They call them Les Saintes, or the “islands of the saints.” They’re set just a short ferry ride from Guadeloupe, the French Caribbean department that’s deliciously far off the standard travel radar.
And within Les Saintes, there’s really just one island people visit: Terre de Haut, the tiny, two-square mile island that’s lovable, dreamy and endlessly charming.
People here largely get around here on mopeds or golf carts, scooting around the zig-zagging, hilly roads that take you around the ring of the island.
What you find is an array of little cafes, bakeries, restaurants serving up French Caribbean fare and ultra-fresh fish, churches, a centuries-old hilltop fort and, well, the sort of postcard-perfect island fantasy that you hardly ever see anymore (perfect for enjoying a ti’ punch by the sea).
But the biggest draw on this tiny Caribbean island is a beach with a Brazilian inspiration: it’s called Pain de Sucre, or “Sugar Loaf” and it’s a miniature version of its famous Ipanema counterpart.
It’s a short hike down to the coast where you find an almost ethereal, secluded little bay, one of the most beautiful corners of the Caribbean you’ll ever set eyes upon, with stunning, sparkling, clear water thanks to its natural heritage protections.
Among intrepid Caribbean travelers, this is a legendary beach, and it’s one that needs to be on your bucket list.
So how do you get here? The best way to fly to Guadeloupe is on American Airlines, which flies three times per week out of Miami. It’s about a 3.5-hour flight. Prices run around $633 nonstop, according to data from Google Flights.
Once you arrive in Guadeloupe’s capital, Pointe a Pitre, there is a large network of ferries that run to Les Saintes all day, mostly out of the town of Trois Riveres (it takes about 25 minutes each way). To be fair, this is usually not something you can do in one day. So we recommend either spending an overnight in Guadeloupe (or in another great hotel, the new Habitation Saint Charles in Basse-Terre) and then taking the ferry in the morning, or just doing a day trip to Terre de Haut as part of a broader trip to Guadeloupe (there are five islands in the Guadeloupe archipelago, so it’s certainly a destination that begs to be explored.)
And while we love the Caribbean version Sugar Loaf, this is a generous island: you can find at least eight other outstanding beaches around the island, most with hardly anyone on them.
While most of the people who come here are day-trippers, there are some great little hotels, including our favorite place to stay in Terre de Haut, the oceanfront Hotel Lobleu, which has just 11 clean, comfortable rooms and one we loved on our last visit to the Caribbean island.
You’re not getting luxury, but you’re getting an honestly run, warm, friendly boutique hotel where you literally step out of the lobby right on to the sand on the main beach in town.
And on this island, the beach is the biggest star.
