ABOUT GUADELOUPE: Guadaloupe is one of the smaller Caribbean islands, and a member of the French territory. Guadeloupe is part of the Lesser Antilles, about 322km (200 miles) north of Martinique. It actually comprises two different islands, separated by a narrow seawater channel known as the Rivière Salée.Grande-Terre, the eastern island, is full of rolling hills and sugar plantations. Basse-Terre, to the west, is a rugged mountainous island, dominated by the 1,440m (4,723-ft.) volcano, La Soufrière, which is still alive and dotted with banana plantations.
To the left, Grand-Terre - a flat land of chalky fields and perfect white beaches that resemble the island's chief export: sugar. To the right - Basse-Terre, a mountainous forest region filled with volcanic peaks, waterfalls and hot springs. The city of Pointe-a-Pitre feels like the French Riviera, with skyscrapers standing alongside palm trees. On the other hand, at the Parc National on Basse-Terre the scenery is anything but man-made, including four-story waterfalls, thick, colorful flora and largely dormant volcanoes to be explored
Guadaloupe offers tourists an array of water sports, water-skiing, sailing, windsurfing and parasailing, as well as being one of the top scuba diving sites in the world, in addition to hiking, bicycling and horse riding on the beach.
PLACES TO VISIT IN GUADELOUPE
La Soufriere Volcano: Famous beach bar.
Pigeon Island Underwater Park: Offers tennis courts, three golf courses, riding stables, a race-track, and horse-racing.
The Central Market
: The Central Market in Pointe-a-Pitre
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FAST FACTS
CAPITAL: Basse-Terre
ISLAND SIZE: 560 square miles
POPULATION: 440,000
AIRPORT: Pole Cara & Imulbes International Airport
ELECTRICITY:
220 volts
CURRENCY:
French franc - U.S. dollars accepted many places.
LANGUAGE:
French; Creole spoken widely and English sparingly
COUNTRY CODE:
590
TOURIST INFORMATION Click on the links to find out more about services and activities in Guadelopue.
Office Départemental du Tourisme Contact them at 5 Square de la Banque
B.P. 422
97163 Pointe-à-Pitre
Guadeloupe, FWI
Tel: (590) 820930
Fax: (590) 838922
