Guadeloupe

 

In Guadeloupe’s people you will find a centuries-old fusion of Creole and French reflected in our elegant culture, clothes and faces. Our butterfly-shaped island, too, is a fusion – of two landscapes. Grande-Terre has the commercial capital and the main port,
and Basse-Terre has the administrative capital and is a vast, fertile, nature reserve.
On Grand-Terre you can enjoy the classic Caribbean beach holiday on white coral sands; on Basse-Terre you find yourself in a green dreamland of tropical rainforest and mountainous slopes.
 
Capital:            Basse Terre
 
Currency:         Euro    
 
Population:      426,493
 
Area:                560 square miles (1,400 square kilometres)
 
Language:       French but Creole and English widely spoken
 
Economy:         Tourism.
 
Religion:          Mainly Roman Catholic
 
Government:    Region and département of France
 
Telephone Codes:       590
 
Airport Departure Tax: 
 
Entry requirements: Australian and New Zealand passport holders do not require visas 
 
Banking Hours: Banks are open Monday to Friday, 8am-12 noon and 2-4pm. Some also open on Saturday morning.
 
Shopping Hours: Shops open at the same time as banks but will remain open until around 6pm.
 
Electricity:        220 volts 
 
Time Zone:      13 hours behind Sydney (EST)
 
Weather:
Guadeloupe is graced with typically pleasant Caribbean weather: the average temperature hovers around 79F/26C. Rainfall is common usually between June and November, and is moderate along the coast while heavier in the interior. A light jacket may be in order for nighttime activities.
 
Transportation:
Cabs can be found outside the Pole Caraobes International Airport and across the island. Fares are metered and regulated by the government, and increase 40 percent between 9 p.m. and 7 a.m. and all day Sunday.
Boats leave from the Pointe-a-Pitre harbor for Marie-Galante daily starting at 8 a.m. Express desIles and Brudey Freres connect the city with Grand Bourg and Terre-de-Haut in Les Saintes daily. Sotramade runs at least twice daily between St. Francois and Disirade. Ferry crossings can be rough, so if you have a delicate stomach, traveling by air might be the way to go.
 
History:
When Columbus anchored off the coast of Basse-Terre in 1493, he was still in a hurry to find Japan so he didn't tarry for long. In 1635, the French grabbed the islands from the Caribs who lived there. A brief British occupation lasted from 1759 to 1763; thereafter, Guadeloupe and its dependencies were a French province. In 1946, they were classified as a department of France. Later, along with St. Martin and St. Barts, Guadeloupe was elevated to a region.
 
 
Basse-Terre has natural attractions, while Grand-Terre has food Creole-style food influenced by the spoons of French, African and West Indian chefs. More than 200 restaurants, from elegant eateries to picnic-style shacks, are sprinkled throughout the island. In early August, the female chefs of the islands are celebrated with the Fete des Cuisinieres, a parade that culminates in a day-long feast.
The largest resort strip is also on Grande-Terre at the southern town of Gosier. Moving counterclockwise from the last hotel, a handful of white sand has been tossed here and there between St. Anne and St. Francois. Along the east coast, the Atlantic Ocean batters the shore. Bring a picnic lunch of freshly baked croissants, crabes farcis and a bottle of wine. French, of course.
At Grand-Terre's Porte d'Enfer, the limestone lost a battle with the waves and a deep gorge cuts through the rock. In the north, the ruins of windmills pepper the hills.
Past the GrandEtangLake, the Chutes du Carbet plummet more than 400 feet into a silvery basin. Farther north in the Parc National, the Cascade aux Ecrevisses transforms itself into a pool filled with crayfish--a popular dish on Guadeloupe, though the critters in the park are protected.