Hike an Active Volcano and Cruise Protected Underwater Reserves on This Caribbean Gem

Let La Soufrière take you to new heights inside Guadeloupe’s 43,000-acre national park.

Picture this : breezy island vibration , crystal clear Caribbean weewee , and beautiful beach for mean solar day , plus roadside boulangeries and food market stores stocked with Gallic delicacies with like - you’re - in - France price ( read : bum than the US ) . Welcome toGuadeloupe . The Caribbean island nation is a French overseas territory , teeming with French - Creoleje ne sais quoithroughout its archipelago of six inhabited islands , the largest of which vaguely resembles the shape of a butterfly .

Desperately lust a respite from a brutal Northeast winter a few year back — and unable to get visions of advanced cheeses , saucisson , and freshly bake baguettes out of my mind — my partner and I booked flight of steps to Pointe - à - Pitre on a whim to see for ourselves what this under - the - radar Caribbean destination was all about — and to dust off our rather rudimentary , rust-brown Francais .

develop with the Sunday most days , we ’d stop at the local boulangerie for an espresso and patisserie before direct our rental car in the direction of whatever dangerous undertaking await . An absolute highlighting was the rise to the summit of La Soufrière , an active volcano tower over the 43,000 - Akko Parc National de la Guadeloupe on Basse - Terre , Guadeloupe ’s largest and most tropical island .

Steam rising from crater

Filip Fuxa/Shutterstock

But it was n’t all sweat and elevation . Getting out on the water is always a sound idea — you’re in a slice of Caribbean paradise , after all . Collectively , Guadeloupe ’s national ballpark and protect nautical domain have been recognize byUNESCO as an external biosphere reserve . Both theJacques Cousteau Underwater Reserveand theGrand Cul - de - Sac Marin Nature Reserve — a beautiful , shallow laguna constellate with small spurts of uninhabited commonwealth , bloodless sand beaches , Rhizophora mangle , and a rich coral ecosystem — are solid choice for an unforgettable afternoon at sea .

Tackling La Soufrière: Expectations, reality, and bragging rights

Making our way of life up the twirl mess road that leads to thetrailheads for La Soufrière and Carbet Falls , we happen to devolve in line with a couple of undetermined - aviation military convoy full of extremely fit , young French National Guardsmen . This , in hindsight , should have been a clear reading of what we were take ourselves into . We ’d take that the La Soufrière hike was graded “ medium , ” and pick out about four and a one-half time of day pear-shaped - trip-up . Once there , however , we quickly discovered that sections of the hike are anything but — in total , it took us closer to six minute to complete .

The guardsmen go up and down the tip trail as a part of an all - terrain fitness training regime . The “ all - terrain ” scene was no joke — at least half the track consisted of struggle up and over boulder , loose , plastered rocks , and gravel , at time at quite a steep ramp ( or downslope , if you ’re on the counter ) . Thanks to the ceaseless , swirling clouds and mist enshrouding much of the upper echelons of the volcano summit — an unexpected moody , almost spooky twist that also kept temperatures cool and prosperous — the solid ground is pretty much guaranteed to be slick and slippery . Proper hike shoes are a must , since no one wants to wind an articulatio talocruralis on holiday and still have to hobble around on it ( as was the case for one pitiful German tourer ) .

As someone with a mild concern of heights , I managed to only play one “ What the F did I get myself into ? ” moment , heart pounding as I inched along a narrow , drop - hugging stint of trail leading to the volcano ’s summit , the hazy air pouring forth with that tell apart - tale S smell . There were no guard runway or condom chemical mechanism in place , and a step out of place would surely send you tumbling to unknown distance below . But make it through this sketchy mountain pass and the feel is nothing short of victorious . Definitely do n’t skip the chance for a photo - op with the summit house — you’ve earned it , soldier .

view of water from coast

Guadeloupe Islands

Extra-volcanic activities

The second most popular boost in Parc National de la Guadeloupe is toCarbet Falls , a much flatter journeying through dense tropical forest . ( If you get an former starting and are in decent shape , you could , at least in theory , squeeze both hikes into a individual day . ) Several other waterfalls are approachable via less strenuous trek from different admission points around the park , including a .3 - mile walk to theCascade aux Écrevisses , a unforesightful divergence from the only path cutting through the Mungo Park ’s center . Along that same stretch of road , you ’ll also ascertain a few eateries and a distich of other attractive feature , including the detour - worthyGuadeloupe Zoo .

After exploring Parc National de la Guadeloupe ’s lush earth , you ’ll want to shift your focus to the park ’s enticing protected nautical domain — a daytime jaunt out on the piddle is a no - brainer when visiting Guadeloupe , as some of the land ’s most telling born landscapes can only be seen by gravy holder .

Two of the most popular options on Basse - Terre include snorkel diving and diving event in theJacques Cousteau Underwater Reservejust off the west coast , as well as day - trips into the Grand Cul - de - Sac Marin Nature Reserve , which typically depart from the marina in Saint - Rose on the island ’s northern shoring . Standout area beaches includeGrande - Anse Beachup Union — but adopting the motto “ there ’s no such affair as a bad beach ” is the better way to approach Guadeloupe ’s epic shoreline . It ’s how we found some brilliant secret gems like thisblack grit beach in Trois Rivières , which we had practically all to ourselves .

aerial view of island

Guadeloupe Islands

Where to stay Near Parc National de la Guadeloupe

Of all the islands in Guadeloupe ’s archipelago , Basse - Terre stay relatively rustic and developing — a component that is very much part of its charm . Your best choice for local accommodations are going to be private villa and bungalow rentals or independent B&Bs offering just a fistful of rooms . Those you may tail down on Airbnb , VRBO , Booking.com , Expedia , TripAdvisor , and the like . Note that to minimize visitor impact on the born bionomics , camping is not permitted inside the national commons .

A smart way to organise your Guadeloupe sojourn is to island record hop , spend a few night onGrande - Terre — known for its breathtaking beach and large concentration of coastal haunt - flair dimension , restaurants , and holidaymaker attractions — followed by a match nights a small more off - the - work over - itinerary in Basse - Terre . After , if time allows , take the ferry over to pristinely mellowIles des Saintesto bask in virtuous Caribbean bliss . After mastering that volcano , you ’ve realise it .