Pointe des Châteaux in Guadeloupe

Finally, here is our first article about Grande-Terre in Guadeloupe: the famous Pointe des Châteaux. It took us a little while to write about this beautiful place. To give you some context, we moved to Guadeloupe in early August, spent a month confined within a 5 km radius of home, and used that time to explore the stunning Bassin Bleu.

I personally started working in early October, and little by little, our daily routine picked up again. Then came more than three weeks of social unrest, which certainly played a part in our rather quiet life in the far south of Guadeloupe. For those who don’t know, we settled in Vieux-Fort, on the island of Basse-Terre.

You only have to look at a map of Guadeloupe to understand that, for us, going to Pointe des Châteaux feels a bit like heading to “the end of the world”! It takes about two hours to drive between the municipalities, with traffic jams around Pointe-à-Pitre and on the outskirts of the city. Since we would be traveling with our two little ones, making the round trip in a single day felt completely unrealistic.

So we decided to spend a weekend at the famous Pointe des Châteaux, with the idea of really enjoying the area for two full days. Although the area is not huge, anyone who likes to travel slowly and take their time can easily spend a weekend here without getting bored. To be honest, we didn’t even have time to see all the spots we had wanted to explore at the start. Come on, let us take you around this beautiful part of Guadeloupe!

If you’re in Grande-Terre, don’t hesitate to take a walk along the Sentier des Douaniers to the Trou du Souffleur! Among the other must-sees during a stay in Guadeloupe, I also highly recommend a visit to the Petite-Terre islands.

Since we had never set foot on Grande-Terre before arriving in the area, we were delighted to discover a completely different landscape, far removed from Basse-Terre with its lush greenery, mountains, and waterfalls. We are used to having La Soufrière volcano as the backdrop to our daily life, but here, there is no real relief on the horizon.

To give you a quick idea, Pointe des Châteaux is located at the far eastern end of Guadeloupe, on the island of Grande-Terre. Depending on where you consider it begins, it lies just east of the town of Saint-François. It is a long cape with beaches mostly on its northern side, while the southern side is rockier.

This may not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think of traveling to Guadeloupe, and even less so on Grande-Terre, which is relatively flat compared with Basse-Terre. While browsing online, I came across two great walks in the area: the classic hike around Morne Pavillon and a coastal path. We had plenty of time to do both as a family. If you enjoy hiking, I also highly recommend visiting the beautiful Chute du Galion, located at the foot of La Soufrière volcano.

Below, you’ll find a map showing the two hikes we did during our weekend here. Note that the map also includes other walking and hiking options throughout the island. The link above also takes you to our full page dedicated to hiking in Guadeloupe.

To access the GPS tracks for both hikes, simply click the links below (.gpx format, ready to import directly into your GPS):

• The Pointe des Châteaux cross
• The coastal path (Anse à la Gourde to Pointe des Châteaux)

On Saturday morning, we set off early for a walk along the Atlantic Ocean. According to the topographic map, there were no real difficulties along the way. Unfortunately, I forgot to charge the battery of my Sony A7 III, so I missed the chance to take photos. I did, however, go back the next day to capture a few images of the place!

We parked near the start of the main parking lot at Anse à la Gourde. It was around 8 am, and there were no crowds yet. Louis was already thrilled to walk by the sea with his feet in the sand! For the time being, we kept Téo in the baby carrier. We began by strolling along Anse à la Gourde beach, which offers a beautiful view of the sea, the rocky islets in the lagoon, and, in the distance, La Désirade island. The weather was lovely and the day was off to a great start! Walking with our feet in the sand, or almost, we enjoyed the soft morning light over the lagoon. After about 15 minutes, we reached Pointe à la Gourde, where Tarare beach opened up into a beautiful stretch of white sand.

From here, the scenery changes as the path turns inland and follows a small trail through the local vegetation. There is also a short climb that wakes you up nicely in the early morning, but it only lasts a few minutes. Mélanie doesn’t complain too much, and it actually feels refreshing. We walk in the shade of a small forest of shrubs, and I point out traces of dead coral on the ground to Louis. I still don’t have a perfect grasp of all the geology of Guadeloupe, but from what I know (and what I confirmed shortly afterward), Grande-Terre is a coral island, possibly a raised atoll, unlike Basse-Terre, which is volcanic in origin.

