Terre-de-Haut
Guadeloupe · Les Saintes · 20 m
Description
Terre-de-Haut is the inhabited island of Les Saintes, reached by ferry in under an hour, and its harbour is regularly called one of the most beautiful bays in the world. The soil was too dry for sugar, so no plantations were built and the population descends from Breton and Norman fishermen rather than from enslaved Africans, which shows in the boats, the faces and the food. Fort Napoléon stands above the town with a cactus garden and iguanas on the walls. Cars are barely used and scooters do everything. Terre-de-Bas next door has almost no tourism at all.
Length of stay
Recommended length of stay: 2 to 7 days (optimal 4 days)
Travel season
Best time to visit: December – April
- Jan
- Feb
- Mar
- Apr
- May
- Jun
- Jul
- Aug
- Sep
- Oct
- Nov
- Dec
Highlights
- Baie des Saintes and the harbour front
- Fort Napoléon and its cactus garden
- Plage de Pompierre
- Ferry crossing from Trois-Rivières or Pointe-à-Pitre
- Tourment d'amour pastries from the harbour sellers
- Le Chameau summit walk
- Anse Crawen and Anse Rodrigue
- Saintois fishing boats in the bay
- Snorkelling at Pain de Sucre
- Iguanas on the fort walls
- Scooter loop around the island
Getting there
- Seaport:
- Reachable by ship or ferry