Le Jardin des Îlets in Bouillante – Our full review

It had been a very long time since we’d had the chance to test another accommodation in Guadeloupe. That’s now done with the discovery of this fabulous spot: Le Jardin des Îlets in Bouillante. Lately we’ve poured our energy elsewhere on the blog, and buying our house in Saint‑Claude has kept us busy!

Our last accommodation review dates back to discovering the Jardin des Colibris, another beautiful spot, in a different style, in the town of Deshaies at the far north of Basse‑Terre. So, where to begin? It’s quite a story, because Stéphanie and Reynald recently took over Le Jardin des Îlets at the start of 2025—an accommodation we hadn’t really heard of at first, but whose reviews were unanimous: it’s close to perfect on every point. Fun fact: Mélanie had met them in Polynesia several years ago when they were on their honeymoon, and she’d asked if they could bring back a baby carrier for Téo (which they kindly did).

They recently decided to change their lives, leave the “classic” French lifestyle (if we can call it that), and move to Bouillante on the leeward (west) coast of Basse‑Terre. They took over Le Jardin des Îlets, which was actually right under our noses (almost) as you drive up the coast. More on that later, but the spot is located just above the famous Malendure Beach, above the restaurant Le Rocher de Malendure.

As we always specify, this article was produced in partnership with Le Jardin des Îlets, but we remain entirely in control of our writing and our opinion. We’ll try to develop more of these partnership articles with other accommodations, the goal being to give you honest opinions so you have our own feedback and (we hope) feel motivated to stay there!

Since then, we have tried another place to stay that we really liked called TropicAngel in Pointe-Noire.

Our experience at this accommodation is a bit special, as we were lucky enough to be invited twice by Stéphanie and Reynald. For our first stay we stayed in the Aloès unit for a weekend, then in the Alpinia unit for another four‑day weekend. In all, six days on‑site to fully enjoy the place—and spoiler: you’ll love it, no doubt.

Stéphanie and Reynald had sent us the geolocation of the place well before our arrival to make sure we could find it. Everything clicked right away and the directions were perfectly clear. In truth it’s impossible to get lost: just head to “Le Bistrot de Malendure” on the beach of the same name and take the road that climbs the hillside all the way up. The road is steep and ends right at Le Jardin des Îlets.

There’s a grassy car park on‑site that easily fits about ten cars, so no worries there. We’re warmly greeted by the new owners, with whom we quickly hit it off. We didn’t really know what to expect coming here—even though I’d peeked at a few photos on their website, photos rarely do justice and it’s always better to see the real thing on arrival.

Stéphanie and Reynald are there to welcome us and help with our luggage, guiding us to our unit. Speaking of which, Le Jardin des Îlets actually consists of eight units you could basically call small houses. I’ll detail them in the next section, but each one is independent, fully equipped, and offers a breathtaking view of the surroundings.

We grab our bags and follow Stéphanie around the back of the garden, passing the first house on our left, which has direct access to a gorgeous pool. It might sound funny, but when you have kids it’s great to have a pool less than 30 seconds from your door. The pool setting is splendid and already offers a nice sea view.

We keep going, passing Stéphanie and Reynald’s own house on our left, and climb a few steps that lead to the units of Le Jardin des Îlets. A surprise awaits at the top if you’re not ready for it. I hadn’t noticed in the photos the panorama from this vantage point. We’re actually on a kind of ridge above the property, and from here you can see the entire Malendure Beach and surrounding bay. In good weather it’s truly magical, and the lush greenery adds another layer. It’s the first time we’ve seen Malendure Beach like this. Honestly we’d always told people to skip the beach because it’s often packed with tourists, but these two days at Le Jardin des Îlets will change our minds. More on that later.

Stéphanie and Reynald explain how everything works. From the platform with its stunning view, a small path runs along the ridge past the eight units on our left, all with views from their terraces over Malendure Beach. The setting is unreal, and I’d never imagined you could get such a view from up here. We walk on toward our first‑weekend unit, Aloès.

As I mentioned, even though we came twice just weeks apart, I have to say the second time delighted us just as much—the view when you arrive is still stunning. It’s the perfect spot to sip a beer and watch the sunset. Yes, Le Jardin des Îlets and its units are perfectly oriented to watch the sun set every evening just behind the Pigeon Islets of the Cousteau Reserve. On that note we’ve written a full guide to everything you need to know about the Cousteau Reserve, with all the practical details on how to explore it.

So we’re shown to our unit and happily discover this little house. At first glance you might call them bungalows, but that doesn’t really fit: these are eight solid little houses laid out perfectly along the ridge, neatly aligned. Privacy is well managed and pretty limited, which matters.

