Guadeloupe

Shaped like butterfly wings spread across the Caribbean, Guadeloupe is an archipelago of French islands inviting you to live la bonne vie. Ease into the good life around the beach towns and multi-hued shores of its two largest islands. Take a break from taking it easy to hike up a verdant volcano, delve into an underwater nature reserve, or sail to uninhabited islets. La vie doesn’t get better than this, savoured like an exotic cocktail of French flair and tropical bliss.

Book your trip

Visit Guadeloupe: get started

Going to Guadeloupe? Book Guadeloupe vacation packages for all-inclusive resorts on the best beaches of Basse-Terre or Grande-Terre, from Plage de la Perle to La Datcha. Pencil in exciting excursions to the city of Pointe-à-Pitre for its markets and top Guadeloupe restaurants. All Guadeloupe vacations could include tours of attractions like the La Soufrière volcano and smaller islands like Marie-Galante.

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Guadeloupe travel guide

Destination facts

Language

French (official) and Guadeloupean Creole.

What to bring back

Spices from the Saint Antoine market in Pointe-à-Pitre, printed madras fabrics (used for traditional folk costumes) and local rum (there are many distilleries, including Longueteau, Damoiseau and Bielle).

What to eat

Tropical fruit, stuffed crabs, féroce d’avocat (avocado mixed with salted cod and cassava), bokits (Guadeloupe’s go-to sandwich), ouassou (spring water shrimp), bébélé (an offal and plantain soup), matete (crab curry) and blaff (fish stew).

Fun fact

Guadeloupe’s sights stun, but its sounds send you swaying to fiery rhythms. Part of the UNESCO list of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity since 2014, the island’s Gwo-Ka music revolves around several drummers surrounded by a circle of onlookers and singers chanting in local Creole. Don’t miss a lewoz, traditional Gwo-Ka performance, when in Guadeloupe!