Guadeloupe Islands Travel Planner - (Page 10)

This photo: La Soufrière. Below: Farmer on Marie-Galante. Opposite page: Forest trails and Carbet Falls (in box) on Basse-Terre. continued from page 7 BASSE-TERRE How can an island that’s literally just a few feet from low-lying Grande-Terre be so different? Basse-Terre is a cluster of upthrust mountains and volcanoes, natural hot springs, ﬂora-fabulous rainforests, birds, waterfalls, and enough micro-climates—wet, dry, tropical, semitropical, etc.—to ﬁll an encyclopedia of gardening. Much of the interior is protected within Guadeloupe National Park, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, and as if that weren’t pristine paradise enough, the Pigeon Islands area on Basse-Terre’s west coast, teeming with tropical ﬁsh and turtles and live coral, is protected as the Cousteau Reserve. It’s a terriﬁc destination for romantics, athletes and ecotourists—hikers, bird and butterﬂy watchers, canyoneers, photographers, divers and snorkelers—and families with parents who suspect that it’s better for their kids to see real ﬁsh and warblers than warbling animatronics. Visitors can get a good look at La Soufrière—a smoking, rainforest-clad volcano that’s nearly a mile VISIT EDU.RECOMMEND.COM/GUADELOUPE & TAKE THE BRAND-NEW GUADELOUPE ISLANDS SPECIALIST PROGRAM 10 edu.recommend.com/guadeloupe high (tallest point in the Eastern Antilles)—from viewing areas, or hike up to the summit on one of the many well-marked trails that weave through the national park. Elsewhere in the park, sky-high Carbet Falls gives visitors a neck ache (that’s a good thing) and/or an excuse for a hike to the top of one of the cascades. And visitors only need to walk a few feet from the parking lot to see La Cascade aux Ecrevisses, whose cool waters splash into a fern-lined, posterworthy pool that inspires some people to take pictures nonstop and others to jump into the water. Visitors have a choice of driving through and hiking the park independently or with guided tours. Diving at the Cousteau Reserve is, not surprisingly, superb, but what not everyone realizes is that the thriving ﬁsh populations in shallow water allow amateur snorkelers to see these marvels, too. What’s more, people can take kayak tours of the mangroves and reefs, and go out in glass-bottom boats as well. Another thing not everyone realizes: That over the past decade, despite the fact that Americans were more or less cut off from Guadeloupe, more hotels, villas, condos, eco-resorts and restaurants have opened on Basse-Terre, so your clients do not have to stay on Grande-Terre and drive over every day. Many of these lodgings are in Deshaies, near unspoiled Grande Anse beach on the northwest coast, but there are still more hotels (and beaches) to the south. There’s plenty for folks who aren’t athletes to do, too. The Musée du Rhum in the north does not require a whole lot of hand-eye coordination, and the butterﬂy and model ship collection might entertain Junior while Mom and Dad taste the good stuff. The Jardin Botanique de Basse-Terre has a good park for kids as well as native ﬂora (and fauna). L’Habitation la Grivelière, an agritourism must, features historic farm buildings, an up-close look at how cocoa and coffee are traditionally grown and processed, and a restaurant that serves organic produce. http://EDU.RECOMMEND.COM/GUADELOUPE http://edu.recommend.com/guadeloupe

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Guadeloupe Islands Travel Planner

10 Essential Things to See and Do
Different Strokes for Different Isles
How to Sell Guadeloupe
Step Back in Time
Events, Festivals and Fun
Fast Facts

Guadeloupe Islands Travel Planner