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Description
 The largest French West Indian island, Guadeloupe encompasses a massive 1704 square
kilometres, the majority of which is taken up by its two adjoining mainland islands, Basse-Terre and Grande-Terre,
whose outline resembles a greenbacked butterfly in flight. Its two "wings" have entirely different personas
and equally misrepresentative names: the  western Basse-Terre , or "low-land", is anything but, given its central
core is dominated by mountain ranges, including the Lesser Antilles' highest peak, La Soufrière . These
surround the island's bountiful rainforest and descend to meet twinkling black-sand beaches like Plage Malendure
that extend to protected underwater dive sites abounding with aqualife.
The eastern "wing", the furled Grande-Terre , or "large-land", is slightly smaller than Basse-Terre,
utterly flat by contrast, and predominantly rural. Most of the action happens along its southern coast, where one
white-sand beach after  another seems to merge endlessly along the coast, with the stunning Plage Caravelle
forming the centrepiece. Its outer reaches are pounded by the savage Atlantic Ocean to produce jagged limestone
outcroppings like the windswept Pointe-des-Châteaux , and the exquisite Lagon de la Porte d'Enfer natural
swimming pool.
Guadeloupe's offshore islands are equally diverse. Marie-Galante , with its rural landscape of sugarcane, hearkens
back to a Guadeloupe of thirty years ago, while La Désirade , the most desolate of the lot, is quite possibly
the Caribbean's least developed island. The most visited-offshore isle, tiny Terre-de-Haut , is the prettiest of
all, with quaint architecture and fabulous bays and beaches.
Background
Guadeloupe has been a French possession since 1635. The island of Saint Martin is shared with the Netherlands;
its southern portion is named Sint Maarten and is part of the Netherlands Antilles and its northern portion is
named Saint-Martin and is part of Guadeloupe
Guadeloupe at a Glance
Language:
French (official) 99%, Creole patois
Government:
Overseas department of France
Capital:
Basse-Terre
Size:
1,780 sq km
note: Guadeloupe is an archipelago of nine inhabited islands, including Basse-Terre, Grande-Terre, Marie-Galante,
La Desirade, Iles des Saintes (2), Saint-Barthelemy, Iles de la Petite Terre, and Saint-Martin (French part of
the island of Saint Martin)
Location:
Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, southeast of Puerto Rico
Climate:
Subtropical tempered by trade winds; moderately high humidity
Electricity:
Voltage is 220, 50 Hz, European standard wall plugs. Transformers and adaptors are necessary for American appliancies.
Currency:
euro (EUR); French franc (FRF)
Driving:
Driving is on the right
Rentals: Several
international and many local rental agencies are available. Youy must have a license from your home country |
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Rates & Services Listed are Subject to Change
© 2005 Caribbean Travelweb
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