Things to know about Guadeloupe

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Guadeloupe actually consists of 6 inhabited islands; the main two islands are separated by a narrow channel with a bridge spanning it so you can drive between them. The other islands can only be reached by boat. The two main islands are quite different in their topography which provides so much variety of activities, and that's a big part of what makes Guadeloupe our favorite island. (That, and French food and culture.) 

The east island is called Grand-Terre and is the flatter and drier of the two islands. It is where you will find white sugary sand beaches, boat trips to Petite-Terre and La Desirade (smaller Guadeloupe islands), as well as the airport.  

The west island is called Basse-Terre and it includes a national park, an active volcano, a variety of colors of sand including black, jungle hiking and canyoning, waterfalls, filming locations for the popular BBC show "Death in Paradise," and boat trips to the islands of Les Saintes and Marie-Galante, and the snorkeling wonderland that is the Jacques Cousteau Reserve. 

Both islands have beautiful turquoise water, a variety of snorkeling locations, spectacular views, and amazing food.

The answer is definitely both! We have organized itinerary options by island as well as by type of activity to help you decide how long your trip needs to be as well as where you would like stay.  

You can get from the furthest east side to the west in about 2 hours. Depending on where you are on either island and what your destination is travel time can obviously be less. 

We have been to Guadeloupe 4 times and have stayed anywhere between 3 and 14 days. Some trips we have stayed on one island and driven back and forth to do all of the activities we want. For our longer trip we stayed half the time on Grand-Terre and half the time on Basse-Terre to save on driving time. Either way worked great for us! And even after all those visits there is still more that we haven't explored. 

We definitely recommend renting a car for the ease of getting around both islands, but taxis are available. 

One of the best parts of being in Guadeloupe is the food. We love the French/Creole/Caribbean Fusion  of culture and flavors. Seafood is fresh, and the desserts are dreamy. We ordered fondant au chocolate ever place we could. The ice cream from street carts is so refreshing. 

One of our favorite restaurants from our first visit to Guadeloupe. The chef came and greeted us. I still dream about the dessert.

Street: Avenue de Montauban, 97190 Le Gosier

Mexican Fusion restaurant at the marina. Delicious seafood. Gluten free options for our children with celiac disease. Family Friendly. 

Street: Avenue de l'Europe, 97118 Saint-François

Delicious pizza with gluten free options that wasn't far from our Airbnb. Very family friendly.

Street: Route Touristique, 97118 Saint-François

Bought bread and pastries here most everyday. Not much to offer in the gluten free department, but for the rest of us it was delicious. 

Street: Résidence Les Cerisiers, 97118 Saint-François

Fine dining with a fine price, but absolutely delicious. Didn't take the kids to this one. 

Street: Route de Rotabas, 97180 Sainte-Anne

Easy family friendly with gluten free options.  

Street: Rue de la Plage, 97180 Sainte-Anne

Beautiful view looking out to the ocean from a balcony. Great seafood and gluten free options. We ate there at least 3 times.  

Street: Route des Galets, 97125 Bouillante

We could have eaten there every night if we could have. But some nights they were not open and other nights they had no available tables. The menu was new every night according to what the chef was able to get at the market that day. Everything was fresh and mouthwateringly delicious. They accommodated for our gluten free family members very well. Very good prices especially for the quality of food. 

Street: N2 97125, Guadeloupe