Guadeloupe Beach Travel Guide

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Beach on Basse-Terre, part of the Guadeloupe archipelago (courtesy, Guadeloupe Islands Tourist Board)

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Guadeloupe Beach Travel Tips

By Matt Link

Temperatures hover in the 80s in summer and in the 70s in winter. The rainy months occur from June to October; the Basse-Terre side of the island is both cooler and rainier than the Grande-Terre side.
You may want to rent a car to explore Basse-Terre, as the loop around that part of the island is one of the most scenic drives in the Caribbean.
Public beaches are generally free on Guadeloupe, although some charge for parking. Hotel beaches have more facilities, and non-guests are welcome.
Sundays are more crowded on Guadeloupe's beaches, as it's the day when local families go to the beach.
Unlike other parts of the Caribbean, there are nude beaches on Guadeloupe. The nicest one is Pointe Tarare, east of St-François at Pointe des Chateaux.
The beaches on the north coast of Basse-Terre can be dangerous for swimming, especially Plage de Cluny.

Beach Overview: Guadeloupe

By Matt Link

Guadeloupe (population roughly 400,000) is not one island, but the largest archipelago of the Lesser Antilles. The main island of Guadeloupe is called the Butterfly Island due to its shape: it's comprised of two islets separated by a narrow seawater channel known as the Rivière Salée. Rich rainforest carpets its mountainous interior and stunning beaches line its coasts. Grande-Terre is the eastern part of the island, which is relatively dry and flat and is home to the economical capital of Pointe-à-Pitre. The town is full of colonial buildings and spice and flower markets, but most travelers simply head here for the reasonable prices on French luxury goods. Basse-Terre, the western part of the island, is ruggedly mountainous—its 74,100-acre Parc Naturel de Guadeloupe has excellent hiking trails—and is capped by the active volcano La Soufrière, which at 4,736 feet is the tallest peak in the Lesser Antilles. Read More