, is the bustling open market. Behind the market, on the Rue Peynier, is the Musée Schoelcher, containing memorabilia about Victor Schoelcher, a 19th-century French political leader who was instrumental in abolishing slavery in the Caribbean colonies.

South of the market, on the Rue René-Boisneuf, is the Musée St. John Perse, dedicated to the 1960 Nobel Prize-winning Guadeloupean poet. The museum is located in a restored 19th-century Creole house. Here you will find a collection of his poetry, along with various mementos, documents and photographs. For a commanding view of Pointe-à-Pitre, visit the 18th-century Fort Fleur d’Epée, a few miles southeast of the city on the coastal “Riviera” road that leads to many of the island’s hotels. The well-preserved battlements and dungeons are fun to explore. The Guadeloupe Aquarium, also on this road, boasts an impressive collection of brilliantly hued native reef fish, as well as electric eels, sharks and other marine life.

If you find the time to tour Grand-Terre, you’ll appreciate the view at Porte d’Enfer, or Gate of Hell. North of Le Moule, formerly the capital of Guadeloupe, this spot offers an amazing view of the jagged coastline. Farther on, at Grand-Terre’s northern tip, is Pointe de la Vigie, a dramatic scene where stark white cliffs rise abruptly from the ocean. In the heart of Basse-Terre, you’ll discover the island’s main attraction, the Parc National. This 74,000-acre natural wonder was designated a national park in 1989. In the center of the park are Les Deux Mamelles, two mountains named Mamelle de Petit-Bourg and Mamelle de Pigeon.

A lookout point at 1,969 feet on Mamelle de Pigeon provides a breathtaking view of the area. La Traversée, a road lined with masses of thick ferns, shrubs, flowers and stately trees, runs east to west through the park. Some 180 miles of marked trails wind through the grounds; many are accessible from the road. The park’s three information centers contain exhibits about Guadeloupe’s natural history. Just outside Petit-Bourg is the lush Domaine de Valombreuse, a six-acre floral park with more than 100 varieties of tropical plants and flowers.

At St. Saveur, the Habituée Road heads inland to the Chutes du Carbet, an imposing trio of 410-foot-high waterfalls that empty into the sea at Capesterre-Belle-Eau. Farther south is La Soufrière, a spectacular, but relatively dormant, 4,813-foot-high volcano with steaming sulphur pits, mud cauldrons and fumaroles (smoke holes). Fort Louis Delgrés, in Guadeloupe’s capital city of Basse-Terre, houses a museum with volcano displays that highlight the near-eruption of La Soufrière in 1976, as well as a historic military museum.

Beaches:
Guadeloupe has some 50 beaches, all of them equally lovely. All the public beaches have free access, although the hotels have the best facilities by far and charge only a minimal fee. Topless sunbathing is acceptable at resort hotels, but much less common on village beaches.

Three public beaches in Gosier, not far from Pointe-à-Pitre, are Plage de la Marina, Plage de l’Anse Canot and Plage de Petit-Havre. There are picnic areas at Plage de Petit-Havre, and water sports are available at Plage de l’Anse Canot and at the hotel beaches in this area. To the east is St. Anne, with two popular public beaches: Plage de Bourg, a wide, white-sand shore with picnic facilities and water sports, and Plage de Bois Jolan, shaded by towering coconut palms. Calm, shallow water make both of these locations perfect for swimming.

The Plage de l’Anse Tarare, located just before the tip of Pointe des Châteaux on Grand-Terre, is a clothing-optional beach that is a local favorite; it features several small, sheltered (and private) coves.

Activities:
Pigeon Island, on Basse-Terre’s leeward coast, has been described as one of the top 10 scuba-diving areas in the world—a natural undersea aquarium of coral and sponge formations teeming with brightly colored fish and marine life. Windsurfing is a prestigious sport on the island; Guadeloupe has been host to several international competitions.

Snorkeling and sailing are favorites here, too. On Grande-Terre, several land-sports options are offered. Golfers can try the 18-hole Robert Trent Jones-designed Golf Municipal de St.-François, adjacent to Hamak, one of Guadeloupe’s most elegant resorts. You’ll also find tennis courts at many hotels, and there are both private and public clubs where visitors can practice their game.

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