Top Things to do in Basse-Terre Island
Top Restaurants in Basse-Terre Island
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Top 10 Things to do in Basse-Terre Island, Guadeloupe
Discover the best top things to do in Basse-Terre Island, Guadeloupe including Les Bieres de la Lezarde, Plage de la Perle, Jardin Botanique de Deshaies, Vanibel, La Soufriere Volcano, Plage de Grande Anse, Plage Leroux, Carbet Falls, Domaine de l'Habitation la Griveliere, Parc des Mamelles, le Zoo de Guadeloupe.
Restaurants in Basse-Terre Island
1. Les Bieres de la Lezarde
Overall Ratings
5 based on 214 reviews
Brewery on the banks of the River Lézarde, Vernou, Petit-Bourg, Guadeloupe. You will discover the artisanal manufacturing site of the famous beer Lézarde, only craft beer of the island. Here you will find beers, ofcourse, but also snacks, soft drinks ... to enjoy on the Terrace in the heart of the rainforest. Free WIFI.
Reviewed By marcomH38BP - Ottawa, Canada
Went to Guadeloupe for the first time in March 2017. I was looking for a location with a waterfall where there was no group excursion and tourist did know about. After making a search on google I found this place "saut de le lezarde" that looked pretty interesting. Drove to the location but got lost on the way but ended up at a brewery "bière de la lézarde". Decided to go in for a beer and ask for some directions. Got in the backyard and wow the scenery was amazing. Patio like, two or three levels going down a hill in the forest and the view was just unreal. Lots of deferent beers to choose from and the staff are really friendly. I had a beer and some directions to the falls and had a day to remember. The place might be a bit hard to find but a most see!!!
P.s. Check out my video of the falls on YouTube
Or type in "just another day Guadeloupe saut de la lézarde"
Enjoy
2. Plage de la Perle
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 584 reviews
Reviewed By Katie F - Washington DC, District of Columbia
We loved la Perle. We had seen this beach many times on the "Death in Paradise" series from the BBC. This is where the detective's house is located on the TV series, so of course we had to check it out. It's another of the lovely Beaches along Basse Terre's northwest coast that has a wild, natural look, offers good eats at the little cafes, and doesn't look crowded even when parking is tight. I suspect the weekends and tour times may be different, but we went on a week day and that seems to be the best time to enjoy these lovely Beaches.
3. Jardin Botanique de Deshaies
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 3 reviews
A Spectacular Botanical Garden and Wildlife Park Open to the public since the 1st April 2001, the Botanical Gardens at Deshaies are a recent creation. This park, whose youth is imperceptible, has very quickly imposed itself as the place to be for nature enthusiasts and lovers of tropical plants. Situated on the windward coast of Basse-Terre, 100m in altitude up above the town of Deshaies, the garden stretches out over 5 hectares of sloping mountainside. Its favourable location guarantees beautiful views over the coast and an unrivalled vantage-point overlooking the bay of Deshaies. The site was already home to a nursery created by Guy Blandin, a plant-lover who brought rare and unknown plant species from his travels around the world back to Guadeloupe. Many of them unfortunately disappeared when Cyclone Hugo hit and severely damaged the island in 1989. The humorist Michel Colluci, also known as Coluche, acquired the property in 1979. A few years later, in 1985, he invited his friend Michel Gaillard, an interior landscaper in Mainland France, to set up his nursery there in exchange for taking care of the property's garden. A year later, the death of Coluche brought the future of the property back into question. Michel Gaillard bought back the property in 1991 to honour the memory of his friend, with the idea in mind of creating a botanical garden. This risky and ambitious project required several years of planning, of research into its feasibility and then of execution. The garden was finally brought about in accordance with Michel Gaillard's and the landscaper Samuel Craquelin's plans. Over the course of the path which snakes its way through the Gardens, visitors today discover a world of real abundance: a world with 800 species of plant all brought together, with several animal species, which were introduced much to the delight of children, and with the most spectacular and unexpected landscapes following one after the other. Tourists are invited on an unforgettable walk amidst fifteen or so different scenes.
