It has a beautiful natural park of (17.300ha) which offers one of the most stunning and best preserved tropical forests of the West Indies, where you'll find more than 300 different kinds of trees, bushes or giant ferns. You can visit several interesting sites, "la Soufrière", the (1.647m) volcano, or the natural waterfalls "les chutes du carbet", the park also has over 300kms of hiking trails.

Guadeloupe has an economy built around agriculture, not tourism. The dry, warm climate helps the production of sugar cane and subsequently of rum distilling. Guadeloupe is also famous for its beautiful beaches on turquoise blue warm water and palm trees, bending in soft trade winds.

Sainte Anne is one of the three big sea resorts of Guadeloupe with two of its loveliest beaches fringed by many coconut palms and protected by a coral reef. Little fishing town a "paseo" along the seaside.

The official language is French and many people speak creole, this is definitely an alternative place to learn French, We invite you to enjoy this butterfly-shaped island: Basse-Terre with its mountain range, numerous rivers, waterfalls and dense forest; Grande-Terre with its white sandy beaches and coral reefs.

Our program allows you plenty of time to discover your new country, culture and customs. Below are some of our recommended highlights. Some tours and packages can be organized when booking your program, please see the program price page for more information.

city tour
Guadeloupe offers a myriad of activities for the visitor. Most scenic areas are located on Basse Terre, the volcanic side of the island where the Parc National is located. However, many impressive cliffs, bluffs and rock formations are located on the limestone Grande Terre as well. Day trips to the offshore islands of Marie Galante and Les Saintes also begin from Grande Terre.

It would be easy to fill a week exploring tremendous waterfalls, swimming in tropical pools, climbing the volcano, deep sea fishing, diving and touring the cliff sides.

The city has a couple of good museums, including the Musée Schoelcher, dedicated to abolitionist Victor Schoelcher and featuring artifacts relating to slavery, and the Musée Saint-John Perse, which occupies an attractive 19th-century Creole home with ornate wrought-iron balconies. The museum is dedicated to the renowned poet and Nobel laureate Alexis Léger (1887-1975), better known as Saint-John Perse.

water sports
Guadeloupe’s beaches are good for swimming, and the sand varies depending on the area: Grande-Terre has white sand, and the sand on the leeward coast is brown, while black-sand beaches can be found on the western end of Basse-Terre. Nude and topless sunbathing is restricted to just a few beaches. Snorkelling and diving can be practised widely, and there are several commercial operators offering equipment hire, courses and diving trips. Snorkellers can usually access coral reefs directly from the beaches.

Divers should note that harpoons and artificial lights are strictly prohibited. Glass-bottomed boats operate at several marine nature reserves on Petite-Terre and Basse-Terre. Marine species such as lobsters and sea turtles are protected, and visitors should familiarise themselves with Guadeloupe’s conservation policies upon arrival. There are good facilities (such as boat charters and equipment hire) for fishing, including deep-sea fishing.

In maritime reserves fishing is either forbidden or strongly regulated; visitors should enquire locally. Small-boat sailing and water-skiing are both popular. Guadeloupe hosts a number of regional and international sailing competitions and there are sailing schools throughout the islands. Pleasure sailing boats do not require a licence.

Guadeloupe has good surfing from October to May at Le Moule, Port-Louis and Anse Bertrand, and from June through August at Sainte-Anne, Saint-François and Petit-Havre. Windsurfing is centered near the resorts on the southern side of Grande-Terre and on the island of Terre-de-Haut.

Other sports include horseriding, mountain climbing and golf.

walking
The National Park of Guadeloupe provides around 300km (188 miles) of marked trails leading into the rainforest, where visitors can observe many tropical animals and plants. The scenery on these walks often includes waterfalls (such as the Cascade aux Ecrevisses) or lakes (such as the Grand Etang). On Grande-Terre, hiking trails lead through the mangrove or along the cliffs of the Atlantic coast.

A short trail starts at the center, crosses a swing bridge over the Bas-David River, and proceeds through a verdant jungle of gommier trees, tall ferns and squawking tropical birds. Cascade aux Ecrevisses, a jungle waterfall in the center of the park, is worth a visit, as is the modest zoo at the western edge of the park.

cuisine
The combination of the island's Creole influence and Caribbean location with its French heritage has created an island whose national passion is its cuisine. A blend of country french and creole, capped with fresh caribbean seafood.

saint-françois
This former fishing village has boomed into the country's second-largest resort area, not always with a high degree of sensitivity. While the western side of town is still largely provincial in character, the eastern side has been given over to tourism development. The deep U-shaped, yacht-filled marina is lined with restaurants, luxury hotels, car rental agencies and boutiques. If a round of golf and sunbathing by the pool are the highlight of your overseas trips, then Saint-François is probably the place for you. Either way, it's the major jumping-off point for trips to the smaller islands of Terre-de-Haut, Marie-Galante and La Désirade.