Activities in Les Saintes with Loisirs Aux Saintes

Having lived in Guadeloupe for just over three years now, and more specifically on the southern part of the island of Basse-Terre, we are fortunate to have easy access to the archipelago of Les Saintes, located off the coast of the municipality of Trois-Rivières. In a recent article, I shared with you our thoughts on a wonderful boat trip with Mawaly Excursion to the archipelago of Les Saintes.

Indeed, between Christmas and New Year, we had the opportunity to spend a long weekend in this archipelago that we adore. Once again, thanks to a partnership between Manawa and, this time, Loisirs aux Saintes, we were lucky enough to discover several activities on offer. We were able to try assisted paddling, transparent kayaking and even sea bobbing, a fun activity that the whole family enjoyed, even little Téo.

As we always make clear, we are writing this article of our own free will and have complete control over our words and opinions. We have not been paid to write this article.

So, without further ado, let me tell you about our experiences with Loisirs aux Saintes in Les Saintes.

To make sure you don’t miss anything, check out our detailed Les Saintes itinerary before you go.

If you’re considering other activities in Guadeloupe, we loved paddle boarding in the mangroves (Morne-à-L’Eau) and of course the microlight flight over Pointe des Châteaux and Désirade.

If you’re looking for something different to do during your stay, we’ve got the best things to do in Guadeloupe for you!

We’d heard of Loisirs aux Saintes, but I have to admit we’d never taken the time to visit and find out about all the activities on offer. The day before, as we wandered around the town centre, we stopped to say hello to Olivier at the company’s recently installed base. I’ll tell you more about it below, but you should know that Loisirs aux Saintes now has two watersports bases, the first at the Hotel Bois Joli and the second right in the town centre, between Chez Rodolphe and Ti Kaz’là.

After the very nice boat trip with Mawaly Excursion (link at the top of this article), we took our little car to the Hôtel Bois Joli, on the other side of the island, to try our first activity of the afternoon, the seabob. I’d only seen photos of it and heard vaguely about it, but neither Mélanie nor I had ever tried it.

We got to know the place on the spot. Loisirs aux Saintes is at the end of the beach at the Bois Joli hotel. As a little anecdote, we spent three days at this hotel during our first stay on the island of Terre-de-Haut and really liked it. The location is really nice: the hotel has a swimming pool and, what’s more, you have a beautiful beach right in front of it. So if you’re looking for a quiet place, without the crowds of tourists that sometimes crowd the city centre, this is a very good place to stay, and we’d recommend it.

Anyway, back to the point. As I said, the nautical base is at the end of the beach. The scenery is really beautiful on this early afternoon, with beautiful colours on the lagoon and a rather calm sea, which is perfect for this activity.

We meet Sara, who has lived on the island of Terre-de-Haut for ten years and used to own a former restaurant that has now closed (shame). She tells us all about the Seabob. Because, let’s face it, we’re complete beginners. To sum up the machine in two minutes, it’s a sort of mini jet ski on which you lie with your arms outstretched. It allows you to stay on the surface of the water as well as to dive underwater and observe the seabed. Of course, it all depends on your freediving ability, but if you’re comfortable with it, it’s a real treat.

We had booked two Seabobs to try it all out. Sara explains that there are four manual speeds that can be selected by simply pressing a small trigger on the handlebars. Since we’re two kids, we decide to take turns trying it out. I go first to familiarise myself with the machine. I must say that I’m particularly surprised by its power. At a speed of 1 or 2, it moves very smoothly, almost allowing you to observe the landscape at a leisurely pace. But as soon as you get up to three or four, it really picks up speed and power and feels great. The first time I tried diving underwater wasn’t exactly a success, as you really had to initiate a forward movement, as if you wanted to dive headfirst into the sea, like a duck in a way.

But after a few tries you get the hang of it, and once you’re underwater I’m amazed at the power with which the machine propels you at lightning speed. It’s great for the sensations and, above all, it allows you to stay underwater for a good ten seconds or so to observe the corals and tropical fish in the area. When I was younger (he says he’s in his 40s now) I could probably have done a lot longer, but I find I get tired quite quickly. Sara had also explained to us that you can’t go deeper than 2.5 metres with the machine, which, between you and me, isn’t too bad and allows you to get close to many wonders. All this in the knowledge that, even under water, you have to manage the power of the machine that propels you forward, and that you have to learn to control it. Turning is a bit like riding a motorcycle: you have to lean to the side to vary your trajectory.

In short, it’s a great feeling and after a few minutes I go back to the beach to pick up Louis. Sara explains that they can’t do this activity alone at his age, as it’s too powerful and they wouldn’t be able to master it… We spend about 15 to 20 minutes with Louis, having a great time like two kids. To be honest, he’s having the time of his life and even told me it was his favourite part of the weekend. On the other hand, I have to admit that dragging a 25kg child on your back and trying to dive with him is another story, haha.