Reviewed By Anne S - Guernsey, United Kingdom
Yes, the Gardens were as good as we remembered them to be when we first visited them ten years previously on our first holiday in Guadeloupe!
I am a keen gardener so visiting the Jardin Botanique at Deshaies was a joy. They were much as I remembered from our first visit but I thought there were less plants in flower this time. However it's still a lovely experience and beautifully laid out in different plant zones, such as tropical, arid, palms etc. The water features are also spectacular and the colourful parrots are a great attraction, especially for children who love to feed them with the special food you can purchase. The flamingos add an exotic note.
We had a snack at the café and afterwards when looking over the Terrace at the sea view below I was lucky enough to spot a humming bird on a bush which just made my day.
Most people come by car or tour bus, often from a cruise ship. However we didn't have a car so took a bus from the Habitation Grande Anse where we were staying to Deshaies and then made use of the free shuttle bus that takes people to the Gardens. You can call them on the number advertised on their website but it is not very well advertised unfortunately - or ask your hotel.
4. Vanibel
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 227 reviews
Reviewed By GourmandeSuomi - Helsinki, Finland
We didn't know much about coffee and thought being in Guadeloupe, visiting Vanibel would be a great opportunity to learn more about a beverage we dearly love! And that's right!
Our guide explained us everything about coffee growing and processing, the different varieties found on the shelves of our grocerie stores. But that's not all! He also explained us the delicate process of growing vanilia.
It was a great visit that ended by a delicious cup of coffee with the best bananas we've ever tasted!
Last but not least, it's easily accessible, meaning the road is good and not scary, unlike other coffee properties...
5. La Soufriere Volcano
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 739 reviews
The highest mountain in the lesser Antilles is also a volcano and an important landmark of Guadeloupe's landscape.
Reviewed By Madalyn H - Huddersfield, United Kingdom
We did the full circuit around the volcano rather than the summit route. Interesting vegetation zones and more rugged once past the turn-off for the ascent. Paths wet, but in good condition and easy to follow. Not all paths in the area have been reopened post Hurricane Maria, so some care is needed when planning routes. Walking boots and waterproofs advised.
6. Plage de Grande Anse
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1 reviews
Reviewed By Anne S - Guernsey, United Kingdom
We stayed at the Habitation Grande Anse so this beach was about ten minutes walk away. It is a stunning crescent shaped beach framed by trees - everyone's idea of a perfect Caribbean beach!
However I was somewhat taken aback the first time I went to Grande Anse beach to be confronted by a large notice (in french of course) warning that swimming was dangerous and the beach was unsupervised. On reaching the sea I quickly appreciated the reason for this. The beach shelves steeply and big breakers were crashing on the shore leaving a strong undertow in their wake. However quite a few people were swimming so I timed it carefully and ventured in, swimming out quickly to beyond the breaking waves where it was calmer. Unfortunately snorkelling was out of the question because the water was obviously quite churned up and not clear.
During the six days we were there it continued to be very windy and in fact the waves got bigger still and I saw hardly no-one swimming - only a few children who were fearlessly jumping over the waves in their body boards and then Surfing in. It looked great fun but not for the faint hearted and most certainly highly dangerous for most of us!
Walking along the beach is enjoyable and there is a path that you can take all the way into Deshaies I believe. However this would take quite a time and it was too hot for me to attempt.
Another disadvantage is that although there were several restaurants and cafés back from the beach beneath the trees near the car park, they only served set meals at lunch time. We only wanted a snack and there was only one shack serving sandwiches with a very long wait!
