Base-Terre is known for its lush and vibrant landscapes, overlooked by an active and much beloved volcano- La Soufrière.
The island is famous for it’s biodiversity in both land and sea, making it idea for hikers and divers alike- plus some beaches and hot springs for relaxing after an active day.
Compared to it’s sibling island Grande-Terre, Basse-Terre is more nature oriented. Expect an action-packed day when visiting Basse-Terre!
There are endless activities and adventures on Basse-Terre, but I picked out some of my favorites.
Guadeloupe National Park
Guadeloupe National Park is a hikers paradise. The park spans over 21,000 hectares surrounding La Soufrière volcano- from which the island was formed! The still active volcano rises above the trees as the crown jewel of Guadeloupe.
This area alone is home to dozens of hikes varying difficulties, but the most popular are definitely La Soufrière and Les Chutes du Carbet.
These trails are clearly marked and well taken care of due to their popularity.
More intense trails are also clearly marked, but may be a more overgrown depending on the season and the area.
I recommend using Rando for more detailed trail information.
In addition to being a National Park of Guadeloupe, this is also a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, so keep an eye out for wildlife!
On our hike to Les Chutes du Carbet, we were fascinated by the enormous size of the elephant ear plants and the cute birds who were curious about our car!
Les Chutes du Carbet
Upon arriving to Les Chutes, we were lucky to get a parking spot. There are not many spots available in the main parking lot, so later in the day we saw cars resort to parking on the side of the road.
There is an entrance fee of €5.45 per adult, but it’s well worth the cost of admission. Even the quality of the trails was excellent and I liked that they had a clean public bathroom available before the trail started in earnest.
Les Chutes du Carbet has three main waterfalls. Despite its name, the First Waterfall is quite tricky to get to and takes about 3 hours round trip. It also involves a suspension bridge, which always feels very adventurous!
For this reason, the Second Waterfall is much more popular with visitors- particularly with families.
This hike takes about 90 minutes round trip and has a wide and well maintained path that’s easy to follow all the way up to the Second Fall.
The Third Fall is currently inaccessible, but if you’re still thirsty for more falls, check out the popular Cascade aux Ecrevisses, a very accessible waterfall that culminates in a natural pool popular with swimmers!
Hot Springs
Since La Soufrière is an active volcano, make sure to keep an eye out for hot springs! There are a ton in Guadeloupe- the town Bouillante translates to “boiling”
I personally enjoyed visiting Bains Jaunes, and Bains Thomas. You can read more about them here!
Vieux-Fort
The tiny town of Vieux-Fort proved to be a cute place to grab lunch. We stopped to admire the lighthouse which stands on the very tip of the island. From there, some brave souls were cliff diving into the ocean.
I, on the other hand, was headed to lunch. There are a few restaurants scattered around the marina town, and we picked Le Phare– named after its neighboring lighthouse. This restaurant was cute and friendly and inexplicably playing French covers of Taylor Swift songs for the entire time we were there.
Pigeon Islets
The Pigeon islets, which make up the Réserve Cousteau is the most popular diving spot on the island. The islets are only accessible by sea, but visitors can boat or kayak their way over.
This site is strictly protected, so make sure to read the rules of the park before entering the area.
Réserve Cousteau is famous for its biodiversity, including coral reefs, schools of tropical fish and sea turtles!
Diving and snorkeling are very popular in this area, but visiting in a kayak or glass bottomed boat is also an option for those looking to stay dry.
Zoo de Guadeloupe
For more wildlife and less hiking, one can check out the Zoo! The Guadeloupe Zoo leans into its tropical location and hosts 85 species of animals from the Caribbean and French Guyana, including Coates, monkeys, lemurs, sloths and jungle cats!
Tickets cost €17.50 per adult, but can be combined with a Botanical Garden ticket for a discount.
Jardin Botanique de Deshaies
The Jardin Botanique de Deshaies is a 5.5 hectare garden located on the Northern half of Basse-Terre.
The gardens are organized into themes ranging from Palm Tree to Arid Environments to Caribbean.
The Botanical Garden offers guided tours, and there is also an interactive app that visitors can use to explore the property.
Tickets cost €17.50 per adult.
Beaches
Even with all of the tropical flora, Basse-Terre is flush with beaches- it’s an island after all!
Some popular beaches include Plage de Malendure, and Plage de Grande Anse, but there are a ton of options to choose from.
I really liked Plage de Malendure because it had a bunch of shops and cafes to browse while at the beach. It’s pretty popular, though, so it can get crowded as the day goes on.
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