Hot springs in Guadeloupe

You may not know it yet, but the Guadeloupe archipelago is home to some beautiful natural sites, including the very famous La Soufrière volcano and several hot springs. Yes, Guadeloupe is about more than white-sand beaches and the beautiful hotels of Grande-Terre.

We took advantage of our partnership with Le Jardin des Îlets in Bouillante to revisit the hot springs in the area, and honestly, it was just as much fun as ever!

In this short article, we give you an overview of Guadeloupe’s hot springs. Feel free to leave us a comment and let us know if you know of any others!

In the meantime, you can check out our page dedicated to hikes in Guadeloupe—both the ones we have already completed and those still on our list!

To make things easier, I have put together a quick comparison table with each spring’s name, location, directions, and whether it is natural or developed.

This is one of our favorite spots. Located in the Gros-Morne Dolé area, in the commune of Gourbeyre, it features a developed pool in a lush green setting surrounded by tropical vegetation. You can reach the Lovers’ Bath from several places, but the easiest route starts at the But roundabout.

We have written a full article about the Lovers’ Bath. We recommend arriving early in the morning, ideally on a weekday, when you can often have the entire pool to yourself. Soaking in the warm water—sometimes closer to lukewarm, depending on the season—is a wonderful way to unwind and relax. You are going to love it.

This is probably the bath we visit least. Maybe that is because it sits beside the road, although, to be fair, it is hardly a highway! It is on the same road as the Lovers’ Bath, a little farther downhill when coming from Gourbeyre. The warm pool is pleasantly deep and very relaxing. The road may be close by, but you soon forget it is there!

Okay, I admit this sounds a lot less dreamy than the Lovers’ Bath! There is a good reason for that: it is simply the outlet from the geothermal plant on the other side of the road. The plant draws steam from deep underground, and some of the hot water is discharged into the sea in downtown Bouillante.

You can settle down beside the developed area, near the “river.” We go there from time to time, although I find the setting less appealing. It can become quite crowded depending on the season and time of day. The main advantage is the size of the site: depending on how hot you like the water, you can move closer to or farther away from the outlet. Right beside it, the water is extremely hot and almost scalding, so be careful. Farther to the right, however, the temperature is much more pleasant. There is no real sand here, mostly a mixture of pebbles…

Another plus is that you are right in the center of the village, with easy access to local shops, bakeries, and restaurants.

This is another spot we love, and we recently returned during our stay at Le Jardin des Îlets. We had visited several times before, and depending on the season, the water could be seriously hot—literally! Parking was free on our first visit, but paid spaces have since been introduced. It is a bit of a shame, although we understand that it allows the municipality to collect some revenue from the tourists and locals who park there.

Getting there could not be easier: a few kilometers after entering Bouillante, you will see a sign on the left. Simply turn toward “Bains Thomas.” From the parking area, a short five-minute walk leads to the site. There, you will find a beautiful, fairly wide pool beside the sea, fed by water flowing from the nearby cliff. The only drawback is that the water is often scorching. I love very hot water, yet on our last visit I could not keep my feet in it for more than three seconds. Be careful. A few meters closer to the sea, however, there is a basin where the water is pleasantly warm.

This is another place we visited several times when we first moved to Guadeloupe, although we have been there less often in recent years. The Priest’s Bath lies a few kilometers beyond downtown Bouillante, near Anse à Sable. It is easy to find, as the site is signposted.

The beach itself is a pleasant place for a swim, and there is room for a few cars at the bottom of the road, although the parking area fills up very quickly. From there, walk left along the beach and continue close to the cliffs to reach the baths. Admittedly, the site itself is not especially impressive and was fully developed in the 1950s. A small stream of hot water at around 41°C feeds this unusual little spa, where you can take a dip, haha!

This is probably the best-known hot spring in Guadeloupe, and for good reason: it lies at the starting point of the La Soufrière volcano hike on Basse-Terre. The Yellow Baths are right beside the parking area, which you will pass if you decide to tackle this fantastic hike or one of the other trails nearby.

You cannot miss them. The site consists of two developed pools filled with naturally warm—or perhaps more accurately, lukewarm—water flowing from the volcanic rock. We love this spot, but prefer visiting late in the evening or early in the morning to avoid the midday crowds, as it can become very busy. It is well worth including in your trip to Guadeloupe.

Although we had already lived in Guadeloupe for four years, we discovered the Matouba hot baths surprisingly late. You can reach them from Papaye, which I believe is the best-known route, or from the Matouba forest house. To be completely honest from the outset, this would not be our first recommendation if you are looking for hot springs in Guadeloupe. The hike itself is enjoyable, though, especially if you want to stretch your legs and explore the Guadeloupean forest. Here is our full article about the site.

At the time of writing, however, the site felt almost abandoned. All that remained were showers with a very weak flow of water. Overall, it did not strike us as a particularly worthwhile hot-spring stop. There is, however, a small shelter, or carbet, where you can sit, eat, and take cover from the rain. In our opinion, there are better options!

Here is another well-known hot-spring site in northern Basse-Terre. We first discovered it while hiking the Trois Cornes trail, which we really need to do again. It has been a while, and I never wrote an article about it at the time—which is a shame!

Like the Matouba baths, I find the site rather disappointing, as it consists solely of showers installed at the end of a road. There is nothing particularly striking to look at, just hot water flowing from pipes. Some locals visit regularly for the reputed benefits of the thermal water, but there are certainly more appealing settings elsewhere!

That brings me to the end of this short article about hot springs in Guadeloupe. There is certainly something here for everyone.

Personally, I would recommend the Yellow Baths early in the morning, Thomas Hot Bath in Bouillante for its natural setting—just be careful not to burn yourself—and the hot spring at the geothermal plant outlet if you simply want to soak in warm water without any fuss!

There are other hot springs too, including one on Petite Anse beach that we have not visited yet. Back when Gully was still accessible, we also had a fantastic time at Ravine Grosse Roche, on the road to the Carbet Falls. Do you know of any other hot-spring spots in Guadeloupe?

If you are currently planning your trip, we have put together our perfect one-week itinerary for Guadeloupe!

See you soon,

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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