7. Plage Leroux
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 268 reviews
Reviewed By traveler128 - Philadelphia
We really liked this beach. It should come as no surprise I guess, but it is bigger than Pettie Anse which is just about one kilometer south, and smaller than Grande Anse, which is on the other side of Deshaies, to the North. We had a rental house very close by, so several morning I would walk down to the beach to check it out. It was quiet in the morning with a few people going for early morning swims or walks on the beach. My family also spent a day here. Most people try to grab some shade from the palm trees at the top of the beach. We went snorkeling on the left side of the beach. That was very nice. The snorkeling down the road at Petite Anse was a little better. If you are nearby and have time I would check out both Beaches. We had lunch at the restaurant just up the hill at the top of the parking lot, Au Bon Accueil. The food was decent, but the service was very, very slow.
8. Carbet Falls
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 175 reviews
Reviewed By skyisblu - Montreal, Canada
The site is very well constructed, with room for bus parking(amazing, given the climb on the access road, and we followed a giant tour bus all the way up!), and wheelchair access right up until the main viewing platform. At this point, the trail breaks away, though is still very well paved and easy to walk, to descend into the valley, where the viewpoint of the second waterfall is located. However, due to torrential rains and the 2004 earthquake, the viewing platform has become unstable, and is no longer accessible. Therefore, you can really only see the falls by straining to look around the corner of the forest. If you are more physically capable, best continue on to the first falls, where you will be rewarded with the best views, which is what we did.
At first, the hike is quite easy, with smalls climbs up rocks, or slopes, the trail gradually getting narrower. We crossed a few run-off streams, which makes sense since we were following the source uphill, and sometime a river overruns its banks. The trail got progressively steeper and steeper, turning into well-built stairs at one point which begs the question: who is in charge of the construction of said stairs, and how do they get the materials all the way up there?! This section of the climb lasted at least 30 minutes, and though efforts were maybe to line the stairs with wire mesh to prevent slipping, there are still some slick areas, as well as broken mesh which you can catch yourself in. Don't lose your concentration!
Once we crested the stairs, we began to descend towards the riverbed, to follow the falls to their source. This section was a lot more challenging, with the rocks being wet or muddy, and very steep. Some places had well-secured ropes to help us out.
Upon arriving at the falls, we were met with a variety of nice, flat spots where we could sit down and have lunch, relax and enjoy the view of the falls. It is quite high up in elevation, so even on a sunny day, we found ourselves in a fog-like mist. Packing a small windbreaker or sweater is recommended, along with food and plenty of water. Don't forget to bring everything back with you, too, as it is a protected National Park.
Back at the bottom, the brand-new welcome center offers excellent views from its roof deck of the valley below, and the outdoor washrooms are clean and very welcome for washing off the mud from the climb. All in all, this place offers falls for all levels of tourist, regardless of how capable you are. Definitely a place for anyone to visit and enjoy!
9. Domaine de l'Habitation la Griveliere
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 445 reviews
Reviewed By Kiara S - Mississauga, Ontario, Canada
It's a risky drive out of the way on a very treacherous road (not just my opinion, road signs reiterate this often - very steep, mostly single lane road, you need to honk your horn as you turn the corner, you'll be honking a lot!). The tours are only on the hour, so depending when you arrive you may have a long wait (we did). The tour is only in French, so if you aren't fluent, don't even consider it. The group we were is was far too large - couldn't hear the woman and the repetition made it drag on much longer than necessary. The group should be 7-8 people maximum, in my opinion. There was some interesting commentary, and we saw a lot of different trees - coffee, cocoa, banana, bread fruit, coconut, cinnamon, vanilla . . . I certainly gained a greater appreciation for how difficult these are to grow, harvest and prepare for consumption. Still, the presentation was long and kind of dry, and we left before it was over (about 75 minutes into the tour). One more thing, you have to back track when you leave, so be prepared for another white-knuckle drive, or, just skip it all together and go to the beach or see a waterfall.
10. Parc des Mamelles, le Zoo de Guadeloupe
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1 reviews
Reviewed By Fbroz - League City, Texas
I so loved visiting this zoo. So much fun walking through the trees on the suspension pathways. Fresh air. Nice walk all around to see the animals. Shaded for most part. Benches to rest. Would definitely be back to walk the suspension again. Nice gift shop with refreshing ice cream. Not much English but very enjoyable and a must stop.
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