Guadeloupe Islands Travel Planner - (Page 6)

DIFFERENT STROKES for Diﬀerent Isles GRANDE-TERRE La Cascade aux Ecrevisses on Basse-Terre. VISIT EDU.RECOMMEND.COM/GUADELOUPE & TAKE THE BRAND-NEW GUADELOUPE ISLANDS SPECIALIST PROGRAM 6 edu.recommend.com/guadeloupe The east wing of the Guadeloupe butterﬂy—the two bridge-connected islands that account for most of this French department’s territory—Grande-Terre has more hotels than any other island in the archipelago, and its low-lying terrain makes it easy to get around. (The good roads help, too.) Much of Grande-Terre is rimmed with beaches. The windblown shores of the east coast are a big draw for surfers and kiteboarders, while the southern beaches, with their white sand and calm waters, are where most of the hotels, villas, restaurants and clubs have sprung up. Some hotel staffers, maitre d’s, and shop owners will greet guests with a Gallic “bonjour,” but most establishments on Grande-Terre have staffers who can comfortably shift over to English, as well. Many of the largest hotels, best restaurants, and hottest clubs vie for space on or near the beaches of Le Gosier, near the west end of the south shore. Ste-Anne, to the east, has quite a few hotels, shops, restaurants, and a nice market, too, but the vibe is a bit more local. Many of the people you see in the restaurants and cafes of St-François, yet farther to the east, are yachties moored in this town’s protected harbor; this is also a major stop for ferries visiting other islands. Concierges at the hotels will reserve tee times for duffers at the Golf Club International de St-François, which was designed by the great Robert Trent Jones, Sr. However, Grande-Terre is such an interesting place—and Guadeloupe’s good transportation systems offer such easy access to Basse-Terre and the other—that it would almost be a shame to spend one’s vacation chasing dimpled balls. Guadeloupe’s largest city, Pointe-à-Pitre, is on the west side of Grande-Terre, near the airport and the bridge to Grande-Terre. Visitors buy French cosmetics, fashions, and perfumes at the shops on rue Frébault; they ﬁnd ﬂattering madras-colored fashions for men and children as well as women at Dody Shop, Spice Market Square. Speaking of “spice,” Guadeloupe’s 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