Karl WP Beyer Passengers who disembark from their ship in Pointe-à-Pitre, Guadeloupe, during a cruise will be setting foot on the soil of a French overseas department and at the same time visiting a Caribbean outpost of the European Union.
Guadeloupe - the first impression
Guadeloupe – Facts and Figures
Guadeloupe is part of the Lesser Antilles group. The archipelago lies between the islands of Montserrat and Antigua in the north and Dominica in the south. Several inhabited and some uninhabited islands make up the department of Guadeloupe. When people talk about Guadeloupe, they mean the 1.628 square kilometer main island, which resembles a butterfly from a bird's eye view. According to preliminary estimates for 2024, the total population is approximately 380.000 (source: City Population).
Guadeloupe essentially consists of two islands: Basse-Terre and Grande-Terre.
Basse Terre
The western part of the butterfly wing is mountainous, covered by tropical rainforest and dominated by the 1.467-meter-high, active volcano La Soufrière. Basse-Terre is less densely populated than Grande-Terre. Due to its geographical conditions, the area is very rainy. Tropical forests dominate the landscape. Its trademarks are the 17.300-hectare national park, waterfalls, hot springs and beaches with black sand.
Grande Terre
Grande-Terre, the eastern butterfly wing, is built on limestone and is relatively flat and dry compared to the neighboring island and has large sugar cane fields. The tourist centers are Le Gosier and Sainte-Anne. Here guests will find most of the white sandy beaches and tourist infrastructure.
Guadeloupe - Grande Terre -Sainte-Anne beach section
The narrow Rivière Salée strait separates the main islands from each other. The Guadeloupe department also includes the islands of Marie-Galante, Les Saintes and La Désirade.
Guadeloupe's history in brief
The history of Guadeloupe is quickly told. None other than Christopher Columbus discovered the main islands in 1493. He dedicated the area to "Our Lady of Guadeloupe". Several attempts by Spanish troops and settlers to gain a foothold on Guadeloupe were blocked by the Caribs living there. From 1635 onwards, Guadeloupe was colonized by private French entrepreneurs. Finally, in 1674, the colony became the property of the French crown. Three British attempts to take over Guadeloupe failed after a few years. The butterfly island remained in French possession. The side effect of colonization was the use of slaves. According to estimates, at least 200.000 slave workers were brought to Guadeloupe. Slavery only ended in 1848.
Guadeloupe - Anti-Slavery Memorial
Guadeloupe lost its status as a colony in 1946. From then on, the region functions as a French overseas department. A referendum held in 2003 on granting autonomy failed. Almost three quarters of the electorate decided to retain the status of an overseas department. The island has an elected regional governmentg, which is responsible for certain areas such as education, infrastructure and economic development. It sends four delegates to the French National Assembly and three senators to the upper house.
culture and cuisine
As a French overseas territory, Guadeloupe is strongly influenced by French culture. There are also African and Creole influences. This is particularly evident in the music (Zouk dance style and music, Gwo Ka hand drums) and the cuisine, which includes fresh seafood, exotic spices and tropical fruits.
Guadeloupe's economic situation
The economy of Guadeloupe is heavily dependent on the mother country. The main economic sectors are tourism, agriculture and services.
Tourism
One of Guadeloupe's main sources of income is tourism. In 2017, around 650.000 tourists visited the island. More recent figures are not available. It is likely that more than 900.000 visitors come annually. Many guests arrive on cruise ships. The beaches, national parks and cultural attractions attract tourists from France and Europe in particular. The French government promotes tourism in many ways.
Guadeloupe - Ecrevisses Waterfall
Agriculture
Traditionally, the cultivation of coffee, bananas and sugar cane has been important. However, the Export of bananas has suffered from competition from Latin America in recent years. The island is also known for another agricultural product: the high-quality and fruity Rhum agricole, which is known among connoisseurs as a sought-after export product.
Guadeloupe - Banana plantation
Services
Guadeloupe's economic performance is considered weak. As a result of the extremely high unemployment rate of 20 percent, the purchasing power index of the Antillean island is significantly below comparable European values. Young people in particular suffer from unemployment. - A significant employer is the public sector, with schools, health care and administration.
The largest city, administrative center and economic center is Pointe-à-Pitre. The city is located on Grande-Terre, the right butterfly wing, on the connecting line to Basse-Terre. The population of the Pointe-à-Pitre agglomeration was estimated at around 2022 at the beginning of 252.000.
Guadeloupe - Pointe-à-Pitre - Committee of Tourism
Guadeloupe – Destination of the cruise ships
A maximum of two large cruise ships can dock at the Saint-John Perse Cruise Terminal in the port of Pointe-à-Pitre at the same time. From there, passengers can easily reach the center of downtown Pointe-à-Pitre within 15 minutes on foot.
Guadeloupe - Pointe-à-Pitre - Quartier Historique
The city's name comes from the pier of a fisherman named Peter, who settled there in the 17th century. Pointe à Peter became Pointe-à-Pitre over time. We report on what you can see and experience during a day's stay in Port Caraȋbes at Guadeloupe Attractions and A day in GuadeloupeIt goes without saying that the euro is the official currency.
Update February 2025