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Guadeloupe: hotels, sights and tours

A French archipelago in the Lesser Antilles. Its two main islands look like a butterfly's wings: flat, beachy Grande-Terre and mountainous Basse-Terre, with its volcano and rainforest. Around them lie the small islands of Les Saintes, Marie-Galante and La Désirade.

Photo: No machine-readable author provided. Ofol assumed (based on copyright claims)., CC BY 2.5, Wikimedia Commons

Where to stay in Guadeloupe

All 227 with filters and a map →

It is best to split the trip between two bases: Grande-Terre (Sainte-Anne or Saint-François) for beaches and Basse-Terre (Deshaies or Bouillante) for nature and snorkelling. One or two nights on Les Saintes are well worth it.

Hotels 86Guest houses 49Apartments 24Gîtes and chalets 51Hostels 12Motels 4Campsites 1

Grande-Terre Grande-TerreWhite sand, lagoons and the resorts of the south coast 91 options4–6 nightsBasse-Terre Basse-TerreVolcano, waterfalls, rainforest and the Cousteau Reserve 80 options4–6 nightsLes Saintes Les SaintesA bay ranked among the world's most beautiful, and Fort Napoléon 27 options1–2 nightsMarie-Galante Marie-GalanteThe island of a hundred windmills, rum and empty beaches 19 options1–2 nightsLa Désirade La DésiradeA wild plateau island and a geological reserve 10 options0–1 nights

Most complete listings

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Accommodation collections

Guadeloupe Beachfront hotels and guest houses in Guadeloupe54 places to stayGuadeloupe 4- and 5-star hotels in Guadeloupe4 places to stayGuadeloupe 3-star hotels in Guadeloupe6 places to stayGuadeloupe Hotels near the airport in Guadeloupe19 places to stayGuadeloupe Guest houses in Guadeloupe49 places to stayGuadeloupe Apartments in Guadeloupe24 places to stayGuadeloupe Gîtes and chalets in Guadeloupe51 places to stayGuadeloupe Hostels in Guadeloupe12 places to stay

Things to see

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Mémorial ACTe Museum Mémorial ACTe The museum of the history of slavery and the slave trade in Pointe-à-PitreFort Napoléon History Fort Napoléon A 19th-century fort with a cactus garden and a view of the bayDeshaies Botanical Garden Nature Deshaies Botanical Garden A tropical garden with parrots and a waterfallPorte d'Enfer Nature Porte d'Enfer “Hell's Gate” — a lagoon among the cliffs of the wild northLa Caravelle beach Beach La Caravelle beach White sand, palms and calm water at Sainte-AnneBois Jolan beach Beach Bois Jolan beach A shallow lagoon where you can wade far out knee-deepGrande Anse (Deshaies) Beach Grande Anse (Deshaies) The island's longest golden beachMalendure and the Cousteau Reserve Beach Malendure and the Cousteau Reserve Turtles close to shore and the island's best snorkelling

Tours and activities

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Cousteau Reserve: snorkelling and diving Sea and lagoon Cousteau Reserve: snorkelling and divingThe Pigeon Islets off Malendure beach — corals, sponges, turtles 2–3 hAll year; best visibility December — MayThe Grand Cul-de-Sac Marin lagoon Sea and lagoon The Grand Cul-de-Sac Marin lagoonMangroves, sand islets and a barrier reef by boat from Sainte-Rose Half a day to a full dayAll yearClimbing La Soufrière with a guide Guided hikes Climbing La Soufrière with a guideAn active volcano, 1,467 m: fumaroles and a view over the archipelago 4–5 hDrier December — May; start early in the morningA day on Les Saintes History and towns A day on Les SaintesBy ferry to Terre-de-Haut: the bay, Fort Napoléon and Pompierre beach A full dayAll yearMarie-Galante: rum and beaches Rum, wine, vanilla Marie-Galante: rum and beachesThe island of a hundred windmills: three distilleries and empty beaches A full dayAll year; cane harvest February — JuneWhales and dolphins of the leeward coast Whales, dolphins, turtles Whales and dolphins of the leeward coastOut to sea from Bouillante and Deshaies, into the marine mammal sanctuary 3–4 hDolphins and sperm whales all year; humpback whales January — April

The island on the map

Green dots: sights; blue: beaches; purple: tour departure points. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors. Coordinates are approximate.

Getting there by air: fares from Paris

One-way from Paris from €377: the cheapest ticket found for each month.

MonthFromFlight dateAirportAirline
October 2026594 €Oct 21 PTPAir Caraïbes, non-stop see flights
November 2026377 €Nov 28 PTPAir Caraïbes, 1 stop see flights
December 2026558 €Dec 10 PTPCorsair, non-stop see flights
January 2027568 €Jan 1 PTPCorsair, non-stop see flights
February 2027613 €Feb 8 PTPCorsair, non-stop see flights
March 2027482 €Mar 18 PTPCorsair, non-stop see flights
April 2027438 €Apr 29 PTPTransavia, 1 stop see flights

Fares recorded on October 12, 2026 from recent searches on Aviasales: one way, one adult, checked baggage not always included. They are indicative: the actual fare is shown when you search and changes daily. Months with no data are left out of the table.

Rent a car

A car is the easiest way to reach beaches, trails and villages: public transport is scarce outside the towns. Book ahead in high season.

Discover Carscompare rental companies: Guadeloupe QEEQrental comparison site:Guadeloupe

Mobile data and eSIM

The island is inside the European Union roaming zone: with a French or EU plan you can normally use your phone as at home. Check your operator's terms all the same: some plans exclude the overseas territories or cap data there. If yours does not cover the island, or if you are coming from outside Europe, a prepaid eSIM avoids roaming charges.

An eSIM is bought online, installed before you leave and activated on arrival; your phone must be eSIM-compatible and unlocked. Compare the data allowance and validity period before buying.

YesimeSIM plans for the island AiraloeSIM plans for the island

The island at a glance

Status
French overseas region (department 971)
Currency
Euro (€)
Time
UTC−4 — 5 hours behind Paris in winter, 6 in summer
Flight
Paris → Pointe-à-Pitre ≈ 8.5 h non-stop
Best season
December — April (the dry season, known as “carême”)
Hurricanes
June — November, peaking August — October
Languages
French, Guadeloupean Creole
Area / population
≈ 1,630 km², ≈ 380,000 people
Sockets
230 V, types C/E

Right for you if

  • You want to combine beaches and rainforest
  • You enjoy snorkelling and diving
  • You are happy to drive

Not for you if

  • You want large all-inclusive resorts
  • You are travelling in September or October and worry about hurricanes
  • You cannot stand seaweed on the beach