Téo then wanted to go up with me to try it, but he was much less confident. As long as I went slowly it was OK, but when we went faster it was a bit of a drama. But that was before the arrival of the super mum. Mélanie then took over, first on her own to help herself, as I had done a little earlier… Then she put Téo on her back and, as if by magic, he was no longer afraid. It just goes to show that the power of mothers is amazing.

Like us, they spent 20 minutes exploring the bay. Théo quickly got the hang of it and even asked Mélanie to dive in. Worst of all, he managed to go under water with Mélanie for a few seconds on several occasions, whereas only a few months ago he couldn’t even swim. It just goes to show that we are all evolving.

We had a 9am appointment on Sunday morning to try out the transparent kayak, which promised to be great given the colour of the water and the local seabed. Although the weather was fine, when we arrived at the beach of the Bois Joli hotel, as we had the day before, we quickly realised that there was a big swell and that it was going to be very complicated. All the more so as we were due to paddle immediately afterwards.

We had a chat with Sacha, another person who alternates with Sara in leading the activities. Everyone was reluctant to let us go out with a transparent kayak for the two little ones, especially with the swell like this. In the end we decided to take the plunge and all four of us set off in two clear kayaks. For once, I wasn’t in the same kayak as Mélanie. So we won’t argue. I go with Louis and Mélanie with Téo.

It turned out to be less complicated than I’d imagined, despite the swell. Admittedly, the start is a bit rough with the waves hitting us head on, but in the end it goes quite well and Louis helps me as best he can with the strength of a nine-year-old. We paddle out to the beach at Pain de Sucre. The swell quickly calms down once we are sheltered by this magnificent rock. Once you’ve reached Pain de Sucre, it’s great fun because the water is beautiful and you can see the underwater world with its corals, colourful sponges and tropical fish. It could have been even better if the weather had been a bit better and the swell a bit less, but we’re still having a great time. The four of us are a family, having a good time, and that’s what it’s all about.

After an hour of kayaking, we made our way back to the hotel beach from where we’d set off, pushed by the current and the swell, without too much difficulty.

As I said, we were supposed to do some assisted paddling, but the sea was too rough to do it right away, so on Sacha’s advice we ended up having a bite to eat and came back at 2pm to see if the swell had calmed down. PS: It did, and the afternoon looked much better.

We return around 2pm, having had lunch at the seaside restaurant Les Balançoires. We’d been there on our last trip to Les Saintes. I must admit, it’s always a pleasure to return to this restaurant. To tell you the truth, it’s a really nice place, right on the edge of a small beach with turquoise water. Reservations are essential as the restaurant fills up quickly. The big speciality at lunchtime are the excellent burgers. Everyone enjoys the two hours they’re there. We recommend it 100%.

Anyway, we’re back at the Hotel Bois Joli in Les Saintes with full bellies and smiles on our faces. As if by a miracle, the swell had died down a little, making the conditions easier to paddle. Our paddling experience hasn’t been anything special either, basically limited to a paddle across the mangrove swamp at Morne à l’Eau. We’d had the opportunity to try this activity, again in partnership with Manawa, and it was truly extraordinary: to be able to move around quietly, without a motor, in a magnificent environment, all with a guide, really appealed to us.

Today it’s a bit different in the sense that you’re paddling on the open sea and there’s still a minimum of swell and wind. It’s also assisted paddling, something we’ve never tried before. Sacha and Olivier explain in detail how it works. In fact, it’s a fairly conventional paddle to start with, but thanks to a small built-in motor, you can move forward on your own if you want. It’s not compulsory, though, and if you’re looking to build up your muscles, it’s probably best not to, ha ha. The small motor is activated from the paddle by simply pressing a button. It looks quite simple.

With Sacha’s help, the four of us set off from the beach in the early afternoon for an hour’s paddle around the bay and down to Sugarloaf Beach. To be clear, I’m the least comfortable of the two on the paddle and several times I almost slip and fall on poor Téo, haha. Because yes, as we’re going with our two children, each adult takes a child on the paddle. It’s not a problem in itself, but you have to keep your balance, and that’s not my strong point, especially on the open sea with a swell that’s shaking everything up.

Eventually I worked up the courage to steady myself despite the swell. I tried the assisted position by pushing down on the paddle. It’s a lot of fun because the boat is moving quite fast, even with the swell. Téo was not at all reassured and quickly asked me to come back. Louis and Mélanie were fine, so there’s nothing to worry about. They spent half an hour at Pain de Sucre enjoying themselves, while I calmly returned to the beach with Téo, who was too scared to balance on the board in the open sea. Anyway, I had a great time.

I’ve come to the end of our experience with Loisirs aux Saintes. To be honest, we had a great time and the fact that we could try so many activities was really nice. As far as I know, it’s the only place on the island of Terre-de-Haut where you can do all these activities in one place, and if you’re more into sea activities, there’s plenty to choose from. There’s even a paddle with a bike system on it, so you can pedal out to sea to keep it moving. We didn’t have time to try it, but it must be pretty cool.

