Need a Reset? Visit Beautiful Guadeloupe!

An eight-day itinerary to make the most of your time in Guadeloupe.

So, you want to visit Guadeloupe. I'm happy to help you put an itinerary together. But first, some quick and dirty logistical details to make your trip easier.

Quick and Dirty Logistics

Should I visit Grande-Terre, Basse-Terre, or both?

Great question and very much a dilemma I had myself. I went to Guadeloupe for eight days, and my initial itinerary included plans for both sides of the butterfly-shaped island. I planned to spend three days in Grande-Terre and three days in Basse-Terre. The issue was that my birthday fell on a Wednesday, the middle of the week.

My research revealed what yours certainly has by now: if you want maximum beach activities, restaurants, and museums, visit Grande-Terre. If you want to do more nature-based activities like hiking, swimming beneath waterfalls, and an all-around less touristy experience, then visit Basse-Terre.

The main draw to Basse-Terre for me was hiking La Grande Souffrière. Hiking an active volcano on my birthday was enticing. However, two major factors changed my mind. One: the weather forecast predicted rain for the entirety of our visit, which meant wet, muddy trails. Two: all of La Grande Souffrière's trails are rated Hard! No ma'am. I can't commit to a hike more difficult than Moderate.

With La Grande Souffrière no longer an option, I had to think hard about the vibe I wanted for my birthday. I wasn't at my mental best when planning this trip (chalk it up to seasonal depression and grief over some health stuff, the latter of which I'll write about eventually), so I'm not exaggerating when I say I had to think hard. It was like moving through molasses. This trip couldn't come fast enough, because I needed the distraction (beautiful landscape, flavorful gastronomy, Black history, etc).

Still, I had some decisions to make. With La Grande Souffrière no longer an option, did I still want to be in nature? Maybe do a hike that ends at a waterfall? Or did I want a more comfortable vibe, perhaps a cooking class? Did I want to be packing and moving the day before my birthday?

The last one solidified my decision. No, I did not want to pack up and move the day before my birthday, and three days was simply not enough time to explore Grande-Terre. I was finding so much to do! So, Grande-Terre, it was.

I replaced La Grande Souffrière with La Pointe des Chateaux, moved all of the Basse-Terre activities to the bottom of the document (save for one), added a few more for Grande-Terre, and the itinerary was set!

Where did you stay?

We stayed in an Airbnb in Le Gosier. While our Airbnb host was irrational and unprofessional, Le Gosier itself was a great "base." Driving to our activities took from eight minutes to twenty minutes, with our whale watching activity taking a little bit over an hour to get to, because it was in Basse-Terre.

Pro tip: when you're researching hotels and the like, be wary of places with "habitation" in the name. A "habitation" is typically a former plantation. I know some folks don't have a problem sleeping soundly in places where Black people were raped, tortured, and worked to death, and they even get married in those locations, but you know. Word to the wise.

Do I need to rent a car?

Yes! There are buses, but it is much easier to rent a car. We went with SIXT Rent the Car.

Pro tip: they'll tell you to return the car in a clean condition. We thoroughly vacuumed the inside, trying to suck up every grain of sand (beach life), but we didn't think to wash the exterior, because it legitimately didn't appear dirty to us. SIXT dinged us for that. So, vacuum and wash. Not sure if that's a SIXT thing or all of the rental car companies. Also, if you live in the U.S., Guadeloupeans drive on the same side as us. The road signs are in French and Guadeloupean Creole.

We primarily used Waze to navigate, with a little bit of Google Maps. You may see comments about Waze not being completely accurate as far as addresses, but we didn't experience any problem. It always took us to the precise location.

Also. After you clear customs in Point-A-Pitre airport, do not go downstairs to pick up your luggage. They're not downstairs! I misread the sign (written in French), and we went downstairs, only to end up in the ticketing area, which meant we couldn't go back up. It took about 15 minutes to get our luggage, thanks to a kind Guadeloupean woman who helped us navigate this problem.

She communicated with the staff to help my friend get to the Lost Baggage area (where my friend found a bunch of people who also mistakenly went downstairs to collect their baggage) while I was on the phone hoping to connect with an American Airlines representative, since the ticketing agents had left their post to process boarding for the next flight. Or maybe they were helping to deplane an arriving flight. Yes, they do multiple jobs, so if you miss them at the ticketing counter, ya miss 'em.

Back to your questions.

Do I need to speak French?

One thousand percent, yes! Guadeloupe (indigenous name Karukera, which means The Island of Beautiful Waters) is an overseas department and region of France. In plainer words, it's a French colony. Like how the U.S. Virgin Islands is an American colony.

Anyways, this means that in addition to Guadeloupean Creole (or Kréyòle Gwadloup), French is the official language. This also means that most of the people who vacation in Guadeloupe are French or speak French. To have a comfortable time in Guadeloupe, you either need to speak French, go with someone who does, and/or be very comfortable with using a translator app. I speak French, and this was a great immersion opportunity for me. The Guadeloupeans speak faster than the French, according to my ears, but I kept up!

