Les Saintes
©
Les Saintes

Les Saintes

Small Guadeloupe archipelago where Terre-de-Haut surrounds a turquoise bay below Fort Napoléon.

Les Saintes is a small archipelago of eight islands just south of Guadeloupe, often called the most beautiful bay in the world — a claim that feels less like hyperbole once you arrive. Only two of the islands are inhabited: Terre-de-Haut and Terre-de-Bas, with Terre-de-Haut drawing most visitors.

The atmosphere is more relaxed and intimate than mainland Guadeloupe. Colourful houses line the waterfront of Terre-de-Haut's village, fishing boats bob in a turquoise bay, and Fort Napoléon sits on the hill above with panoramic views over the bay and neighbouring islands. There are no large resorts and few cars — most people get around on foot or by scooter.

The beaches are gorgeous, particularly Pompierre and Pain de Sucre, a small cove framed by a distinctive sugarloaf rock. The snorkelling is excellent right off the shore, and sea turtles are commonly spotted at Pain de Sucre. The local speciality is tourment d'amour, a coconut tart you will find in every bakery.

Guide

Eating Out

Eating well in Les Saintes means finding the right balance between the tourist restaurants on the waterfront and the smaller local places tucked into the village streets. The local speciality is tourment d'amour — a small coconut tart found in every bakery — which you should eat at least once. Seafood is consistently good; accras (salt cod fritters) and langouste (spiny lobster) are the things to order.

Guide

Getting There

Les Saintes is reached from mainland Guadeloupe, either by sea or by air.

By sea: Several daily ferries run from Trois-Rivières (about 25 minutes) and from Pointe-à-Pitre harbour (about an hour), operated by companies like Brudey Frères and L'Express des Îles. The Trois-Rivières crossing is shorter and less prone to rough seas.

By air: Small propeller planes fly from Pointe-à-Pitre airport several times a day. The landing on Terre-de-Haut's tiny airstrip, with the sea on both sides, is memorable.

Guide

Things to Do

Les Saintes — specifically Terre-de-Haut — offers a compact but excellent range of activities: swimming at beaches rated among the Caribbean's finest, snorkelling in clear water straight off the shore, hiking to the fort above the village, and simply wandering the waterfront. The island is small enough to explore on foot or by rented scooter in half a day. There are no large resorts and very few cars.

Guide

When to Go

Les Saintes has two distinct seasons: the dry season (carême) from January to June and the wet season (hivernage) from July to December. The best time to visit is January to April — the weather is warm but not oppressively hot, the sea is calm, and the trade winds keep things comfortable.

December through February is peak tourist season, when charter boats from Guadeloupe and visiting yachts crowd the small bay at Terre-de-Haut. If you want the island to yourself, go in early January before the February–March rush, or in May–June when the weather is still good but the crowds have thinned.

August and September are hurricane season — the risk is real and the weather is unpredictable. October is the rainiest month. If you must go in the wet season, February to mid-April are the driest and most pleasant months within that season.

Les Saintes is small enough that it can feel crowded when several ferries arrive from Guadeloupe simultaneously — weekday mornings are quieter than weekend afternoons.