Boat trip in the Saintes archipelago

I’m back at the start of 2025 with a brand-new article about Guadeloupe. At the end of 2024, between Christmas and New Year’s, we decided to spend a few days in the Saintes archipelago. I’ve already written about the islands of Terre-de-Haut and Terre-de-Bas, the two main islands in the archipelago. Today, I want to tell you about a different kind of experience: a boat trip around the Saintes archipelago with Mawaly Excursion.

If you’ve been following us for a while, you’ll know that we often use the Manawa website to book activities for our weekends in Guadeloupe and even for our vacations. It’s a reliable platform that we are happy to recommend to anyone who wants to book activities before traveling.

Through a partnership with Manawa and Mawaly Excursion, we had the chance to try one of the company’s boat trips, which took us around the islands and islets that make up the Les Saintes archipelago.

As always, although this article was created as part of a partnership, we retained full control over everything written here. Let me take you along on this lovely cruise!

For another beautiful boating destination where you can relax, enjoy a drink, and spend time out on the open sea, take a look at Mélanie’s account of her boat trip to the islands of Petite-Terre, off the coast of Grande-Terre.

For more activities in Guadeloupe, we also loved paddleboarding in the mangroves and, of course, flying over Pointe des Châteaux and La Désirade in a microlight!

On Terre-de-Haut, we also tried several activities with Loisirs aux Saintes, and we’ve shared the full experience in a separate article.

If you’re looking for more activity ideas, we’ve rounded up the best things to do in Guadeloupe!

As I mentioned at the beginning of the article, we came for three days to try this boat trip as well as several activities with another company, which I’ll cover in a separate article: paddleboarding, Seabob, and transparent kayaking.

We had arrived the day before and set off as planned at 9:30 a.m. from the pier beside Le Génois restaurant, although we could have left earlier. It’s the small pontoon on the left as you arrive by ferry. We said hello to Arnaud from Voile Ô Saintes, with whom we’d sailed a few months earlier; you’ll find a link to that article below. We then met Estelle, whom we’d spoken to on the phone the previous day, and Rémy, our skipper for the day.

The weather was beautiful, and we felt lucky, especially after the heavy rain of the previous few weeks. The atmosphere was relaxed, and we were joined by a group of vacationers from Marseille. Everyone was in a good mood, and it already felt like it was going to be a great morning.

Rémy began by outlining the morning’s itinerary, and he immediately came across as very friendly. We then headed toward the building known as the Maison-Bateau. Rémy explained that it once belonged to a photographer who lived there. In 1955, it was left to the Terre-de-Haut community on the condition that it be used by doctors assigned to Les Saintes. The house was later intended to become a museum, but it was partially destroyed by Hurricane Maria in 2017.

We continued along the coast to the well-known Anse Mire, home to a pleasant little beach and the La Saladerie restaurant. Just offshore from the restaurant is a popular snorkeling spot. From the boat, we could even see iguanas basking in the trees. At the northern end of the bay stands Kanaoa, the oldest hotel on the island, named after the seagoing canoes known as “kanawa,” which were once made from white rubber trees. Rémy also explained Guadeloupe’s geological formation and the differences between limestone Grande-Terre and volcanic Basse-Terre, including Les Saintes.

We then continued to Îlet à Cabrit, the largest island in the archipelago after Terre-de-Bas and Terre-de-Haut. We’d heard a lot about it but had never visited before. In the clear weather, the views toward Guadeloupe were beautiful, and we could even make out the Vieux-Fort lighthouse. As we cruised around the island, we took in the scenery and the turquoise water surrounding us. Rémy explained that visitors can be dropped off there for several hours or even for the day, with transportation and food arranged if needed. We may try that next time. The island’s small beaches certainly make you want to jump in for a swim.

We left Îlet à Cabrit and headed toward Crawen Beach, a beautiful beach near Hôtel Bois Joli, where we had stayed on our previous visit. Approaching it in bright sunshine, with the turquoise water ahead of us, was a lovely sight. Several divers were in the area looking for the large turtles, and we were lucky enough to spot a few from the boat. Seeing them rise to the surface never gets old.

