Room 1
Grande Terre holidays
Fifteen minutes’ drive from the airport lands you on some of the prettiest beaches in the Caribbean – think talc-white sands, clearer than clear waters, palms, sea grapes, islets within swimming distance… Basically the stuff of screen savers and day dreams, but in real life. It’s these divine beaches that make Grande Terre Guadeloupe’s favourite for holidays. The colourful creole markets and history-rich towns help too.
- Flight time
- 10h
- From London
- Currency
- €
- Euro
- Time zone
- GMT -4h
Getting to Grande Terre
With Guadeloupe’s main airport, Pointe-à-Pitre (PTP) in Morne Mamiel on the east of the island, transfers to Grande-Terre destinations are some of the shortest around. There aren’t any direct flights from the UK – usually you’ll have to change over in Europe (you can fly direct from Paris, Milan Dusseldorf, Frankfurt, Copenhagen and Stockholm). If your hotel doesn’t already provide transfers, you can hire a car or book a taxi at the airport – the drive to Le Gosier takes around 15 minutes, to Sainte-Anne takes 30 minutes and Saint François 45 minutes.
Average weather in Grande Terre
- Temperature (°C)*
- Rainfall (Inches)*
Holidays in Grande Terre
Le Gosier’s your best bet for nightlife in Grande-Terre. On the marina, we like Blueberry 5, for their incredible rum cocktails served in every colour and flavour imaginable. There’s also the Zoo Rock Café and Les Ignorants wine bar for snacks and drinks. Le Petit New York and Eden are good for clubbing, and you’ve always got the casino which stays open until 3 or 4am. For a laid back evening of beer and wine by the beach, try Kontiki in Sainte-Anne.
French and creole restaurants serving fresh seafood rule the roost here - and from the simple, beachside lolos to the fine seaside restaurants, the grub’s spectacular. In Pointe-a-Pitre, we like La Canne a Sucre at the end of the pier – a favourite spot for lunch (reserve a table if you can) where they serve local and European food. Le Ti Maki in Gosier is a small, family run restaurant for cocktails and home cooked local food. Byron’s on the marina serves good old burgers, while the Zoo Rock Café does socking great portions of meat and fish.
Along the coast in Sainte Anne, Kote Sud gives guests warm welcomes and an authentic menu of French and Caribbean cuisine. If you’re eating the euro-creole fare at Le Lucullus, hold off on pudding and pop round to Gelato and Cappuccino for incredible Italian ice cream (or have pudding AND ice cream – you’re on holiday after all…).
Saint François has some super places to eat, like Le Zagaya, where you can dine on the waterside. It has a cracking little play area to keep children busy while they wait, and the lobster is incredible. At Chez Christine, the lovely Christine serves up fabulous creole food – no frills but seriously tasty. For Indian food, go to La Porte Des Indes where Arthur’s creations are legendary. Or, for fine dining, book a table at Sylvain’ Serouart’s Iguana Café and opt for the tasting menu or lobster menu, both brilliantly cooked and presented.
Pointe-à-Pitre has a big selection of independent shops in Centre Saint-John Perse, with the hub of jewellers and boutiques on Rue Schoelcher, Rue Frébault and Rue de Nozières. In terms of shopping malls, Destreland in Baie-Mahault is the biggest shopping centre, with over 180 stores including big brands like Mango, Lacoste and Sony. In Jarry, Galeries de Hourlbourg is a smaller collection of shops selling jewellery, clothes and make up. There’s also Bas-du-Fort village in Gosier (by the marina and Fort Fleur d’Epee) which has a supermarket, shops and a pharmacy.
There’s a farmer’s market every day in Pointe-à-Pitre (by Place de la Victoire), where you can pick up amazingly fresh fruits, vegetables, fish and seafood. Gosier’s Friday night market is well worth a visit, where farmers sell local produce and artists sell their creations – you’ll find it between the beach and church. Saint-Anne holds a beach market every day, selling fresh fish, fruit and veg, rum punch, creole delicacies, souvenirs and clothes. In Saint François, Market La Rotonde is a good place to find clothes and accessories (there’s also a night market here once a week). There’s also a fish market that opens at 6am every morning – demanding an early start, but worth it for a taste of proper Guadeloupian life.
Activities in Grande Terre
We could easily spend all week snoozing on the beach in Grande Terre, but when you see the number of activities available, sitting still isn’t so easy...
Watersports
Diving in Grande Terre
The Caribs who originally inhabited the island called it Karukera, ‘The island of beautiful waters’. They weren’t wrong – surrounding coral reefs burst with colourful sea life (corals, sponges, starfish, turtles and thousands of tropical fish – it’s real-life Finding Nemo territory). There are diving centres dotted along the coast for lessons and tours. We love the underwater trail by the Gosier islet, and excursions run to the Caret Islet and Petit Terre for exploring further out. Don’t miss out on a day trip over to Basse-Terre for the Jaques Costeau reserve – one of the finest dive sites in the world with coral gardens, wrecks and sea life galore.
