The beaches of Guadaloupe, not to mention the seas! Gaudeloupe offers a fantastic variety of beaches and with a sea temperature of 28° degrees all year round: from the untamed beaches battered by the Atlantic to the palm lined beaches facing the Caribbean.

To the north of Basse-Terre, between Sainte Rose and Pointe Noire, you’ll find long stretches of white and rose sandy beaches, facing the Caribbean sea, occasionally effetced by dangerous currents.

To the south of Basse Terre, between Bouillante and Petit Bourg, deserted dark greybeaches. White sand and crystal water sto the south of Grand Terre, betwee Gosier and Le Moule. At Les Saintes and Marie Galante there are some of the most beautiflu beaches of the achiapelago, the beach of Souffleur is simply stunning, as are the La Desirade and the islands of Petite Terre between La Desirade and Marie Galante. 

The beaches host coconut palms, almonds, raisiniers bord-de-mer. It is not uncommon to also find Mancinella, be careful as the plant is highly toxic!

The National Park of Gaudeloupe created in 1989, with its’ 17.300ha covers approximately 40% of the island Grand-Terre.
With 200km of trails (traces), containing 300 species of trees and plants, 270 species of fern, hundreds of species of orchids, many species of birds and bats.

At about half way along the Route de la Traversée you can find Maison de la Fôret, a great place from which to begin exploring the park.
The natural reserve of Grand Cul-de-Sac Marin, created in 1987, covers different sea and marine habitats between la Basse Terre and la Grande Terre, including Ilets de Petite-Terre to the south east of Saint François. The "Réserve Cousteau" around the Ilets Pigeons, is a protected marine zone but still to be granted the status as a Natural Reserve.

At 7000 km from Paris, between the Tropic of Cancer ad the Equator, 16° llattitude North, 62° longitude west, where the days and nights have almost the same duration, the sun rises between 5.30 and 6.30 and sets between 17.30 and 18.30, according to the season.

The island of Guadeloupe, 1433 km2 known also as the “Butterfly Island” due to its shape, is divided into two parts by a sea channel: to the south Grande Terre, almost flat(max height 135 m) and of coral foundations, with small natural troughs (mornes) and dry landscape, cultivation of sugar cane is carried out ot the north; Basse Terre, mountaneous and volcanic , to the west, with a tropical forest and with its highest point on the volcano La Soufrière, 1467m. Marie Galante, at circa 60km from Gaudeloupe, almost round, with a diameter of about 15 km, is very similar to the north of Grand Terre, flat, dry and windy, cultivated for sugar cane. Les Saintes,at approximately 15 km from the coast of Gaudeloupe, divided into Terre de Haut and Terre de Bas, the first with small steep hills and white sandy tropical bays, the second with rocky outcrops that jut into the sea, oferring very few points of access to the coast. La Désirade is a dry island of 11x2 km.

Pointe à Pitre, on the Grande Terre, is the largest city and the economic capital of Guadeloupe. Basse Terre is the capital city and the administrative capital of Guadeloupe.

Apart from the importance to Guadaloupe of the marine scape, dive mecca, the beach lovers paradise of the coast, the tropical forest covers 60% of Basse Terre.
The mid canopy forest, up to 500 m in altitude, is the environemnt that has been more heavily impacted by human activities, to a large extent cleared to make way fro the cultivation of cofee and bananas. Consisting of Mahogany, Rose wood etc. the rain forest reaches from 300 to 1000 m, an evergreen forest with many species of fern, vines, creepers, a web of vegetation.
Above 1000m the vegetation changes once again, the zone is often fog coverred and constantly battered by winds.

Grande-Terre and Marie Galante host a much drier landscape, with vegetation made up of scrub and poirier pays trees and red rubber. In the coastal zone there are cactus and agavi.
Many of the floreal species in Gaudeloupe were introduced by man. Coconut palms,  the beautiful Flamboyant which becomes an explosion of red from May to August come from Madagascar, as does the Travelling Tree. The buganvillia color the island.
The Fromager, a tree with many medicinal virtuesand linked to varius beliefs; presides majestically over the plains with its long straight branches.

Many native species of animal have been lost, amonsgt which the violet Ara, the red dragonfly, the lamantini (large herbivorous fluvial mammals).
Today there are 4 recognised species of terrestrial mammals, apart from the common rodents such as rats and mice. The Procione lavatore, introduced in the 19° century from the US, smaller than its American cousin today the Procione is a protected species. The Mangusta, introduced from India in the 14° century to combat the rats infestino the cane plantations, in reality resulted in a considerable reduction also in the snake, bird, and marine turtle popultaions. Bats are an important part of the Eco system in Gaudeloupe and number more than 13 species, two of which are unique to Gaudeloupe.
The last mammal, also protected and only occasionally seen on Desirade and in the north of Basse Terre, is the Agouti, a small harmless rodent.
According to the season, Guadaloupe hosts a plethora of birds. In the gardens there is the opportunity to see different species of Colibrì, Sucriers and Blackbird; in the forests live several species of Tordi and, to note, native woodpeck of Gaudeloupe. Along the coastal zone you can find Wading birds, white Egrets, Heron, Sea hawks(gli-gli), Frigate, and different species of Stern and Gull.
Among the reptiles, worth looking out for the endearing Anolis lizard, Iguane, Gecko (mabouya), lmarine turtles, frogs and toads, including Bullfrog. There aren’t any
snakes!
 

