Fun things to do in Guadeloupe

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Guadeloupe has been producing coffee for almost 300 years now (since 1723). And it still does: grown on the slopes of the volcano, La Soufrière its pure origins and the system of locating coffee trees in the shade of banana trees have all made it the product of choice for connoisseurs. Today, coffee farming is gradually re-emerging. Now the crops cover 370 acres (150 ha), yielding around 30 tons per year. The 3 factors for great (arabica) coffee are: altitude above 600 m, volcanic soil and humidity.

On the first picture you may admire the flower of the coffee robusta plant. The second picture shows the coffee bean of the coffee arabica. We have visited "La Grivelière" in Vieux-Habitants, where plenty of the vegetation was shown and explained to us. Like the vanila lianes (picture below). As vanilla requires plenty of manual care during at least 10 months time, the final product is very expensive.

Vanilla pods can be found in every supermarket and smell just lovely:-) Guadeloupe has right now nr. 14 in the vanilla production in the world with some 8tonnes a year...

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Once in the garden of the "Maison de cacao/ House of the cacao" I was truly amazed. The cacao trees (cacaoyers in French) looked almost unreal (and so perfectly beautiful): covered from top till bottom with cocoa fruits in different colours (from green to orange or pink). Did you know that its scientific name "theoboma cocoa" means "food of God"?

Imported from Amazonia and Central America the cacao tree is indeed a special tree that not only grows in hot and humid areas, but lives in the shade of other trees. The cocoa has been produced in the French Antilles for almost 2 centuries, but now no more big plantations are left.

In the "Maison du cacao", in between the lovely cacao trees garden the cycle of cocoa production is displayed: from the cutting of the ripe fruits from the trunk with an axe, through the fermenting of the seeds in the sun and the drying process till the ready cacao paste.

We enjoyed the most the cacao-tasting session at the end of our visit. It included tasting of a fresh cacao bean, then a dried one and ending up with the best chocolate drink (cacao paste melted in water plus cane sugar) I ever had…Last but not least we tried also the "liqueur au chocolat"(mix of rhum and cocoa paste) and plenty of other home specialties.

http://janaaroundtheworld.blogspot.com

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The island Basse-Terre is famous for the great views you can have from its peaks in the Parc National de la Guadeloupe. From inside the rainforest you can have views until the coastline where the blue of the Caribbean Sea contrasts wonderfully with the green of the jungle. These views can be reached, but it's not always easy.

The most famous viewpoint is La Soufrière, the highest point of the island. However, this volcano is also famous for the big ring of clouds that hides the top almost always, and therefore also the view. Another option are the two peaks of Les Mamelles, in the heart of the island, but to get here you'll need to make a hike of at least two hours.

The easiest option you'll find here is the Morne Saint-Loui: a hill at only 5 kilometres west of the Maison de la Fôret and Les Mamelles. Here you can climb up by car and enjoy the view without being completely sweaty and tired. From the top the view is hidden, but from the side of the road you have great views of the westcoast below you.

The road towards the Morne Saint-Louis is clearly indicated and fits perfectly in a trip along the Route de la Traversée.

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If you are on your way from Saint François towards Le Moule, taking the N5, it is well worth a stop a the colonial “Maison Zévallos”. This old 19th century building is one of the few remaining colonial buildings on the island and is very well preserved.

At the right side of the road you’ll see some black iron fences showing up, and hidden behind the banana-trees you’ll see the impressive house. All original cast-iron details are still there and also all decorations at the sides of the roof are still there.

Unfortunately the house is not opened for the public; you’ll have to enjoy it “paparazzi-style”: look for a open space between the trees and look through the fence.

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No matter how great the beaches are on Les Saintes, and how interesting the old Fort Napoléon on Terre-de-Haut is; the best thing about the islands simply is the impressive landscape you see everywhere. The whole coastline of the biggest island Terre-de-Haut is a collection of beautiful bays of which you have a very good view when you're driving around on one of the high roads crossing the island.

