Le Jardin des Îlets in Bouillante – our complete review

It had been a long time since we’d had the chance to review another place to stay in Guadeloupe. That changed when we discovered this wonderful spot: Le Jardin des Îlets in Bouillante. Lately, we’ve been focusing our energy elsewhere on the blog, and buying our house in Saint‑Claude has certainly kept us busy!

Our last accommodation review was about Jardin des Colibris, another lovely place with a very different style, located in Deshaies at the northern end of Basse‑Terre. So, where should we begin? There’s quite a story behind this one. Stéphanie and Reynald took over Le Jardin des Îlets at the beginning of 2025. We hadn’t really heard of the property before, but the reviews were unanimous: it came close to ticking every box. A fun little detail: Mélanie had met them in Polynesia several years earlier, while they were on their honeymoon, and had asked them to bring back a baby carrier for Téo—which they kindly did.

They recently decided to make a major life change, leave behind the “classic” French lifestyle—if we can call it that—and move to Bouillante on the leeward, or western, coast of Basse‑Terre. They took over Le Jardin des Îlets, a place that had been almost right under our noses whenever we drove up the coast. We’ll come back to that later, but the property sits just above the famous Malendure Beach, near the restaurant Le Rocher de Malendure.

As always, we want to be transparent: this article was produced in partnership with Le Jardin des Îlets, but we retained complete control over what we wrote and the opinions we shared. We hope to create more partnership articles like this with other accommodations, with the aim of giving you honest feedback based on our own experience—and, hopefully, helping you decide whether you’d like to stay there too.

Since then, we’ve also tried another place we really enjoyed: TropicAngel in Pointe-Noire.

Our experience here was a little unusual, as Stéphanie and Reynald were kind enough to invite us twice. On our first visit, we spent a weekend in the Aloès unit, then returned for a four‑day weekend in the Alpinia unit. Altogether, that gave us six days on-site to make the most of the property—and, spoiler alert, we loved it.

Stéphanie and Reynald had sent us the property’s location well before we arrived, making it easy to find. The directions were perfectly clear from the start. In fact, it’s almost impossible to get lost: simply head toward “Le Bistrot de Malendure,” on the beach of the same name, then follow the road as it climbs the hillside. It’s steep, but it leads straight to Le Jardin des Îlets.

There’s a grassy parking area on-site with room for around ten cars, so parking isn’t an issue. The new owners gave us a warm welcome, and we immediately got along well. We weren’t quite sure what to expect—even though I’d glanced at a few photos on their website, pictures rarely capture a place completely, and seeing it in person is always different.

Stéphanie and Reynald welcomed us, helped with our luggage, and showed us to our unit. Le Jardin des Îlets is made up of eight accommodations that are best described as small houses. I’ll go into more detail in the next section, but each one is independent, fully equipped, and has an impressive view of the surrounding area.

We picked up our bags and followed Stéphanie around the back of the garden, passing the first house on our left, which has direct access to a beautiful pool. It may sound like a small detail, but when you’re traveling with kids, having a pool less than 30 seconds from your door is a real advantage. The pool area itself is lovely and already gives you a glimpse of the sea.

We continued past Stéphanie and Reynald’s house on our left, then climbed a few steps toward the units at Le Jardin des Îlets. If you aren’t expecting it, the view at the top comes as quite a surprise. I hadn’t realized from the photos just how wide the panorama would be. The property sits along a kind of ridge, with a full view over Malendure Beach and the surrounding bay. In good weather, it feels genuinely magical, especially with all the lush greenery around it. We had never seen Malendure Beach from this angle before. To be honest, we’d often told people to skip the beach because it can get crowded with tourists, but our time at Le Jardin des Îlets changed our perspective. More on that later.

Stéphanie and Reynald explained how everything worked. From the viewing platform, a small path follows the ridge past the eight units on the left, each with a terrace overlooking Malendure Beach. The setting feels almost unreal, and I had never imagined there could be such a view from up here. We followed the path toward Aloès, the unit for our first weekend.

As I mentioned, we returned just a few weeks later, and the second arrival was every bit as enjoyable as the first. That view still makes an impression. It’s an ideal place to sip a beer while watching the sunset. Le Jardin des Îlets and its units face the right direction to see the sun sink behind the Pigeon Islets in the Cousteau Reserve each evening. We’ve also written a complete guide to everything you need to know about the Cousteau Reserve, including practical advice on how to explore it.

We were shown to our unit and were delighted to discover this little house. At first glance, you might call the accommodations bungalows, but that description doesn’t quite fit. They’re eight solid, compact houses arranged neatly along the ridge. The layout gives each one a good level of privacy, which makes a real difference.

Now, back to Aloès. This duplex sleeps five and worked perfectly for us. You enter through a large, open, airy terrace overlooking Malendure Beach—and the view really does make you stop for a moment. We ate every lunch and dinner out here and loved it. The terrace also includes an open-air kitchen, so you can cook while enjoying the view. Although the kitchen is compact, it has everything you need. That’s worth mentioning, because vacation rentals often provide only the bare essentials, and not always in the best condition. Here, we didn’t feel anything was missing. It was easy to prepare pasta, vegetables for the kids, and simple meals. There’s a toaster, a kettle, a coffee maker with coffee provided for the stay, a refrigerator stocked with water and juice on arrival, a microwave, and a gas cooktop. A small bottle of Bologne rum and some sugar are also waiting for you to make a Ti’ Punch. The terrace has a hammock for relaxing in the late afternoon, plus an iron and ironing board in case you’re traveling for work and need to press a shirt.

