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Basse Terre holidays
Not what its name (French for ‘low ground’) suggests – Basse-Terre is an island of volcanic mountains, swathed in tropical rainforest and trimmed with wild, beautiful beaches. Waterfalls, hot spring pools, and islets teeming with marine life make this one of the most incredible eco-tourism destinations on the planet. Pack your walking boots, sandals and flippers and experience Guadeloupian natural beauty in swathes.
- Flight time
- 10h
- From London
- Currency
- €
- Euro
- Time zone
- GMT -4h
Getting to Basse Terre
Pointe-à-Pitre airport (PTP) has direct flights from European airports including Paris, Frankfurt, Dusseldorf, Copenhagen, Milan and Stockholm, which you can link to from the UK. From the airport, Basse-Terre town is about an hour’s drive away, and you can drive to Bouillante and Deschaies in about 45-50 minutes. Taxis and car hire are available from the airport.
Average weather in Basse Terre
- Temperature (°C)*
- Rainfall (Inches)*
Holidays in Basse Terre
If you’re looking for heaving pubs and pulsing nightclubs, you’ve come to the right place. But to enjoy good drinks and good company in stonkingly beautiful surroundings, Basse-Terre’s a winner. Les Vins de La Reserve is a good wine bar in Bouillante – take your bottle outside in time for sunset. In Deshaies, we could spend every evening at L’Amer, working our way through the wine and cocktail lists as the boats bob in the bay. The Tatoo Bar and Lounge in Basse-Terre has more of party atmosphere, with DJ sets and good cocktails.
In Deshaies, Grande Anse and Plage de la Perle beaches have charming little lolos where you can pick up freshly made local grub. For a sit-down lunch, L'Otentik is a restaurant near Grande Anse beach serving Creole and French dishes, while Mario’s meals at Boobooj’s on La Perle beach are legendary. Also in Deshaies, the Jardin Botanique de Deshaies has a smashing panoramic restaurant, and you might recognize Le Kaz from the Death in Paradise series (it was used to film Catherine's bar). When it calls for a good old pizza, Le Mahina is a good place for simple but tasty nosh where you can watch the boats in the bay.
If you’re in Bouillante, La Touna near Malendure beach is a great place for lunch – try Langouste Grillee for a taste of traditional Guadeloupian cuisine (but save room for their chocolate fondant and Crème Brulee for afters…). Nearby Chez Dada is deliciously authentic for creole food in a simple setting.
Basse-Terre town has a terrific mix of restaurants serving all kinds of cuisine. Go to Creperie Caraibes for crepes and galettes with Caribbean flair, or to L’Eddy’s Papillon for French, Creole, Cajun and pizzas. For something a bit different, Habitation Desmarets is set in an old distillery among tropical gardens - feast on David’s delicious dishes featuring fish and steaks.
Grande-Terre island is better for serious shoppers, with big malls and numerous markets along the south coast. That’s not to say you won’t find something special in the markets closer to home: Marche de Basse Terre takes place in the capital and is the most popular market on the island – worth a pit-stop for fresh produce, souvenirs and stonkingly good views over the ocean. We love the Creole market at Bouillante, where you can pick up spices, food and locally made knick-knacks. There are also a handful of shops and restaurants around Rue de la Republque near the Basse-Terre seafront.
Activities in Basse Terre
We could easily spend all week snoozing on the beach in Basse Terre, but when you see the number of activities available, sitting still isn’t so easy...
Watersports
Diving in Basse Terre
The island is home to a number of English-speaking dive schools (like Atlantis Formation). Malendure beach is a good place to start - snorkel 100m or so out from the north end and green sea turtles can be spotted pootling about on the sea grass. Around the rocks, there are plenty of fish and coral. The beach looks out to the Pigeon islets, where the Jaques Costeau reserve is one of the finest scuba dive sites in the Caribbean. Dive amongst bright coral reefs, sponges and all kinds of fish. Three wrecks have been immersed in the area: the Gustavia was sunk in 1991 after Hurricane Hugo battered it beyond repair. The Franjack sand transporter was added in ’96 as an easy-to-reach dive site, but sunk further down as it disintegrated, and now acts as home to snapper, corals and green turtles. Lighthouse ship Augustin Fresnel II joined the others after it was decommissioned in 2003.