We followed the path for about half an hour, sometimes through the forest and sometimes out in the open. The vegetation here feels relatively sparse and not especially varied, with just a few shrubs and succulent plants. Eventually, we arrived at “Chez Man Michel,” a house overlooking Pointe Tarare. This place is well known locally because Pointe Tarare is home to a naturist beach. By following the coastal path, you get a superb view of this famous bay. The trail then descends toward the point and opens onto a beautiful panorama to the west, with the famous windmills visible in the distance and a coastline carved and battered by waves and wind. The place is truly beautiful, and it’s worth taking a moment to sit on the limestone cliffs and watch the waves crash against the rocks. I even went back the next morning to explore Pointe Tarare and take a few photos.

We continued through the coastal forest, with beautiful views of the Caribbean Sea below when the path opened up, and reached Anse à Plumes and the first salt flat, Grande Saline. Once again, in the gentle morning light, the setting was beautiful, and we had it all to ourselves. The path runs alongside the large salt flat, which, when we visited, was covered in a white foam that the kids found fascinating. We soaked up this simple, warm family moment. The trail then winds down through classic island vegetation and leads to the famous Grande Anse, or Anse des Salines, a beautiful white-sand beach with crystal-clear turquoise water that is perfect for swimming. We had finally reached the end of the walk.

We settled under the trees on the beach to rest and enjoy some time with the kids. The walk itself was not difficult, apart from two short, steep climbs. Above all, it was a lovely way to take your time and observe the coastal landscapes of Pointe des Châteaux. We only crossed paths with a few people, and the trail was not crowded. Depending on photo stops, children, and everything else, allow between 2.5 and 3 hours. We really enjoyed it and would happily recommend it to anyone who likes to take things slowly. After the walk, we spent the rest of the day exploring Pointe des Châteaux and its little corners, including its beautiful white-sand beaches. I’ll tell you more about them below.

On Sunday morning, we arrived quite early at the end of Pointe des Châteaux, where we had finished our hike the day before. Luckily, at that time of day, finding a parking space was fairly easy. I could only imagine how busy it must get during peak season and outside the Covid period. We took advantage of this relative calm to spend about an hour exploring this beautiful cape.

After parking at the far end of the lot, we set off on a short walk in gorgeous golden morning light and beautiful weather. Our goal was to reach the high point of Pointe des Châteaux, crowned by the famous cross that can be seen from far away. The route starts along Anse des Châteaux, a beautiful paradise-like beach with a reputation for being dangerous, so we stayed careful. The sandy path then leads through low vegetation shaped by the surrounding winds. It’s a pleasant walk, and the children enjoy it. As we climb gradually along the hillside, the path reveals superb views of the lagoon and the splendid island of La Désirade. The weather is clear, and we can see everything without any trouble. As on our walk along the Sentier de la Grande Pointe in Trois-Rivières, we also notice the vegetation leaning in the direction of the wind.

Then we reach the “hardest” part, which means climbing a long flight of concrete steps almost all the way to the base of the cross. The panoramic view from the top is truly impressive. At the summit, several orientation tables sit at the foot of the huge cross. From here, you can see a good part of Guadeloupe’s dependencies, including La Désirade, the Petite-Terre islands, and even Marie-Galante. The path continues along the rocky cliffs, so be careful with children as there are no barriers. It then follows a small loop with more viewpoints before descending through a forest of shrubs back toward the Pointe des Châteaux parking lot.

Honestly, this is a must-do. If you don’t have time for the coastal path, you can still do this short hike, which takes no more than an hour. It offers beautiful panoramas and remains fairly easy, even with children. A few tips: bring plenty of water, as there is very little shade, and come early to avoid the crowds. I have a lot of sympathy for parents carrying little ones in a baby carrier up those concrete steps.

Apart from the two walks mentioned above, we spent the rest of our time wandering along the road and exploring the beaches of Pointe des Châteaux. Here is our personal take on what we saw.

This is the classic beautiful white-sand beach, visible on your left from the Pointe des Châteaux parking lot. The pale sandy beach is lovely for swimming, with a coral reef that offers good protection. It’s an ideal place for a refreshing dip after one of the two hikes mentioned above!

This is the area’s naturist beach, so if you go, be respectful and don’t be surprised, as I was during my walk above the beach, if you come across naked people. Love it or not, the setting is beautiful. From Pointe Tarare, you get a lovely view of the beach and its surroundings. In my opinion, it is well worth a stop.

I think this beach is even more beautiful than Les Salines. Swimming here is too dangerous, as the signs clearly warn, but it’s a wonderful spot to grab a homemade coconut sorbet from the vendors near the parking lot and stroll along the gorgeous sandy beach.

This is the beach where we parked to start our coastal walk. It’s perfect for families: it’s large, the waves are not too wild, and it has beautiful white sand.

