What to do, Where to eat and Beaches on Guadeloupe
DINING
Guadeloupe is french. That pretty much insures that Guadeloupe has some good places to eat. The local French Créole dishes combine traditional French cuisine with a dash of Africa and India. Fresh seafood appears on most menus and specialties include shellfish, smoked fish, stuffed land crabs, stewed conch, and curry dishes.
We think you'll find that Guadeloupe is perhaps one of the great gourmet centers in the Caribbean.
RESTAURANTS
Chez Jackye (Pointe-Noire, Deshaies; 590/98-06-98), sits just 30 feet from the sea. This local favorite serves the classic African and Creole dishes the island is known for.
Le Genois (Terre-De-Haut; 590/99-53-01), is a French bistro on the water near the Ferry terminal. Fish, steaks, and confits of duckling are some of the specialties, but they also offer smaller plates and wonderful pastries.
Restaurant L'Agouba (Gosier), is a great local spot for barbeque and fresh fish.
La Caféière Beauséjour (Pointe-Noire, Deshaies; 590/98-10-09), if you can find it, it’s one of the dining secrets of Guadeloupe. Chef Bernadette Hayot-Beauzelin, serves delightful dishes flavored with fresh produce and herbs grown right on the property, which means the menu changes daily. Some say it’s the best meal on the island. Make sure to call ahead for directions and reservations.
Restaurant Clara (Ste. Rose; 590/28-72-99), is a mix of classic French fare and Creole flavors. Specialties include brochette of swordfish, skate fish with rice and curry and a secret sauce that is served with most dishes.
La Varangue (Saint-Francios; 590/88-79-81), is the beautiful poolside restaurant at Hôtel La Cocoteraie is open from breakfast through dinner. The menu is just as delightful as the view with creative local treats.
BEACHES
While most of Grande-Terre's eastern coast is rough, there's a nice beach for swimming at Le Moule at Porte d'Enfer.
On the western side of Grande-Terre, Port-Louis is the most popular.
On the northern side of the peninsula leading to Pointe des Châteaux are a couple of remote beaches: Anse à la Gourde and Anse Tarare, an adjacent nudist beach.
On Basse-Terre, the best beaches are along the northern side of the island near Deshaies and Saint-Rose. The stretch of coast from Pointe-Noire to Saint-Rose is one of the most beautiful on the islands.
BOTANICAL GARDENS/RAIN FORESTS
Parc Zoologique et Botanique de la Guadeloupe (Rte. de la Traversée; 590/988-352), is a Botanical garden and zoo that showcases mongooses, iguanas, and crab-eating birds.
Parc National de la Guadeloupe (Basse-Terre; 590/808-606; call for trail map), is 42,750 acres of lush rain forests, waterfalls, wildlife, and a volcano.
HIKING
You can hike many short trails on Guadeloupe that take in waterfalls, rainforest and botanical gardens. Serious hikers head for longer, more rigorous trails in the Parc National de la Guadeloupe, including one to the volcanic summit of La Soufrière and another to the base of Chutes du Carbet, the Eastern Caribbean's highest waterfalls.
DIVING
The country has many first-rate snorkeling and diving sites. Guadeloupe's top diving site is the Réserve Cousteau at Pigeon Island off the western coast of Basse-Terre.
Ilet du Gosier, which can be reached by boat from Gosier on Grande-Terre, is a snorkeler's dream.
Nautilus (97 Rte. de la Glacière, Bouillante; 590/988-908), conducts dives in an underwater reserve that Cousteau considered one of the best in the world.
RUM DISTILLERY
Distillerie Reimonenq (Bellevue, Ste. Rose; 590/288-278),shows Guadeloupe's greatest export, rhum agricole, go from sugarcane to pure rum, which locals say you can drink without fear of a hangover.
GOSIER
A big resort area, Gosier is a small village with many shops and restaurants along the main street. The big hotels and a casino are on the Pointe de la Verdure, in Bas-du-Fort or around the Marina.
SAINT-FRANCOIS
The second largest resort area, Saint-Francois has a yacht-filled marina lined with restaurants, luxury hotels and boutiques.
SAINT-ANNE
One of the three big sea resorts of Guadeloupe with two of its loveliest beaches protected by a coral reef.
TERRE-DE-HAUT
You can cross by ferryboat from Trois-Rivières or Pointe-à-Pitre, or go by airplane. This group of islands, of which the main ones are Terre-de-Haut and Terre-de-Bas, are stunning. Visit Fort Napoééon and the "Chameau" the highest point of the island for a magnificent view.
Feature Hotel/Resort of the Month:
Anguilla's Cap Juluca
Cap Juluaca regularly rates in the Top 10 world resorts for both Travel and Leisure and Conde Nast Traveler.
Cap Juluca is situated on the southwest coast of Angulla and overlooks the mountains of St. Marten. Cap Juluca sits on 179 acres of Land and is renouned for its 2.5 miles of white powder beaches and the unequalled privacy and luxury of the accommodations.
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