All the staff made us feel very welcome and were very accommodating given the weather and other constraints. So we recommend Loisirs aux Saintes 100% with our eyes closed.

We also wanted to let you know about Loisirs aux Saintes. We’ve known about them for some time, but only by name, and we were lucky enough to get to know them on the spot during this long weekend.

The first thing you need to know is that they’ve opened a second base right in the centre of town, less than five minutes’ walk from the pier where you arrive by boat. The fact that they were initially only based at the Hôtel Bois Joli, which is at the other end of the island, sometimes made things difficult for people who only came for the day and had no means of transport. Having a closer base within walking distance of the jetty makes things much easier and means you can even come for the day and enjoy an hour’s paddling or an hour’s assisted kayaking, for example.

We visited both bases and both have a certain charm. The one in the centre of town is brand new, so it’s still a work in progress, but you’re at the foot of a small beach with turquoise water and you can kayak, paddle, etc. directly from the base.

You should also know that there are many activities that you can do directly with them. They offer different types of activities and, above all, different packages to choose from, depending on what you want to do.

At Manawa you can book:

• Transparent kayaking (1 or 2 hours)
• Stand-up paddle (with assistance, 1 hour / 2 hours / half day) or step paddle (the pedal type, which we didn’t get to try, but it looked really cool)
• Seabob (25 or 50 minute sessions)

But above all, if you’d like to try a few different water sports, I think the Discovery Packs are really worth it.

There are:

• 2 hours: 1 hour of kayaking, 30 minutes of assisted paddling and 30 minutes of step paddling
• 3 hours: 1 hour kayaking, 1 hour assisted paddling and 1 hour step-paddling
• Day trip: morning electric bike tour (allowing you to explore the island) followed by 3 hours of activities in the afternoon

At the same time, as mentioned above, you can also:

• Rent a Donut Boat (small or large) for half a day or a full day: ideal for spending the day with friends or family, with a barbecue in the middle of the boat to make your own food. If you don’t want to go shopping, you can reserve a barbecue meal and drinks on the spot!
• Hire electric bikes: this is the ideal way for one or two people to explore the island on their own, without breaking the bank and in an environmentally friendly way.

You’ll also find several types of day packages, with or without meals, and even packages that include a night at the Hôtel Bois Joli.

As usual, a few words on the practical side.

I’m not going to repeat everything I wrote in my article on the island of Terre-de-Haut, as it’s all well explained there, but here’s a quick summary.

Well, obviously you’ve got to go to Guadeloupe! By the way, if you’re looking for a rental car for your stay in Guadeloupe, we recommend you compare prices on Discover Cars, which offers excellent rates by comparing several rental companies on the island.

To get to Terre-de-Haut, you’ll need to take a boat (it’s an island after all, right? Haha). The main routes are from Pointe-à-Pitre (about an hour crossing with Express des îles or Val’Ferry for about 35 to 40 € return), from Basse-Terre with CTM Deher (less frequent crossings, book directly on site or at the tourist office) and above all from the port of Trois-Rivières (in Basse-Terre), which is the fastest option (20 to 30 minutes) thanks to Val’Ferry, CTM Deher or Beatrix.

In Pointe-à-Pitre, the boat departs from the Bergevin ferry terminal, where there is free parking (often full) and a secure paid car park nearby. In Trois-Rivières, some companies offer paid parking (€5/day), with rates varying between €22 and €30 depending on the season and special offers. Be sure to check the websites or contact the companies for updated schedules and possible offers.

As with the previous paragraph, I won’t go into too much detail here as I’ve just completed a full article on where to stay in Les Saintes. To cut a long story short, if you decide to stay in Terre-de-Haut, you generally have two options:

• Sleep in areas outside the town, such as the Bois Joli Hotel, or in other corners, such as Marigot Bay or Anse Rodrigues. You’ll need some form of transport to get around the island if you’re staying for several days, but it’s not a problem, even if you’re further away from the restaurants, ice-cream and lively spots of the town.
• Sleeping in the village: on the other hand, you’ll be closer to restaurants, activities and so on. This convenience can be an advantage!

If you’re planning a longer stay, you can also discover the island of Terre-de-Bas (full article).

Well, that’s the end of this article. We hope we’ve inspired you to do some activities in the archipelago, and we highly recommend that you try Loisirs aux Saintes to find what you’re looking for.

In the meantime, if you’d like to discover Les Saintes in a different way, we went on a sailing trip with Voile O Saintes, which was great.

See you soon for another activity test.

Written by Sylvain PONS

Since 2021, I've been living in the Guadeloupe archipelago with Mélanie and our two children. We are exploring these beautiful islands and discovering the treasures that we are happy to share with you!

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