This beach is huge and easy to find, just after the Saint-François airfield. The water is beautiful, making it a lovely place to relax and go for a swim.

La Douche is a popular spot in the area where the waves rush into a hole in the rocks and sometimes burst out with impressive force, creating a small basin where children can swim. It’s a fun place, with several sandy coves nearby to explore. When we visited, there weren’t many people around, so it was a very nice experience.

We didn’t have time to check out all the beaches at Pointe des Châteaux, but if you want to learn more about them, the link above has additional information. A couple of beaches worth mentioning are Anse à la Baie (Baie Olive) and Baie Sainte-Marie. They are both isolated and perfect for anyone looking for peace and quiet in a natural setting. On the south side, there are also a few beaches such as Anse Kahouanne, Petite Anse Kahouanne, and Degrat Beach, but based on what I saw, they are not great for swimming.

I hope you enjoyed following our adventure, with beaches and hiking around beautiful Pointe des Châteaux.

If you’re looking for a quieter, more authentic spot, I suggest checking out Terre-de-Bas Island in the Saintes Archipelago.

Although we don’t always prioritize paid activities, there are still plenty of things to do in this little corner of paradise, such as snorkeling for free to discover the underwater fauna and flora, or trying diving, surfing, gyrocopter flights, or microlight flights over Pointe des Châteaux.

Speaking of which, we’re planning to return to the area soon to try some of these activities ourselves. We’ll be sure to share our experiences with you! We also had the chance to try an amazing microlight flight over Guadeloupe during our stay. Check out Mélanie’s story for more details.

As I’ve been doing for many years, here are a few practical details to know if you’re planning to visit Pointe des Châteaux.

As with all the articles about Guadeloupe that you’ll find on our blog, I always try to provide as much practical information as possible. Naturally, to visit Pointe des Châteaux, you first need to travel to Guadeloupe. In the link above, I’ve detailed everything you need to know about visiting this beautiful territory. To keep it simple, though, the easiest and usually most affordable way to get there is by taking a direct flight from Paris to Pointe-à-Pitre if you are coming from France. There are several airlines to choose from, including Corsair, Air France, and Air Caraïbes. There are also occasional direct flights from various provincial cities. If you are flexible with your travel dates, it is often possible to find round-trip flights from Paris to Guadeloupe for around €400 or less. You can check this link to find the cheapest flights from France to Guadeloupe. There are also direct flights from other places, such as Quebec, Miami, and New York.

Once there, renting a car is essential for a vacation in Guadeloupe. For many years now, we have been using the Discover Cars website, which lets you compare prices from several rental companies on the island and helps you find good deals.

Now, if you want to discover the beautiful Pointe des Châteaux, keep in mind that it is quite isolated compared with other parts of Guadeloupe. If you’re coming from the south of Basse-Terre, as we do, it takes about 2 hours to get there. We usually take the Grands-Fonds route to avoid the crowds. One more thing: Waze is a lifesaver for driving around Guadeloupe, so make sure you have it downloaded on your phone before you set off on your adventure!

I can’t recommend the Airbnb where we stayed, which was inexpensive but not great, but we did find several nice places during our research. There are accommodation options for all budgets. Here are a few places we had noted:

High-end options

Hôtel La Christophine, a beautiful place with lovely rooms and a superb swimming pool.
Aqualodge Guadeloupe: another beautiful lodge, very close to Pointe des Châteaux.

For more affordable options, you can check Booking for places in the Saint-François area, where you’ll have more choice.

It’s difficult to suggest an ideal length of stay at Pointe des Châteaux, as it depends on your budget, your travel goals, and the way you like to explore.

We personally stayed near Pointe des Châteaux for two days, but we still couldn’t visit all the spots and beaches we had in mind. If you enjoy leisurely walks and time on the beach, I recommend spending at least two days here. Trying to do both hikes and explore the beaches in one day could quickly feel rushed.

We’ve reached the end of this article on Pointe des Châteaux, our first one about Grande-Terre in Guadeloupe. I hope the photos and our stories have made you want to explore these beautiful places, which we truly loved. One funny detail I forgot to mention earlier: we didn’t spot any coconut trees during our walks, which is pretty unusual, don’t you think?

If you have a few days on Grande-Terre, we highly recommend trying a few hours of paddleboarding in the mangrove. It’s a fantastic experience! We hope to share more articles about Guadeloupe and discover even more little slices of paradise in the West Indies. And speaking of must-see places, don’t miss the Botanical Garden of Deshaies. 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!

Despite our care, a mistake may have slipped into this article. If you find any, please don't hesitate to let us know so we can correct it as soon as possible and keep our information up-to-date!