Guadeloupe with family: guide and itinerary
Dreamlike landscapes, delicious West Indian culture, reassuring infrastructure... Guadeloupe has it all! This country will satisfy your family vacation desires in an enchanting setting, outside of the more traditional all-inclusives, without having to worry too much. Our 14-day stay, recounted in detail here, will certainly tempt you!
Guadeloupe with the family: first, a little geo…
An archipelago located south of the Caribbean Sea, Guadeloupe is a French territory with a tasty and colorful West Indian culture. The main island is defined by 2 parts : the island to the east is called Grande-Terre, where we find beautiful long calm beaches, sugar cane fields as far as the eye can see and a less rugged terrain than its sister, Basse-Terre, to the west . This side offers a more tropical climate and denser vegetation, particularly in the area of the famous La Soufrière volcano. Fun fact: the island looks like a butterfly. Personally, I have always rather seen a hummingbird 🤷♀️
Guadeloupe with family: 1st part, Grande-Terre
We start in Le Moule where we found a superb villa with 3 bedrooms, a large kitchen, a really spacious central room and best of the best, a superb swimming pool for all our little ones! We have 3 families here, so we need space and this villa is perfect. We cook good food, we listen to the football, we drink ti-punch , we go and get some smoked chicken with dog sauce at the corner and we finish it off with games of Spike Ball in the courtyard... a dream vacation , What!
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💡 Tip We were very satisfied with our accommodations overall. We make our reservations mainly via the Booking.com website. |
Grande-Terre: the beaches
On the Grande-Terre side, we visit the famous Caravelle which is a must for families. Long, wide and lined with multiple restaurants, local markets, shops, it is the most popular (and most populous) on the island. We also do beach hopping to discover the surrounding area.
💙 Guadeloupe with family: our favorite beaches:
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There Raisins Clairs beach in the Saint-François sector, bordered by a coral reef which makes it ideal for swimming
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There Bois Jolan beach in Le Gosier, for snorkeling with children in clear water
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L'Anse du Souffleur (our favorite) in Port-Louis where we find the most beautiful sunsets and lots of activities, including boat rental for a lovely kayak trip with the family.
Very often near the beaches, there are small food trucks to taste typical dishes such as bokits or agoulous (2 types of traditional sandwiches that are simply delicious), very fresh and at a very good price. To pair with a sublime coconut sorbet to melt the hearts of the whole family... handmade by our favorite smiling West Indians, it's a great way to fully savor Guadeloupe!
There are also generally facilities with toilets near the parking lots and most beaches are lined with trees... we can't say no to a few shade spots for the little ones!
Grande-Terre: excursion to Petite-Terre
Travel highlight 💛!! We had a superb excursion to Petite-Terre , a protected natural reserve where we find a coral reef, rich marine fauna and a breathtaking raw landscape. The island of Petite-Terre is only accessible by a nice catamaran excursion . We were lucky enough to come across beautiful turtles, rays and baby sharks splashing at our feet.
Grande-Terre: Pointe des Châteaux
Our stay on Grande-Terre ends with a beautiful walk to Pointe des Châteaux for a short hike on the mountainside with breathtaking views of the coast, at the eastern end of Grande-Terre. We complete it with (again!)coconut sorbet, and as many beautiful photos as possible!
Guadeloupe with family, part 2: Basse-Terre
We settle near Deshaies , in another sublime villa a little remote in the mountains where we will also have a superb swimming pool but this time, with a view of the sea and the sunset… once again, the good life! We are developing a nice routine where we go for our evening meals at Passion Créole, a small local restaurant offering typical homemade dishes... a DELIGHT every time!
Basse-Terre: the beaches
On the Basse-Terre side, the 3 popular beaches around Deshaies are not to be missed:
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Grande Anse Beach , in Deshaies: the most family-friendly in the area with food trucks and palm trees for shaded corners.
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Cluny Beach and its few waves to have fun, with a short hike nearby.
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Plage de la Perle , beautiful large beach nestled between 2 cliffs, a little less busy than its neighbor Grande Anse.
Basse-Terre: boat trip in the Cousteau reserve
Our coup 💛 in Basse-Terre! We explored the Cousteau reserve , sitting comfortably in our boat to observe the fish in the dry. The Nautilus company offers a great tour of around 1h30 aboard its boat with the glass hold 1.5m below sea level... a perfect activity to do with young children to observe marine life.
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🤿 Diving not to be missed! The Cousteau reserve is magnificent to explore by diving or snorkeling. A must in Guadeloupe for enthusiasts! |
We then explore Bouillante and its thermal waters. There are several in the area, we opt for the Thomas Hot Bath , completely free. A short steep walk through the rocks allows us to land in a pool of very warm water, but still accessible for little ones. Children like to meet there to play on the rocks, sheltered from the waves!
Basse-Terre: Excursions on the Saintes
Another highlight on the Basse-Terre side, our visit to the neighboring islands, the Saintes . Located just 20 minutes by boat, it is easy and economical to get to these islands with several departures per day by ferry.
At your destination, you can tour the island by taxi, rent a bicycle or an electric golf cart. We opted for the taxi, which also offered us a tourist guide service at the same time and took us to the best places.
We ended the day with MA-GNI-FI-QUE snorkeling at Pain de Sucre Beach. One of the most beautiful snorkeling spots ever! As the 2 mothers in our group were pregnant, we were able to walk around the fish other than diving. It was simply sublime. The family can settle down on the pretty beach and parents can take turns exploring the jewels of the seabed.
