By Alexander Britell
Guadeloupe: the French-Caribbean archipelago that still remains largely a mystery to travelers from the English-speaking world.
It is a remarkably diverse place: its main “island” is split between a largely developed (think European style infrastructure) Grande-Terre and the lush, rural Basse-Terre, and then there are islands like Terre de Haut, Marie-Galante and La Desirade, all unique, charming and full of spectacular landscapes.
If you’re going to visit one place in Guadeloupe, though, it should be this: Ilet du Gosier, the tiny islet off the coast of Gosier, the resort town in Grande-Terre.
It’s accessed only by boat, either in a pleasure-boat or by paying a few Euro to one of the fishermen who make the trip from the Gosier dock.
Once you get there, you’re transported to a Crusoe-style retreat — it’s no surprise, then, that the only thing here is Ti’ Robinson, a beach bar whose namesake is the famous castaway.
It’s a tent and a solar-powered shack and a grill, and marvelous ti’ punches and planteur cocktails, run by a husband-and-wife team whose only goal, it seems, is to make your day unforgettable.
You quickly settle into a routine — a plate of accras (French Caribbean codfish fritters), ti’ punchs and a short walk to the beach, a lovely, shallow white-sand sweep.
Above: a Ti’ Punch at Ilet du Gosier
This is the must-visit place in Guadeloupe, and one of the Caribbean’s best kept secrets (that is, until now.).