The people of Guadaloupe are Creole. Creole is born from the fusion of elements from several cultures caribean, european, african, asian.
 Many culinary and craft skills are derived from the patrimoni left by the archipelago’s ancient inhabitants, Caribbean amerindian, eradicted during the islands colonisation.
The current population of the island, more than 420.000 people, are made up of black and mixed races descendant from the african and indian slaves employed in the plantations following th abolishio of slvery, béké, descendants of the original French colonists, lebanese and Syrian , arrived after the 2° world war and , those who have emigrated for work in the metropolitan centres the French from continental Europe, the "metropole".

Regardless of the fact that Gaudeloupe is more or less a modern Europe centric culture, there remains a strong traditional influence that permeates daily life. The rooster fight, the historic oxe races are traditions that contiune to live on in the embrace of the people. Christmas is as extrmely important celebration to be shared amogst family, dozens of relatives, culinary specialties includingl boudin crèole, The Christmas Ham, the coconut sweets… not to mention the "petits metiers", the walking vendors of sorbets, sweets, bokit and nuts.
Superstition is also extremely alive in Gaudeloupe, with another world populated by zombies, devils and spirits. Belief as well as susperstition color everyday life, particolar attention is paid to religious rites, the up keep of the cemetries, and the presence of the dead in the afterlife.

There are two sugar refineries on the archipelago, one in Moule, on Grande-Terre, the other at Marie Galante, and several distilleries: Gaudeloupe is the land of Rum, cane plantations, harvested... rum is a vibrant part of the Antille’s culture, sustaining the rhythm of work and entertainment.

 The islands of Guadeloupe were inhabited from 4000 A.C. by populations of pre ceramic era, arrived from Venezuela; the last indigenous population the Caribi (kalinas) were extinguished - apart from a small group still found in the North of Basse Terre until the XIX century – by the colonisation of the island, in 1635.The Spainish arrived in the arheapelago of Gaudeloupe in 1493 with Christopher Colombus, who on the 3rd of Novembre landed at Marie Galante and a day later reached Gaudeloupe naming it "Sainte Marie de la Guadeloupe", from the name of a Spainish monastary. Following his return to Europe, there ensued a series of attempts to colonize the islands and their inhabitants, up until 1635, marking the officlial colonisation of Gaudeloupe by the French. The Caribi were progressivley pushed off the island of Gaudeloupe, but in 1660 an agreementg was signed between the French, English and Caribi to whom were given the islands of Dominica and Saint Vincent.
The arrival in 1654 of hundreds of Dutch, expelled from Brasil, experts in the production of sugar, signalled a new era of prosperity and the introduction of slavery. At the end fof the XVII century, the English set their sights upn the archiapelago and wigh anchor before Marie Galante and lay claim to Gaudeloupe. On this occasion they are however easily defeatedthe and removed from the islands.

In the 18° century the production of sugar boomed, from 1759 to 1763 Gaudeloupe undergoes a new English occupation, which brough the development of the bay at Pointe à Pitre and the introduction of many slaves to the islands. The production of sugar continues but after '63 the islands see the introduction of coffee.
The events of the French Revolution in 1789 reach as far as Gaudeloupe.
The islands saw "patriots" and "landed gentry" clashing; there was also a rebellion by the slaves, many whites were killed in 1793. The following year was once again, a year of the English, when once again they venture into the archieapelago only to be quickly expelled once more, this time by the new French Republic. The island was subjected to a reign of terror before order could be restored. In 1797 Gaudeloupe became a French Province. Slavery was abolished in 1794 by the Convention, but was reintroiduced in 1801 by Napoleon. Gaudeloupe from1801 to 1847 suffered the indignity to lose it status as a Frnech Province a return to the dark past. Slavery was difinitively abloished in 1848 by Layrle. The economy linked to the production of sugar commenced to deteriorate from the XIX century, many sugar habitation make way for new distilleries. In the XX century the sugar cane plantations are flanked by banana plantations, the economy continued to thrive until the outbreak of the Second World War, which saw Gaudeloupe directed by the Vichy governemnt and in the defence of the motherland.
In 1946 Gaudeloupe became an Overseas French Territory and recognised as a French Region in 1982.