Karl WP Beyer Cruise ships heading for Guadeloupe dock at the port of Pointe-à-Pitre. The island's capital is also the largest city in Guadeloupe. It is the economic center of the 1.628 square kilometer main island of the French overseas department. From a bird's eye view, the island looks like a butterfly. And Pointe-à-Pitre lies on the right wing of the butterfly.
View of Pointe-à-Pitre
From the ship, passengers gain their first impressions of the city. As far as can be seen, the cityscape is dominated by multi-story buildings—some of which have been renovated in recent years. High-rise buildings rise some distance from the pier. These, too, have been renovated in recent years and actually enhance the cityscape.
Pointe-à-Pitre - high-rise buildings
Guadeloupe in general
Let's turn to the butterfly again: Its two wings, Basse-Terre (in the west) and Grande-Terre (in the east), are separated from each other by the Rivière Salée, a narrow sea arm. Basse-Terre is of volcanic origin with remarkably high mountains in the interior. Grande-Terre, on the other hand, is based on limestone. This part of the island is relatively flat. Basse-Terre stands for nature experiences. Grande-Terre is the center of agriculture and tourism.
Guadeloupe - landscape in front of the Cascade aux Écrevisses
Guadeloupe - Grande-Terre - plantation economy
Cruise tourists usually only stay at a destination for one day. In the case of a destination as diverse as Guadeloupe, that's a real shame. France's overseas department is not just suitable for swimming and sunbathing, the island has several interesting excursion destinations. These destinations are waiting to be discovered. As often before, we didn't book any of the tours offered by the cruise ship. Our agenda includes the Parc National de la Guadeloupe in the morning and Pointe-à-Pitre in the afternoon.
Guadeloupe National Park
We trust the travel agents and taxi drivers waiting at the pier. The Cascade aux Écrevisses, a waterfall with a small lake for swimming, beckons us. A taxi is quickly found. The destination is discussed and then we set off. Around 30 minutes later we reach our destination, the car is parked and a time for the return journey is set.
Pointe-à-Pitre - waiting taxis
A short, excellently designed path leads from the large car park to the actual destination. It is designed so that both wheelchair users and children can use it easily. The path leads past trees and plants that are unknown to us. Fifteen minutes later we are at the lake and the waterfall.
Guadeloupe - Path to the Cascade aux Écrevisses
Guadeloupe - Cascade aux Ecrevisses
We have certain expectations of waterfalls. The Cascade aux Écrevisses falls far short of these expectations in terms of the height of the falls. The visitors and some bathers, however, enjoy themselves. However, that does not apply to us. While the mix of water and botany is perfect, we still believe that this excursion is worth skipping. The waterfall is not worth the fare. It would have been better to explore the rocky coast of Grande-Terre or the beaches of Sainte-Anne.
Guadeloupe - Grande-Terre - Sainte-Anne beach
Somewhat disappointed, we return to the ship to explore Pointe-à-Pitre.
Pointe-à-Pitre
The small, well-designed Terminal Croisières is not too far from the historic center. We walk along the straight Rue Achille René Boisneuf towards the city center. Many of the houses along the way look dilapidated and show the ravages of time. There is a considerable need for renovation here. It is a fact that Pointe-à-Pitre cannot compare with Fort-de-France. Martinique stand.
At the end of the path, Rue Boisneuf comes to a dock where smaller boats dock. Here is the open market hall of the Marché Darse. In front of it, right on the quay, are the fishmongers' stalls. When they gut the catch of the day, they conveniently dispose of the fish's innards in the dock. Much to the delight of the frigate birds circling above the harbor, which pounce on this easy prey. Up close, we finally see how big these wonderful flyers are and what unsightly birds they actually are. But what does ugly mean here? Beauty is always up for debate.
Opposite the harbor is the large, round Place de la Victoire, adorned with several monuments. At the edge of the square, sprawling trees provide shade. The street cafés under the trees invite you to have a drink.
From the Place de la Victoire it is only a short walk to the Basilica of St Pierre et St Paul in the Rue de l'Église. The church is popularly known as a "cathedral" without being consecrated as such. After an earthquake in the middle of the 19th century, the bright church was given an iron skeleton in the interior to protect it from further earthquakes and hurricanes. So far, it has helped. Opposite the church stands the futuristic-looking Palais de Justice.
The Musée Schoelcher is also worth a visit. It is dedicated to Victor Schoelcher, who became a fighter against slavery in the mid-19th century after staying in Cuba and other places.
Pointe-à-Pitre - Musée Schoelcher
Another destination not to be missed is the open-air market hall of the Marché aux Épices, the spice market, located in the historic quarter. Afterwards, you return to the ship via Rue Schoelcher.
Two alternative destinations
Admittedly, we expected more from Pointe-à-Pitre. Nevertheless, as a first-time visitor, you shouldn't shy away from a tour of the historic center. However, if you don't like the Cascade aux Écrevisses and the national park that surrounds it, we recommend two alternative destinations that are worth visiting on a tour of Grande-Terre. One is the Cimetière de Morne-À-l'Eau in the town of the same name, 15 kilometers northeast of Pointe-à-Pitre, and the other is impressions of the rocky east coast.
Cimetière de Morne-À-l'Eau
Morne-À-l'Eau is a municipality on Grande-Terre. The most impressive thing that the small town has to offer is its cemetery. A walk through the cemetery is a good idea, as it looks completely different from our local cemeteries. This final resting place reminds us a little of the cemetery in a prestigious residential area of Buenos Aires. Recoleta CemeteryMany of the graves there have been declared national historical monuments. Although a direct comparison is not possible, a visit is still recommended.
rocky coast of Grande-Terre
Back to nature: Guadeloupe offers not only lush rainforests on Basse-Terre, but also plantations, enchanting beaches and mighty rock formations on the coast of Grande-Terre.
Guadeloupe - Plantation on Grande-Terre
The cemetery and the rocky coast can be explored in a few hours on an individual excursion by taxi. There is still enough time for a tour of Pointe-à-Pitre.
Guadeloupe - Rocky coast on Grande-Terre
Guadeloupe - Rocky coast on Grande-Terre
Guadeloupe – our conclusion
As mentioned under Pointe-à-Pitre attractions, Guadeloupe is not packed with attractions. Nevertheless, we enjoyed our one-day stay on the island. It is worthwhile getting to know the island through two such different excursions. Even if the impressions we gained did not seem spectacular, we would not want to miss them.
Update June 2025