Grande-Terre

Historically, the island of Grande-Terre was called "cibuqueira", meaning "island of gum trees" in the local Caribbean language. Although today's French name translated into English would mean big island, it's smaller than Basse-Terre.

• 🌍 Pointe-à-Pitre — with its suburbs, it is the economic capital of Guadeloupe. There are museums, a bustling creole market place, an aquarium, and the impressive colonial fort to explore.
• 🌍 Gosier — maybe one of the most interesting places of Guadeloupe to enjoy nightlife. (You can enter most nightclubs with proper clothes, that is, no sneakers, no shorts)
• 🌍 Saint-François if you go at the eastern point of Guadeloupe, you will reach La Pointe des Chateaux, a scenery made of sand and rocks which have vaguely the shape of a castle. From there, you can look up at the islands La Désirade, Petite Terre, Marie Galante, Les Saintes, La Dominique but also have a perfect view of the islands Grande Terre and far away Basse Terre.
• 🌍 Sainte-Anne — a very nice but also very touristy city and beach (maybe the tourists primary area of Guadeloupe). L'Americano, bd Georges Mandel, 0590 88 38 99: bar/restaurant offers free salsa courses on Saturdays and live performances some days. You will find all kind of bars. You can try Club Med, 0590 85 49 50 fax: 0590 85 49 59 (for instance, others resort may propose this formula too) for a one day all inclusive (breakfast, buffet, bars, drinks, beach volley, windsurf, boat, gym, dance courses...) for about €46, so it may be a good deal (as it costs €7 one hour of windsurf).
• 🌍 Morne à l'eau — renowned for its amazing cemetery composed of burial places made of black and white tiles.
• 🌍 Anse Bertrand — not far from there, you can visit La pointe de la Grande Vigie, northern point of mainland Guadeloupe. You can also go to Porte d'Enfer, a beautiful still stripe of sea between a scenery of reefs. From there, walk one hour along the cliff, and you will discover a Souffleur, kind of geyser due to the pressure of the sea.
• 🌍 Abymes — nothing special to see, but the weekend, there are 3 local nightclubs: L'instant, Caraibes and Latin Club. They are located at the same place.

Buses to Gosier leave from Rue Dubouchage at the east side of the harbor in Pointe-à-Pitre (where the international airport is). The bus from Pointe-à-Pitre to Gosier costs €1.30 (pay the driver) and takes about 15 minutes. If you are going to the Bas du Fort marina, you can take this bus and get off just past the university.

• 🌍 Fort Louis. The fort was intended to protect access to the Petit Cul-de-sac marin, and included a barracks, a guardhouse, a powder magazine, to which are added, after the Seven Years' War, a new barracks, a cistern and a bakery to protect the French from the English. The fort, however, has no moat, covered path, or counterscarp and it didn't resist the attack of the English in 1759. After the Treaty of Paris in 1763, it was partially partly dismantled. Governor Bourlamaque instructs engineer Rochemore to add two external batteries and redoubts. The fort was subsequently abandoned, in particular because of the construction of Fort Fleur d'Épée. (updated Dec 2021)
• 🌍 Fort Fleur d'Épée. Another fort built in 1759 to protect the island from the English. (updated Dec 2021)
• Ilet Gosier: a very tiny island with a lighthouse at about 600 metres from the mainland. Take a boat from the municipal beach at Gosier or just swim.

• 🌍 Église Saint-Jean-Baptiste, ☏ +590 590 235025. (updated Dec 2021)
• 🌍 Maison coloniale de Zevallos. (updated Dec 2021)
• 🌍 Musé Edgar Clerc, ☏ +590 590 235757. M-F 09:00–17:00. (updated Dec 2021)

• 🌍 Schoelcher Museum, 24 rue Peynier, ☏ +590 590 820804. 09:00–17:00. A museum about the man who has contributed to abolish slavery in French territories. This museum was set up in the pink, former home of the slave liberator and later deputy, undersecretary of state and senator. He was the son of an Alsatian porcelain manufacturer and lived from 1804 to 1883. His bust is in the front garden. In the house there are antiquarian rarities on display that Schœlcher collected on his business trips. (updated Dec 2021)
• St John Perse museum: a famous writer who has lived in Guadeloupe.
• The market place, typical of the creole atmosphere.
• In Bas du Fort district, you can of course visit the Fort on the top of the hill. In the same area stands the Aquarium where you can contemplate a lot of fishes.
• 🌍 Mémorial ACTe, Rue Raspail, Darboussier. The largest slavery memorial in the world, with extensive information on the Atlantic slave trade, especially enslaved people brought to the Caribbean. Audioguides available, including in English.