Basse-Terre

Basse-Terre is a volcanic island dominated by the Soufrière Volcano. The mountain range is covered in 17,000 ha of tropical forests, which has been declared a National Park and has lots of marked paths and hiking trails. With its waterfalls, basins, parks, and lush vegetation, Basse-Terre is a place of outstanding natural beauty.

Lined with pebbled shores and beaches of ochre, brown, black, and pink sand, the island is also home to La Réserve Cousteau—an internationally renowned and protected underwater park The Pigeon Islets, Bouillante. A Catholic cathedral, a Hindu temple, the archaeological remains of the island’s first inhabitants, and a seventeenth century military fort shed light on the island’s cultural diversity.

Major sites include:

• Le Parc National de la Guadeloupe—France’s 7th largest National Park
• The Pigeon Islets and Cousteau Reserve in Bouillante
• The spectacular Carbet waterfalls in Capesterre-Belle-Eau
• La Cascade aux Écrevisses—a stunning waterfall along the Route de la Traversée
• The fabolous Grande Anse beach in Deshaies
• La Soufrière—Saint-Claude’s volcano and the highest peak in the Lesser Antilles
• La Réserve Naturelle du Grand Cul-de-Sac Marin—a nature reserve dotted with islets between Basse-Terre and Grande-Terre
• The town Basse-Terre, labelled City of Art and History, is known for its historic districts and the famous Fort Delgrès
• L’Habitation La Grivelière—a coffee and cocoa plantation in Vieux-Habitants dating back to the 18th century
• Le Parc Archéologique des Roches Gravées—the Archeological Park in Trois-Rivières