Guadeloupe

Guadeloupe is a French overseas department shaped like a butterfly — two main islands, Basse-Terre and Grande-Terre, connected by a bridge over a narrow channel. The sailing interest centres on the south coast and the islands below it: the Iles des Saintes, Marie-Galante, and La Desirade, each distinct in character and accessible as day-sails from the main charter base. Pointe-a-Pitre, the commercial capital on Grande-Terre, has the international airport and the primary marinas — Marina Bas-du-Fort is the largest charter departure point. The town is busy, commercial, and authentically Caribbean-French: a covered market selling spices, rum, and tropical produce, and a waterfront that mixes colonial-era buildings with container port infrastructure. The Iles des Saintes, 10 miles south of Basse-Terre, are the jewel of the cruising ground. Terre-de-Haut, the main island, has a harbour — the Baie des Saintes — that is often compared to a miniature Rio de Janeiro. The town is walkable, car-free in its centre, and serves the best accras (salt cod fritters) in the French Antilles. The anchorage is well-protected from the trade winds, and the mooring balls in the bay provide secure overnight holding. Marie-Galante, the larger island to the south-east, is flat, agricultural, and known for its rum distilleries — three on an island of 12,000 people. The harbour at Saint-Louis is the practical stop; the island's pace is noticeably slower than Guadeloupe's mainland. Basse-Terre, the western wing of the butterfly, is volcanic — La Soufriere, at 1,467 metres, is the highest point in the Lesser Antilles. The west coast, in the lee of the mountain, offers sheltered anchorages and the Cousteau Reserve off Pigeon Island, a marine park with coral, turtles, and reef fish in clear water. Provisioning in Pointe-a-Pitre is excellent by Caribbean standards — French supermarkets with cheese, wine, charcuterie, and baguettes at metropolitan prices. Fuel and water are available at Marina Bas-du-Fort. The Saintes and Marie-Galante have small shops; full provisioning should be done before departure.