Surfing in Basse Terre
The beaches of Deshaies and Clugny (Sainte-Rose) whip up a good surf, but the strong currents can put surfers and kite-boarders at risk. The POYO Surf Club started off on Banana Beach in Capesterre-Belle-Eau, which is a good spot for learning the basics and bodyboarding.
Generally, you’re better off on the neighbouring island of Grande-Terre, where the waves are more consistent on the Atlantic side. This is also where you’ll find the bulk of surf schools providing lessons and equipment – our favourite spots are Moule and La Chapelle.
Windsurfing & kitesurfing in Basse Terre
Grande-Terre island’s south coast is better suited to windsurfing and kiting - popular spots include St. Francois, St. Anne and Petite Havre. Most of Basse Terre’s coast is well protected from the wind by its mountains, making it a poor choice for surf sports.
Sailing in Basse Terre
A few of the bigger hotels in Deschaies offer laser training and equipment hire, where you can pootle about on the local waters. Last time we checked there was a sailing school based on the Rivière-Sens marina, where you could also book sailing excursions to other Guadeloupe islands. Grande-Terre, the neighbouring island, is a bigger base for serious sailors, with a number of marinas and sailing schools on the south and west coast. Look out for sailing tours of the Grand Cul de Sac Marin between the two islands.
Fishing in Basse Terre
Head to Bouillante and Deshaies for deep sea fishing charters, where local fisherman will position you perfectly on the leeward side for catching blue marlin, yellow fin tuna, swordfish, sea bream and more. Dolphins and whales frequent the waters here, making the boat trips a real spectacle, and some trips include excursions to other Guadeloupian islands and islets. For fly fishing, there are flats in the Grand Cul de Sac Marin which can be accessed by boat.
Canoeing & kayaking in Basse Terre
From Malendure Beach, local companies run kayak tours to the Pigeon islets for footpaths to viewpoints and snorkelling. You can also do a tour of the coast from Malendure to Pointe-Noire. Look out also for trips into le Grand Cul de Sac Marin, where you can explore the mammoth lagoon with its forest, islets and mangroves. River kayaking is also possible on the Grande Riviere Goyaves, where you can paddle along Guadeloupe’s longest river, into the sea and over to the Fajou islet.
Land activities
Golf in Basse Terre
Neighbour island Grande-Terre is the golfing centre of Guadeloupe, and the club in St François is within an hour and a half’s drive of most Basse-Terre locations. The Golf International de St François is an 18 hole, par 71 course designed by Robert Trent Jones Senior. Trade winds add an extra dimension to the course, which is mainly flat and positioned between the Pointe des Chateaux (the easternmost top of Grande-Terre island) and the beachfront.
Cycling & mountain biking in Basse Terre
Road cycling is huge here – it’s the national sport, and with so many locals taking to two wheels, drivers are respectful and encouraging. In the Tour de la Guadeloupe, the second step of the trail runs from Saint François (on Grande-Terre island) to Baillif on Basse Terre.
Basse-Terre is also home to Guadeloupe’s more challenging MTB terrain; a paved road runs up the side of La Soufriere, going through rainforest and featuring steep inclines. Surrounding the volcano, trails wind through banana plantations and waterfalls. To the north of the island, there are some incredible circuits around Sainte-Rose.
If you fancy exploring another island, take a day trip to Marie Galante where you can cycle the circuit or tour part of the coastline, stopping off at postcard-ready beaches.
Walking & hiking in Basse Terre
The island has over 124 miles of trails, leading up and around the Soufriere Volcano, and along the coastline. The Grand Étang discovery trail follows an easy walking route around the Grand Etang lake, backed by a forest of bamboo and gum trees that native Indians once made canoes from. The walk is family friendly and takes about an hour and a half to complete – bring mozzie repellent as the lake tends to attract biters. We also like the Maison de la Foret discovery trail, which runs through the rainforest and along the river, and has a fabulous viewing deck and picnic area.
A popular hike is the one to the Leap of Lézarde, where you can swim in the natural pool (reach the path from Desbordes forest road). A lot of the routes feature waterfalls, like the Cascade aux Ecrevisses and Chutes du Carbet – seasoned hikers can tour all three Carbet falls in one day.
To climb the Soufriere, take the Pas du Roy trail from Bains-Jaune (don’t miss the hot springs on your return). You’ll end up at the base of the volcano, where the Chemin des Dames path leads to the summit. This route takes a good 4-5 hours, but if you’d prefer a little less legwork, link the Maison de la Foret and Saut d’Eau de Matouba trails for a 2-3 hour hike.
