Sports Events in Guadeloupe

Guadeloupe is a popular island for surfers with some good surfingspots for both wave-surfers as windsurfers. Especially around Grande-Terre you'll find some good spots, but also at Les Saintes, La Désirade and Basse-Terre you can have a great time when you want to surf. The most popular places for beginners or people who just want to follow some extra lessons are Saint-François on Grande-Terre and Bouillante on Basse-Terre.

In 2008 the national championships of France were helt on Guadeloupe. During a week the sporters competed on the waves of Saint-François, Le Moule and Anse-Bertrand, all on Grande-Terre.

On the website that is mentioned below you can see a list of the best surfingspots on the islands.

Equipment: Only in the most touristy area you will be able to rent equipment: most beaches are only visited by the locals who all can take their own stuff. Saint-François and Bouillante are the most places to go to if you need everything.

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Sports are very popular on Guadeloupe. A big part of the people practise at least one sport and in the French Olympic Teams there's always a large number of sporters with their origin on Gwada. Some famous names are the footballers Thierry Henry, Lilian Thuram, William Gallas, Pascal Chimbonda and Bernard Diomède. The tennisplayer Gael Monfils, judo-player Teddy Riner, and basketball-players Mickaël Pietrus, Mickaël Gelabale and Johan Petro.

But it's not only topsport that is popular on the island: in every small town there is a big football-arena where the locals teams play in a competition, on the beaches you see people running, swimming and working out every morning and on Sunday-mornings the roads are full of cyclists training alone or in groups.

There's only one problem when you want to sports on Guadeloupe: it is hot! There's are two good moments to exercise: early in the morning around 6:00 or after sunset around 18:00. And since the people there are "morning-people" the 6:00 option is the most popular.

You have a great variety of walks or hikes awaiting in Guadeloupe. You can choose from coastal walks along the cliffs or beaches in Grande Terre, tropical forest hiking ending by a swim under a waterfall, climbing a dormant volcano.

From short hikes for 1h to full day or several day walks, the choice is yours...

Equipment: Buy a Topoguide - Guadeloupe et ses iles a pied - PR D971, edited by FFRandonnee (a french organism maintaining the paths and promoting hiking and walking) - you will find there 49 different walks with maps, directions, explanations, information about nature, history and culture.

You should be able to get it in a library where they sell tourist guides or at the airport...

Otherwise - good shoes and a raincoat if going to the tropical forest, because you WILL get wet.

Sea kayaking is a wonderful way to discover Guadeloupe at a leisurely pace. The weather is great and coral reefs are stopping the waves, so most of the time you will feel like being on a lake.

The two best places are the natural reserve of Grand Cul de Sac Marin, with mangrove, corrals and sandy islands and then the Ilets Pigeon - the Cousteau reserve. On both places, you will find companies that organise the trips or can rent you the material.

And in both cases, you can not only paddle, but also go snorkelling, swimming and discover the nature around you...

Equipment: You can easily join a group or just rent a kayak with full equipment for several hours, half a day or a day.

For the mangrove, I can recommend Rando Passion - in Sainte Rose - 0690 49 83 77, or you can choose Tam Tam pagaie there too.

For the Cousteau reserve, you will find the agency running the kayaking trips directly in front of the beach Malendure in Bouillante

there are many walks to do in the tropical forest, some less easy than the others, just choose the one for you

Equipment: old trainers with some gripping soles and watch out the trees roots and mud especially if it has been raining

you can discover some beaches and "la mangrove" by jet-skiing. you can choose from either half an hour for fun, or 1/2 day trips, or even day trip with a stop to the paradisiac "ilet caret"

Equipment: a good back and strong arms and legs