guadeloupe is an island hopping paradise
Marie Galante in Guadeloupe.
Caribbean

Why Guadeloupe Is a Caribbean Island Hopping Paradise

By: Alexander Britell and Guy Britton - June 27, 2025 - 4:31 pm

Guadeloupe isn’t one island—it’s a self-contained archipelago of six inhabited isles (and countless islets and cays), each with its own rhythm, landscape, and identity. Set in the French Caribbean, Guadeloupe is unified by a strong Creole and French heritage, yet offers a surprisingly diverse range of experiences just a ferry ride away. Whether you’re hiking a volcano, sipping rhum agricole, or exploring tiny islets ringed with coral reef, island-hopping in Guadeloupe is seamless, scenic, and unforgettable.

Basse-Terre: Rainforests and Volcanoes

The western half of Guadeloupe’s butterfly-shaped core is a lush, mountainous escape dominated by the Guadeloupe National Park and crowned by La Soufrière, an active volcano known for its dramatic summit hike. Waterfalls tumble through dense rainforest, and the coastline is dotted with black-sand beaches and marine reserves. It’s a destination made for hiking, canyoning, diving, and nature immersion. Our favorite attraction here, though, is the rum industry — most of Guadeloupe’s rum distilleries are based here, and its rich, volcanic soil makes for spectacular terroir-driven rum. 

Our other favorite stop in Basse-Terre? Deshaies, the rainforest-meets-the-beach town that’s most famous as the site of the fictional Saint Marie in the BBC series “Death in Paradise.” 

If you’re in Basse Terre, the best place to stay is the Habitation Saint Charles, in our view.

guadeloupe jetblue caribbean
The La Toubana resort in Guadeloupe, the destination’s top luxury hotel.

Grande-Terre: Culture, Coastlines, and Energy

To the east lies Grande-Terre, flatter, drier, and home to the majority of Guadeloupe’s resorts and nightlife. The capital city of Pointe-à-Pitre is a cultural hub, with markets, galleries, and world-class cuisine. Along the coast, you’ll find white-sand beaches, dramatic limestone cliffs, and towns like Le Gosier and Saint-François. Grande-Terre is the ideal base for those who want beach time, cultural experiences, and easy transport to the rest of the archipelago.

It’s home to the unquestioned best hotel in Guadeloupe: the luxe La Toubana; a selection of solid, if unspectacular hotels can be found in Gosier. 

Terre-de-Haut (Les Saintes): Charm in Miniature

A short ferry from Trois-Rivières brings you to Terre-de-Haut, part of the small Les Saintes archipelago. This island is a jewel—one of the prettiest in the Caribbean—with charming Creole-style houses, quiet beaches, and panoramic views from Fort Napoléon. The island’s bay is a favorite of yachts and sailboats, and its narrow roads and scooter-friendly paths make exploration easy. 

terre de haut tiny islands
It’s as charming as it gets.

It’s a perfect day-trip or overnight for travelers craving peace, scenery, and authentic island life. It’s also home to the magnificent Pain du Sucre beach, where we’ve visited several times and remain in love. 

Some have called it a “mini” St Barth. And while it’s not really that, it is a lovable, captivating little island. 

La Désirade: Wild and Untouched

Eight kilometers off Grande-Terre’s eastern coast lies La Désirade, the oldest island in the region geologically and among the least developed. With a wild, arid beauty and long, deserted beaches, it’s a destination for those seeking escape. Much of the island is a protected nature reserve, and its serenity stands in contrast to Guadeloupe’s busier hubs. It’s a place for solitude, swimming, and watching iguanas bask on wind-swept cliffs.

Marie-Galante: Rum and Rolling Fields

This is a place we’ve called the “Isle of Rum.” That’s not an accident. With three rum distilleries and a tiny population, there are more rum distilleries here per capita than any other place on earth. 

Marie-Galante is a nostalgic step back in time. Larger and flatter than many of the other islands, it offers sweeping rural landscapes and a deep connection to Guadeloupe’s agricultural and rum-making traditions (where you’ll find oxen doing much of the work). The island is home to some of the region’s best distilleries and least crowded beaches, along with a distinctive cultural pride. Ferries from Pointe-à-Pitre and Saint-François make it a popular overnight destination for those wanting to explore beyond the main butterfly islands.

Marie Galante is a trip back in time.

Ilet du Gosier — Paging Robinson Crusoe

Ok, so it’s not a full-fledged island. This speck of land off the coast of the beach town of Gosier has an old lighthouse and a Robinson Crusoe vibe. It’s no surprise, then, that it’s home to a fantastic, castaway-style beach bar called Ti’ Robinson. Pay a local fishermen a few euro and he’ll make the journey for you. It’s the perfect day trip while you’re in Guadeloupe, just off the coast of Gosier.

The Ultimate Archipelago Adventure

What makes Guadeloupe so ideal for island hopping is its accessibility. Ferries, short flights, and even bridges connect these contrasting islands, letting you wake up in a rainforest, snorkel coral reefs by midday, and sip ti’ punch on a rum estate by sunset. Each island is different, but all feel part of a coherent cultural and geographic whole. This is the Caribbean at its most diverse—and most connected. And don’t forget,  this all makes it a great charter boat destination, too. 

How to Get to Guadeloupe

It’s relatively straightforward if you’re coming from Miami: multiple flights each week on both Air France and on American Airlines. If that doesn’t work for you, or if you’re coming from New York or elsewhere, you can also fly to St Maarten’s Princess Juliana International Airport, take a quick cab ride and fly from French Saint Martin’s Grand Case Airport, which has multiple daily flights to Pointe a Pitre.

Popular Posts antigua long bay

25 Perfect Caribbean Beaches to Add to Your Summer Bucket List

There’s nothing like a Caribbean beach in summer. The crowds thin out, the winds relax, and the islands start breathing in a different way. The beaches you thought you knew feel new again— stretches of sand once packed with winter […]


Royal Caribbean’s New Cruise Ship Has a Rooftop Bar, a Waterpark and the Largest Pool at Sea

star of the seas

You step into a glass dome floating high above the ocean. To your right, divers plunge from platforms. Above, aerialists twist through light. Somewhere behind you, a DJ is spinning beside a suspended infinity pool. This isn’t a dream — […]


The 15 Best Hotels in Trinidad and Tobago, From Hidden Eco-Retreats to Luxury Towers

trinidad and tobago hotels where to stay

From Port of Spain to Tobago’s quiet coasts, these are the places to check in now No two Caribbean islands are quite like Trinidad and Tobago—and no two hotels here feel the same. This is a destination of contrast: Carnival […]


Related Posts caribbean tourism remagining

A New Plan to “Reimagine” Caribbean Tourism

The Caribbean has long been a mosaic of sun, sea, and culture — but now it wants to be something more. With a bold new roadmap unveiled in New York last month, the Barbados-based Caribbean Tourism Organization is charting a […]


Marriott’s Smallest Caribbean All-Inclusive Resort Is An Adults-Only Hideaway With an “Art Crawl” and Beach Ambassadors

all-inclusive caribbean marriott smallest

A quiet road breaks away from the more familiar western coast here and winds past village shops, and salt-blown sea grape trees. There are no mega-resorts. No throngs. No day trippers on quick-shore missions. Just you, the island, and a […]


The Best Beaches in America Are in the Caribbean

beaches

You want to find the best beaches in America? You need to head south. Way south. Because they’re not where you think they are. They’re not in Florida, not in California, not in the Carolinas. They’re in the Caribbean. Yes […]