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Guadeloupe, also known as the “Butterfly-island,” is one of the most popular and well known travel destinations in the Caribbean. Due to its diversified landscape and two very different sides of the country is topographically very varied.

In Guadeloupe the two distinct regions are known as “Grande-Terre” in the east and “Bass-Terre” in the west of the island. The centre of the tourist industry is located in “Grand-Terre”. This region developed as a holiday centre due to its amazing beaches, the sugar cane plantations and several colourful villages.

Thick tropical forest, a beautiful national park with wild waterfalls, warm springs and a huge volcano called “La Soufriere” can be found on the larger western part of the island. The crystal clear water surrounding the island offers a paradise like underwater world, and impressive diving tours are guaranteed.

Also due to the friendly and very welcoming nature of the locals a trip to Guadeloupe will always be a great success.

The climate in Guadeloupe is sub-tropical; therefore you can count on a reasonably constant amount of rainfall, spread over the year. Due to this, the humidity stays about a constant 80% all year, which is rather high.

In the months of July to November it can become a bit cooler due to the hurricane season; also the amount of rainfall can increase, especially in the mountain areas. The driest months are from February to April, in these months the average number of days with rainfall is only about 7. In the summer months the average temperature is usually about 32 degrees in the daytime and 20 degrees at night.

In the winter month’s temperatures only drop by approximately 3 degrees, therefore Guadeloupe is suitable for a holiday at any time of the year. In the coastal regions it’s a bit cooler due to the sea breezes.

Guadeloupe and Barbados are the two most consistent surfing areas in the East Caribbean.

There are numerous surf spots around the island which are ideal and suitable for all levels. The waves are rather small in most months but fairly consistent.

The best conditions for surfing are found in the months from October to February. The size of the surf varies in this time from 3 and 4 foot. In the months of May to August the waves are with 1-2 foot range and smaller and therefore a perfect size for beginners.

The water temperatures are warm all year long and stay at about 25-27 degrees.

Best season for beginners: March – September
Best season for advanced surfers: October – February
Crowd factor: High

Guadeloupe is connected to by several European, American and Latin American airlines. The national airline of Guadeloupe is “Air Caraibes”. Besides this airline there are several other airlines (mainly Latin American), which offer flights between the other Caribbean islands or to the Central American neighbouring countries.

From Europe you can take a flight to Guadeloupe with Air France from Paris. The international airport in Guadeloupe is the “Le Raizet Airport” located six kilometres north from “Pointe-à-Pitre“. You can also easily reach the city, by bus or taxi.

Besides the airlines you have the option to take the ferry lines (operated by “Brudey Frères“and “L´Express des Iles“) which sail three times a week from Pointe-a-Pire to the neighbouring islands of Martinique, Dominica and St. Lucia. The schedule is often changing; therefore you should make to check on departure times prior to your using the ferries.