Pro tip: if you need English translation, contact the activity's organizer to explain your situation and ask if they have anyone who can translate. I did this for the majority our activities, because my friend needed the extra support. The results were mostly misses, because since most of the tourists speak French, there isn't a high need for English. But it never hurts to ask!

Sidenote: as a Haitian, I desperately wanted to listen to Guadeloupeans speak their creole so I could spot similarities to Haitian Creole. My far fetch dream was to speak to a Guadeloupean person in Haitian Creole while they spoke to me in Guadeloupean Creole, and we'd see how far we got in understanding each other. Alas, I never had the opportunity to so much as hear it. All I heard was French. Next time, hopefully.

Wait, you said something about rain earlier. It rained the whole time?

Yes and no. We went in January, which is not rainy season. It was more like spurts of rain showers that lasted maybe three minutes. Maybe five. The duration varied, and the rain seemed to fall for longer periods at nighttime. Some days, the weather app predicted rain, and it didn't rain. Some days, it predicted cloudy weather with no rain, especially towards the end of the week, and it rained. And other days, it predicted rain, and it rained. So...bring an umbrella or a poncho.

What's the currency?

You'll need euros. Also, Guadeloupe is on Atlantic Standard Time, which is one hour ahead of Eastern Standard Time, three hours ahead of Mountain Standard Time, and so on.

Anything else?

None that I can think of right now, but feel free to ask in the comments. Now, for the itinerary!

---

The Guadeloupe Itinerary

Day 1: Massage and Beach Time

As I said, my mental was not in the best shape, plus I was coming off of a very busy week at work, so the first thing I needed was a massage. The day after we arrived, La Villa du Bien-Être got me right. The masseuse is a one-woman show (with a very impressive website), so my friend chilled at the Airbnb while I went to fix my life. After I was done, I brought her the car keys, and off she went while I settled in for a nap.

I booked the Balinese massage (or Balinais in French), which I'd never experienced before. The pressure is pretty soft, bordering on medium, but it was still great. I know it was great, because I fell asleep, a tell-tale sign when it comes to me and massages.

After the reset, my friend and I went to Plage de Petit-Havres. The water was cold, but I eventually waded in far enough to acclimate. This is a pretty small beach, so it has a short shoreline. There are a lot of rocks under the water, depending on where you go in, so watch your step! You don't need to pay for parking, and there's a small bar near the beach that also serves food, like sandwiches and pizzas. Make sure they take your (cash) money when you order at the counter. Otherwise, you'll be sitting there wondering why it takes so long to make a sandwich. Ask me how I know.

Day 2: A Hike and a Douche

You're not hallucinating. I did say I wanted to hike on my birthday, and I did say my birthday fell on Wednesday. Day 2 here is only Monday. Somewhere between researching what to do and finalizing the itinerary, I forgot that the Memorial ACTe Museum (originally slotted for Day 2) is closed on Mondays, so I had to do a swap Sunday night.

Pointe des Chateaux is an easy hike (literally rated Easy on AllTrails). There's a map at the trailhead, and I think we chose the Morne Petite Saline-Morne Pavillon trail. This trail ends at a giant cross at the very top. Near the start of the trailhead, the trail splits in two. We took the route on the left, which turns into stairs at some point (the route on the right is labeled Accessible). Before reaching the stairs, you'll pass an opening that leads to a stunning beach. I'm talking blue-green water and waves smashing against the rocks. It's the kind of beach that invites you to stop, sit, and contemplate.

The summit of Pointe des Chateaux was equally breathtaking, and you can spot other islands that are part of the Guadeloupe archipelago. The Awaraks and Caribs had it right when they named this The Island of Beautiful Waters. The only thing that could've made the experience better was if we'd done it on my birthday.

After taking all of the pictures, we had to find La Douche. La Douche is a natural geyser formed by giant rocks and the Atlantic Ocean. We originally thought La Douche was in the vicinity of Pointe des Chateaux, but a very slow (low signal) on-the-spot search of a YouTube vlog and Trip Advisor comments revealed that we'd actually passed it on the drive to La Pointe des Chateaux. We got back on the road, and about eight minutes later, we pulled over and went into the trees. There isn't a sign that says, "La Douche," but you'll see a line of cars parked off the road.

La Douche was a delight. You may have to wait a few minutes to get the type of big splash that drowns you, but it's worth it! I was downright giddy as I urged the ocean to give me it's best. A group was clearing out right as my friend and I showed up, so we had La Douche to ourselves for a good ten minutes! I recommend doing La Douche after the hike, unless you don't mind hiking in soaking wet clothes. I certainly liked it better as a reward.