Because Aloès is a duplex, the parents’ bedroom and bathroom are on the ground floor. The bedroom isn’t air-conditioned, but it’s well ventilated, so we had no problem sleeping there. It has a fan, and every bed is fitted with a mosquito net. A wooden staircase leads upstairs, where you’ll find one double bed and one single bed—ideal for children. The upper floor is air-conditioned.

Overall, the unit suited us perfectly: it was airy, spacious enough for four, and had a terrace and kitchen that opened onto the view. It was beautiful in the morning and again at sunset.

I won’t go into as much detail about Alpinia, where we stayed on our second visit. The main difference is that all the bedrooms are on the ground floor and the children sleep in bunk beds. In my opinion, it was just as comfortable; otherwise, the unit is very similar.

Overall, we came away with a very positive impression of the property. We stayed in two of the eight units and visited several others, including Indigo at the far end of the ridge. It has no immediate neighbors and comes with its own spa. I’ll mention it again below, but if I were booking another stay, that would probably be my first choice.

Guests can also use a washing machine free of charge, and there are games and books for children. Ours love both reading and playing, so they had a great time. It’s a thoughtful extra.

After that overview, you’re probably wondering what there is to do nearby. This article isn’t intended to list everything—you’ll find a fuller selection in our dedicated guide to the must-see places in Bouillante.

For us, one of the biggest advantages of staying here is being able to walk to Malendure Beach and swim with turtles. It’s only about five minutes away, although the climb back up is fairly steep. Still, it’s worth it.

Another essential experience is exploring the Cousteau Reserve directly offshore. We have a full guide explaining what you can do there and how to organize your visit. Our favorite option is to rent a kayak for half a day or a full day and head out early in the morning. It’s relatively inexpensive and makes for a memorable day.

A short drive away, you’ll also find the Guadeloupe Zoo, which is enjoyable for its natural setting, Le Parc de la Source, Guadeloupe’s hot springs, and plenty of hiking opportunities.

It’s rare for us to stay somewhere and have almost nothing negative to say. We spent six nights here across two visits, and the experience was excellent. The accommodations are thoughtfully designed, clean, and spacious. You can be completely independent thanks to the equipped kitchen, enjoy a beautiful view, and walk down to Malendure Beach and the Cousteau Reserve. It’s hard to ask for much more.

So yes, we wholeheartedly recommend Le Jardin des Îlets. Based on our experience, it’s a place we’d be very happy to return to.

Are there still a few areas that could be improved? Of course—but Stéphanie and Reynald had only recently taken over when we visited, and we’re sure the property will continue to evolve!

As usual, we wanted to share a few additional details. One thing we haven’t mentioned yet is that Le Jardin des Îlets offers breakfast, which you can add to your stay. We ordered it on both visits, and it was convenient to arrive with juice, butter, jam, coffee, tea, and the rest already waiting for us.

Le Jardin des Îlets has eight units in total, along with a shared pool. We really enjoyed being able to swim there with the kids in the evening. The sea may be only a short walk away, but when you’re traveling as a family, having a pool on-site is a real plus.

Here’s a quick overview of each unit:

• Indigo – 2‑person house + SPA: the most upscale unit. We didn’t stay there, but we toured it and tried the spa, which was excellent. It has a beautiful terrace, no immediate neighbors, and a private spa.
• Corail – 2‑person house: a classic option for two, with an air-conditioned bedroom, a king-size bed (160 × 200 cm), and, of course, the view.
• Colibri – 3‑person house: this unit includes an additional single bed, making it a good option if you’re traveling with a child.
• Alpinia – 4‑person house: where we stayed on our second visit. It has one double bed and bunk beds for two children.
• Bougainvilliers – 4‑person house: broadly similar in style to Alpinia.
• Jasmin – 5‑person duplex: a comfortable duplex for five, with a large bedroom downstairs and one double bed plus one single bed upstairs. Jasmin and Bougainvilliers can be connected through the terrace.
• Aloès – 5‑person duplex: where we stayed on our first visit. Its layout is quite similar to Jasmin.
• Hibiscus – 6‑person duplex – PRM: the largest unit, located above the pool, with access adapted for people with reduced mobility. The pool is very close, which is convenient, although the noise level may vary.

Every unit includes a kitchen, air conditioning, bed linens, towels, and, of course, a view over the bay.

That wraps up our review of Le Jardin des Îlets. We loved our stays and would gladly recommend the property. In Marie‑Galante, we also tried another lovely place, Villa Sérénité.

If you’re planning to explore other parts of the island, take a look at our guide to the best hotels in Basse-Terre. You may also enjoy our article on the best lodges in Guadeloupe.

We’ve also put together a guide to seaside hotels in 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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