We then sailed toward the islands ahead of us: Les Augustins, La Coche, and Grand-Îlet. Rémy explained that they form part of the rim of an ancient crater that has since collapsed. The weather was still perfect, which made the ride even more enjoyable. He also took us to a striking spot on Grand-Îlet where water shoots out through the rocks, known as the Souffleur. Even with calm seas and sunny weather, we still got splashed a few times. We passed between Les Augustins and Grand-Îlet, closely following the rocky shoreline of Les Augustins. The water was remarkably clear, and we came very close to the cliffs, where we even passed a group of snorkelers.

We headed back toward Terre-de-Bas and its famous Grande Baie, a very calm bay where we had previously sailed with Arnaud. We stopped for a snorkeling break, and I have to admit I wasn’t exactly eager to get into the water. It may sound funny, but it was the coolest time of year, and the water temperature wasn’t helping. Still, to make the kids happy, I jumped in with Téo and Louis. Until recently, Téo had been afraid of the water, but he had made remarkable progress. With the help of a swim float, he swam with me all the way toward Terre-de-Bas. On the way back, he managed without it, swimming in open water for about a minute before holding on to the boat. The bay is known for its turtles, but unfortunately, I didn’t see any during this stop.

We ended the morning at the famous Pain de Sucre Beach. It isn’t exactly my favorite beach, partly because it tends to get very crowded, as it did during our previous visit. Personally, I think there are quieter and more enjoyable beaches elsewhere on the island. Still, it was a lovely place for a second stop and a drink with Rémy and the rest of the group. There was plenty to choose from: coconut punch, passion fruit punch, planteur, and juice. We spent half an hour enjoying the setting before wrapping up the trip at 12:30 p.m.

Without wanting to sound pretentious, we’ve been on quite a few lagoon cruises in Mayotte, French Polynesia, New Caledonia, and Guadeloupe. Even so, this was a very enjoyable half-day. The weather was beautiful, the water was clear, and there were several good snorkeling spots. Most of all, the trip gave us a chance to see the islands in the southern part of the archipelago, which visitors often miss. The atmosphere on board was relaxed, and Rémy was a great skipper. For us, it was an easy recommendation.

We also wanted to share a few words about Mawaly Excursion. We departed from Terre-de-Haut, but the excursion is also available from Trois-Rivières on Basse-Terre. The price is a little higher, but if you aren’t planning to stay overnight in Les Saintes, it’s a convenient way to explore the archipelago in a single day, with the logistics taken care of for you.

The company also organizes trips to Marie-Galante and private excursions on request.

Mawaly also provides transportation between Terre-de-Haut and Terre-de-Bas, which can be useful if you plan to explore both islands and spend some time on each one, something we highly recommend.

As always, a few words on the practical side!

I won’t repeat all the details from our Terre-de-Haut and Terre-de-Bas articles, where we explain the different ways to reach Les Saintes. In brief, several companies operate ferry services from Basse-Terre, Pointe-à-Pitre, and Trois-Rivières. When we traveled, the average fare was around €25 per adult, and the four of us paid €85 from Trois-Rivières.

How long you stay will depend on the time you have available, but we definitely recommend spending several days in Les Saintes to make the most of the archipelago. If you need a rental car for your stay in Guadeloupe, take a look at the Discovercars comparison site, which often lists competitive rates. On Terre-de-Haut, you can rent a scooter, an electric bike, or a small electric cart, depending on the size of your group and your budget.

If you’re planning to stay and explore the scenery, plants, and wildlife, here are a few places to consider:

• Hôtel Bois Joli: a pleasant hotel with a swimming pool and a beautiful beach. There is plenty to do on-site, and you can even rent a boat to explore the surrounding waters.
• Résidence hôtelière Hurlevent: close to the town center, this property receives very positive reviews, and we’d like to try it on a future visit.
• Village Le Pré: another well-regarded place to stay on the island.

We’ve also put together a complete guide to where to stay in Les Saintes, covering both Terre-de-Haut and Terre-de-Bas.

That brings me to the end of this article about cruising around the Saintes archipelago. I may be repeating myself, but we had a wonderful time with Mawaly Excursion and would gladly recommend the experience, especially if you enjoy boat trips and discovering beautiful places.

For something quite different, we also took a sailing trip to Les Saintes between Terre-de-Bas and Terre-de-Haut that lasted a few hours. The experience was very different, but just as worthwhile.

See you soon for another discovery!

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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