Back to the point. We discover our Aloès unit, a duplex perfect for five, which suited us perfectly. Entry is via a large open, airy terrace with a spectacular view over Malendure Beach—honestly, wow. We ate here every lunch and dinner and it was amazing. The terrace also houses an open kitchen, again with the view—perfect for cooking. What’s really nice is that the kitchen, though small, has everything you need. That’s rare and worth mentioning: usually tourist accommodations give you the bare minimum, often in poor shape. Here, nothing is missing. Great for cooking pasta, veggies for the kids, etc. There’s even a toaster, kettle, coffee maker with coffee supplied for the stay (great), a fridge (with water and juice waiting), and of course a microwave. A gas cooktop too. A little bottle of Bologne rum and sugar sits ready for a Ti’ Punch. The terrace also has a hammock, perfect for chilling in late afternoon. There’s even an iron and board if you came for work and need to press shirts.

Being a duplex, the parents’ room and bathroom are on the ground floor. It isn’t air‑conditioned, but it’s well ventilated, so no problem. The room has a fan and all beds have mosquito nets. A wooden staircase leads upstairs, where there’s a double bed and a single—perfect for the kids. Note that the upstairs is air‑conditioned.

All in all, this unit was perfect for us: well aired, plenty big for four, a terrace and kitchen that open outside with a breathtaking view—morning and night with the sunset. Perfect.

I won’t go into detail about the Alpinia unit we occupied during our second stay. The main difference is all bedrooms are on the ground floor and the kids sleep in a bunk bed. Honestly just as good in my view; otherwise the unit is basically the same.

Overall we have a very good feel for the place: we slept in two of the eight units and toured several others, including the superb Indigo at the end of the ridge—with no neighbors and its own spa. We’ll come back to that, but clearly if I were to return and book a stay, that’s the one I’d choose.

There’s also a washing machine available free for all guests, plus games and books for kids, which is fantastic. Ours love reading and playing and had a blast. A nice bonus.

After this big overview, you’re surely wondering what there is to do nearby. The aim of this article isn’t to list everything—you’ll find that in our dedicated guide to all the must‑sees in Bouillante.

But I’d say the HUGE advantage of this accommodation is being able to walk to Malendure Beach to swim with turtles—just five minutes away (though the walk back up is a bit steep, it’s worth it!).

Another must, of course, is exploring the Cousteau Reserve right in front. We also have a full guide to it explaining everything you can do and how. Our tip, hands‑down: rent a kayak for half or a full day and enjoy the place early in the morning. It’ll cost almost nothing and you’ll have a memorable day!

Nearby by car you’ve got the Guadeloupe Zoo (great for a nature‑set zoo), Le Parc de la Source, bathing in hot springs (full article), or heading out on hikes!

It’s rare to find accommodation about which we have almost nothing negative to say. Honestly, we spent two stays—six nights total—and it was excellent. Nothing was missing: everything is well thought out, clean, spacious, you’re independent with the equipped kitchen, you have a superb view, and you can walk to Malendure and the Cousteau Reserve! What more could you ask?

So yes, frankly, we recommend it 100 %—you’ll have a top‑notch experience, no doubt.

Are there areas for improvement? Yes, of course, but they’ve only just taken over and we’re sure tweaks will come!

As usual, we wanted to mention a few extra details. One thing we didn’t say above: Le Jardin des Îlets offers breakfasts you can easily book. We had breakfast for both stays, and it was great to have juice, butter, jam, coffee, tea, etc., ready when we arrived.

Le Jardin des Îlets has 8 units in total and a shared pool. We really enjoyed being able to swim with the kids in the evening. The sea is just steps away, sure, but when you’re with family the pool is awesome!

Here’s some info on each unit:

• Indigo – 2‑person house + SPA: the most upscale unit. We didn’t sleep there, but we toured and enjoyed the spa: superb. A breathtaking terrace, no neighbors, a private spa—paradise!
• Corail – 2‑person house: a classic for two with an air‑conditioned bedroom, a king bed (160 × 200 cm), and of course the view!
• Colibri – 3‑person house: this unit adds a single bed—perfect if you’re traveling with a child.
• Alpinia – 4‑person house: where we stayed the second time—great! One double bed + a bunk bed for two kids.
• Bougainvilliers – 4‑person house: more or less the same style as Alpinia above.
• Jasmin – 5‑person duplex: a lovely duplex perfect for five: large downstairs bedroom, and upstairs a double and single bed. Jasmin and Bougainvilliers interconnect via the terrace!
• Aloès – 5‑person duplex: where we stayed first—again top, roughly like Jasmin.
• Hibiscus – 6‑person duplex – PRM: the largest unit, above the pool, with access adapted for persons with reduced mobility. The pool is very close—great, though noise may vary.

All units come with a kitchen, A/C, linens, towels, and of course that bay view!

That’s it for our review of Le Jardin des Îlets. We loved it and honestly can only recommend the place! In Marie‑Galante we also tested another great spot, Villa Sérénité.

If you’re planning on visiting other areas, be sure to check out our articles on the best hotels in Basse-Terre. I would also like to take this opportunity to invite you to read our article about the best lodges in Guadeloupe.

We have also compiled 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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