The most famous of all is the bay of the village (Anse du Bourg) where the picturesque village Terre-de-Haut brings colour to the landscape. But just west from here, when you climb to the viewpoint "Tête Rouge La Batterie", you have a great view of the other side of the bay as well, and of the îlet à Cabrit in front of you.

Other great places are the bay of "Pain de Sucre" (sugarbread) where you can find a quiet beach and an impressive, extraordinairily shaped rockformation that probably looks like a piece of bread. When you're visiting Fort Napoléon you should also have a look to the east to the great hidden Baie du Marigot where the water has an almost perfect turqoise colour. And last but not least the Baie de Pompierre, where you can also find a nice beach, is a great bay that is almost completely closed from open sea.

But the nice thing is: probably, while you're driving around here, you'll find a lot of other great views without even looking for them!

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The islands of Les Saintes are famous for its beaches. Although the islands are very small, there are beaches everywhere: often quiet and well protected from high waves because they are located in deep bays. Terre-de-Haut is no exception, and driving around on the island makes you discover another beach every ten minutes. Here you'll find only three of them; the beaches I visited during my stay on the island:

The most famous beach of the island, and by far the biggest is Grande Anse. The beach here is easy to reach, even on foot from the village and it can never be crowded because it simply is too big. But: the sea here can be pretty rough since there is not much protection nor from the bay it is located in, nor from reefs. This is therefore a good place for surfing, for swimming you'd better look for another one.

A very good option if you want to swim is the beach of Baie de Pompierre at the eastern end of the island. Here you'll find a great beach with a true palmtree-forest on it. The bay is protected by two small islands at its entrance, and therefore the sea is pretty calm here. If you are in time and there are no tourists yet, you can even walk (through the water for a few metres) to one of the islands to claim your own piece of beach there and have a private island for the day.

And a last calm option is the Anse du Figuier; a very quiet beach in the southwest of the island. This one is also well protected, and the scenery here is amazing. If there are any more people here, it will never be more then ten.

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The most impressive building on the islands of Les Saintes, definitely is the Fort Napoléon on Terre-de-Haut. This fort, on top of a hill on the eastside of the island is beautiful itself, but also offers on of the best viewpoints of the island: from here you can see all the islands of the archipelago of Guadeloupe, and on clear days even all the way to Dominica and if you're lucky Martinique.

The fort originally was built in the 18th century as Fort Louis (of course named after one of the Kings Louis) as a part of the defence-line of the French. On the small island Îlet à Cabrit right opposite Terre-de-Haut you can see its "sister" Fort Joséphine. After the British destroyed this Fort Louis in 1809 though, Napoléon was already ruling over France, and it is no surprise that the new fort is now named after him. In 1845 it was finished, and it really is a special building: high walls and nice architecture on a great location.

Unfortunately I found out too late that this fort is only opened in the morning until noon. When I came there at 13:00 everything was closed already, but still I didn't regret going there. Even from the outside the building is great and the views are there anyway. But of course: if you're going there, make sure you visit between 9:00 and 12:00.

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No matter how you organise your trip to Les Saintes, it will always start in its capital, Terre-de-Haut. This small village on the biggest island (also called Terre-de-Haut) is the commercial centre of the small archipelago with shops, the harbour and a strong emphasis on tourism. Despite this clear focus on tourism it is a pleasant town to visit with a calm and friendly atmosphere.

The village is located in a wonderful bay, that is chosen as one of the most beautiful ones in the world by the website www.world-bays.com. When you arrive by boat, or from the both sides of the bay you have a great view of the town. The roofs are orange, the walls are light and all the buildings have a charming, old look. Walking around in the streets a good way to discover Terre-de-Haut.

In the centre of the town there are two small squares: one at the harbour and one at the church. Around both these squares nice, old buildings can be found. In the streets around them you'll find the shops and restaurants.