Grande-Terre

For New Caledonia's "big island", see Grande Terre

Grande-Terre is in Guadeloupe, a French overseas department.

Understand

History

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.

Cities

• 1 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.
• 2 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)
• 3 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.
• 4 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).
• 5 Morne à l'eau — renowned for its amazing cemetery composed of burial places made of black and white tiles.
• 6 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.
• 7 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.

Get in

See the Guadeloupe page on how to get in.

See

Gosier

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.

• 1 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)
• 2 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.

Le Moule

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

Pointe-à-Pitre

• 6 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.
• 7 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.  

Do

• 1 Mémorial ACTe, Darboussier, Pointe-à-Pitre, ☏ +590 25 16 00. This museum tells the history of slavery and the slave trade from ancient times to modern-day. It is located on the site of an old sugar factory. (updated Feb 2021)
• 2 Distillerie Damoiseau, Bellevue Le Moule, ☏ +590 590 23 55 55. Get a self-guided tour of the Damoiseau distillery and find out how rum is made. This includes a tasting session. (updated Feb 2021)

Eat

• 1 Gwada Pizza, N4, Sainte-Anne, ☏ +590 690 12 73 09. 18:00–22:00. (updated Dec 2021)
• 2 JP O Piano, 9 Quai de la Marina, Saint Francois, ☏ +590 690 90-1897. Jean-Pierre has been cook for more than 20 year. He offers refined and inventive cuisine. The lobster is great. Ingredients are fresh. (updated Feb 2021)
• 3 Goune's Food, 8 Avenue Hegesippe Ibene, Sainte-Anne, ☏ +590 690 65-5639. Completely home-made burgers with fresh ingredients and potatoes and sweet potatoes fries. (updated Feb 2021)

Drink

• Cubano Lollapalooza: free bar nightclub which is pretty animated, drinks from €6. Dancers on the tables. Music: Merengue, Reggaeton, Salsa, Rnb, Zouk, Dance, etc.
• El Bario Caliente: Bas du Fort Gosier, open from Tuesday to Sunday from 07:00 to dawn, 0590 908 096 bar, restaurant and dancing with a Latin atmosphere (merengue, bachata, salsa, reggaeton).
• Zoo Rock: Bas du Fort, between Gosier and Pointe-à-Pitre located at the marina. Free, music varies from electronic to hip-hop and charts. Also frequented by many locals.

Sleep

• 1 Sunset Surf Camp, 97118 Saint François, Grande-Terre. One of the few (perhaps the only?) backpackers accommodations in Guadeloupe, with both private rooms and dorm-style rooms of three beds. The surf camp is in a 2500-m² tropical garden that is a few hundreds meters from Raisins Clairs beach and it takes less than 10 min to walk to the centre of Saint François. From €29 per night for a dorm room (high season 2010). 
• 2 Hotel Amaudo, Saint-François, Grande-Terre. Has the best online review on the whole island, and looks beautiful in photos! From €130 a night (high season 2010). 
• 3 Hotel Karaibes, Le Gosier, Grande-Terre. Two-star hotel, basic but clean and fine. From €70 per night (High season 2010). 
• 4 Aloes Vacances, route de la pointe des châteaux la coulée 97118 St François, Grande-Terre. Gites (holiday apartments) in St François, less than 10 minutes walk from the beach and the town. From €85 per night for a studio (high season 2010). 
• 5 Pierre & Vacances Village Sainte Anne, Rue du Littoral at Rue de Pierre les Vacances, Sainte-Anne, ☏ +33 1 58 21 55 84. The self-catering village is made up of exotic 2-floor houses, each of which contains several hotel apartments. It is on the water’s edge and is embellished by tropical gardens. Surrounded by two beaches, sports and water areas and has many on-site shops. 

Go next

• Basse-Terre