Day 3: Kayak to L'Îlet du Gosier

We rented a kayak with Kaya'Kool and set off against the wind in Plage de la Datcha. I'm not a strong kayaker, but I did very well, aside from constantly splashing my friend with my paddle, as she later told me. Oops!

Because of the wind, it took 20 minutes to reach L'Îlet du Gosier. If you got it like that, you can swim to the islet. We saw one woman doing it.

The vibe is one of pure relaxation. There's a bar that we didn't take advantage of, a lighthouse we didn't explore, and a pier. We walked the length of the pier, but other than that, we spent our time in the water. My friend snorkeled, and I bobbed around in the water like non-swimmers do, dipping under from time to time and otherwise enjoying the beautiful view.

Just before our three and a half-hour rental time was up, we returned to Plage de la Datcha, a faster trip with the wind at our backs. We grabbed lunch at one of the many restaurants on the beach, spending another hour soaking up the vibrant atmosphere.

Day 4: Memorial ACTe Museum

The Memorial ACTe Museum commemorates the people who were victims of trafficking and slavery in the Caribbean islands. It aims to contribute to the construction of a universal memory of trafficking and slavery.

The exhibit is impressive, containing the most comprehensive information about the practice of, and rebellion against, chattel slavery in the Caribbean that I've come across thus far (it's the first one I've come across). I hadn't been this impressed with a museum since visiting the National Museum of African-American History and Culture in D.C. Memorial ACTe left no stone unturned, even touching on the Native populations' fight against the French, Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, and English invaders throughout the Americas.

When I came upon the rooms dedicated to the stories of enslaved Africans in the United States and the continued resistance and triumphs of their descendants, my mouth dropped! I said oh, they have everybody's story! The visit took about three hours, because we read and watched everything. I was full by the time I walked out.

The museum operates based on timed entrees, reservations must be made online, and no pictures or videos are allowed. You're given an audio guide, which contains multiple languages to choose from, including English.

Day 5: Cooking Class at Foodîles

Les Ateliers Foodîles offers a variety of classes, from mixology, to creating desserts, to creating a three-course meal that includes an appetizer, an entree, and a dessert. We chose the latter and had a great experience. One thing to note: I contacted the company to ask if they had an instructor who spoke English, as my friend might need some support. Closed mouths don't get fed and all that. No pun intended.

The instructor said she had an assistant who speaks English, and she spoke a little English herself. Come the day of the class, there was no assistant, no acknowledgement of the lack of assistant, and although the instructor is good at her job, her English is nothing to write home about. She conducted the class entirely in French, with few words in English, so I had to help translate. Eventually, my friend had to just catch what she could, and she did catch a lot.

We had a good time. The shrimp soup we created for the entree is legitimately the best thing I ate in Guadeloupe. However, if you're not proficient in French, need translation in English, and don't have anyone in your group who's proficient in French, you may not get the support. The class wasn't a good environment to do live translation as a participant, because translations require a certain rapport, ya know? Like a choreographed dance.

Day 6: Whale-watching with Shelltone Whale Project

This experience was a first for me, having never seen dolphins in real life before. This experience is located in Basse-Terre. Other than the extreme drowsiness I experienced from the Dramamine I took (I didn't pay attention to the label, so the sudden sleepiness left me confused), I greatly enjoyed this experience. The tour guide spoke English, which was lucky, because everyone in the group was from an English-speaking country.

Despite the drowsiness, I came alive any time our boat came across a pod of spotted dolphins. As for whales, we only saw one from a distance: a sperm whale.

Day 7: Visit La Mulatrêsse Solitude

This doesn't actually need it's own day. The original plan was to visit Solitude's statue after the cooking class, but our plans changed, so we went to see it on the last day, on our way to the airport.

Solitude is the reason I visited Guadeloupe. I first learned about Guadeloupe's revolutionary hero on Ricki Stephenson's Black Paris Tour in 2023 (my goal is to finally write about that epic trip this year). In 1802, while eight months pregnant, Solitude took up arms against Napoleon’s army, leading her people into battle to resist France’s attempts to re-instate slavery on the island. She was eventually captured. The French army waited until she gave birth (undoubtedly because they wanted to enslave the baby), and they hanged her the very next day. I was floored by her heroism and her bravery. I was heartbroken by the dehumanization she and her child faced, knowing how common that experience was for Black and mixed-with-Black women.

La Mulatrêsse Solitude translates to "The mulatto Solitude," and she left behind an inspiring legacy.

---

Until Next Time

I was in a mental fog when I landed in Guadeloupe, weighed down by grief and big decisions. I left in higher spirits, grateful and happy. This trip occurred back in January, and we returned to Maryland the weekend winter storm Fern hit. Not even cancelled flights and a delayed return, nor the mountain of snow I came back to, could drag my spirit back down.

Thank you, Guadeloupe. Until next time!