Surfing in Grande Terre
October to May is the best time of year to surf here, and Le Moule on the Atlantic side of the island is rider’s central. This is where you’ll find the most consistent conditions – thanks to N-E swells, the reef break waves reach well over 4ft on a good day (the spot in front of the carpark is a favourite) and there’s also a beach break nearby. The locals rave about Damencourt (aka ‘The Spot) for intermediates.
When the surf forecast looks promising, everyone in the know flocks to Port Louis to catch the long right-handers and snappier lefts from the wintertime north swell and easterly winds. Chapelle Beach on Anse Bertrand is a popular spot. For newbies, the left-handers at La Plage de Petit Havre are nice and forgiving.
Windsurfing & kitesurfing in Grande Terre
Sainte Anne’s Plage de Bois Jolan is a hotspot for windsurfing and kiting – with consistent conditions suited to all levels of surfer with a handful of schools (based in Gosier, Sainte Anne and Sainte François) providing lessons by radio link. Other favourite destinations for serious kiters and windsurfers include the Caret islet, Saint François and Le Moule. At the other end of the spectrum, the lagoon at Sainte François is a forgiving spot for learning the basics.
Sailing in Grande Terre
One look at the Marina Bas du Fort in Gosier and you’ll see how big sailing is here – this is a popular stop-off or base for sailing tours to other Guadeloupe islands (like Les Saintes) and Lesser Antilles islands (like Martinique). The Triskell Cup also sets off from here. If you’re looking to learn the ropes, Sainte-Anne has some sailing school options with half and full day courses available.
Fishing in Grande Terre
The Land Rover Fishing Festival is usually held at the Saint François marina, with three days of big game fishing around April / May.
When you’re based somewhere that identifies itself as a fishing town, you can expect some more-than-decent opportunity – and that’s certainly the case in Sainte-Anne. The Galba's fishing port is a hive of activity, with some fisherman using the trap technique that their ancestors used hundreds of years ago.
Most deep-sea fishing tours run from Basse-Terre island, but often you’ll be able to find a fisherman at Bas-du-Fort marina or one of the harbours who’s happy to take you out. For fly fishing, Guadeloupe’s finest flats can be found around Saint François and Saint Anne.
Canoeing & kayaking in Grande Terre
Local businesses (like Ti-Evasion in Vieux Borg) provide eco-tours of the Grand Cul de Sac Marin, showing you the beauty spots of the lagoon and pointing out the pelicans, starfish and other animals that call it home. Along the south coast, companies on or near Gosier and Sainte-Anne’s beaches provide boat hire, where you can paddle along the coastline, stopping at ports and beaches or exploring Gosier Islet. There are some fabulous spots near Saint François, where you can kayak among dolphins and turtles around Passe Champagne.
Land activities
Golf in Grande Terre
Saint-François plays host to the only Guadeloupian golf course, and it’s a corker. Trent Jones Senior masterminded it in the late seventies, and the course was totally renovated a few years ago. On the south coast of Grande-Terre (between Pointe des Chateaux and the Raisins Clairs beach), this par 71 course has 18 holes spread over 54 hectares. The course is flattish, with trade winds making every round different. The Open de Saint-François takes place here every year.
Cycling & mountain biking in Grande Terre
The modern roads here make Grande-Terre a big hit with road cyclists. Known as the garden of Guadeloupe, Grands Fonds is an area of rolling hills, small lush valleys and farms stretching behind Sainte-Anne, with acres of banana, orange and mango trees to cycle past. Around the edge, you’ll find gorgeous coastal paths – don’t miss the Pointe des Châteaux trails where bikes are welcome (you just have to dismount on any particularly steep, narrow bits). We like to cycle from Datcha beach in Gosier to Sainte-Anne, stopping at small coves along the way. For more gradients, head over the bridge to the island of Basse-Terre where serious mountain bikers can scale the Soufriere volcano.
Walking & hiking in Grande Terre
On the southeast of the island, Pointe des Chateaux has 10km of walking paths. There’s an incredible 2km round tour, passing the Morne Pavillion cross and leading along beaches, rocky mounds and clifftops. The tourist office often run guided walks or audio guides, providing information about the flora, fauna and Native American tribes who once lived here.
Take your walking boots to the rolling hills of Grands Fonds behind Sainte-Anne, where banana, orange and mango trees line beautiful footpaths. The hikes to and around Pointe de la Grande Vigie and Porte d’Enfer are spectacular, showing Mother Nature’s wild and powerful side with waves crashing against steep cliffs.
You can circumnavigate the Gosier islet in about half an hour – not too tasking (unless you plan to swim to and from) but a cool thing to do nonetheless.
Neighbouring island Basse-Terre has oodles of hiking trails, with popular rainforest routes leading to the top of the Soufriere volcano and the Carbet waterfalls.
