Guadeloupe - Beaches and Sugar Cane

Grande Terre is the eastern side of Guadeloupe and the most built up with tourist activity, the largest resort is Le Gosier although we had no time or desire to visit. Sainte Anne was a small resort along the south coast which we stopped at briefly to look at some craft shops, there was a fantastic hammock shop but unfortunately they were too big for us to store on the boat L

Next stop on the south coast was Saint Francois which is a working fishing port, most the boats were back in and the pelicans were making themselves at home.

Pelicans relaxing

There were also a huge number of Conch discarded which had  recently been caught and stripped of their meat, not sure what they will do with all the shells – I was of the impression that Conch were endangered but still seem to be heavily fished here.

Pile of Conch shells

Next stop was the small marina which was lined with some nice restaurants and cafes and we stopped for a delicious smoothie – worth mentioning at this point that both Mark and I had not been feeling too well the night before and suffered with only a few hours sleep perhaps the trip was catching up with us! If we had not had the car we would not have left the boat but we had to make the most of it.

Mark enjoying smoothie whilst struggle to stay awake at marina

We then headed around the north east coast onto Pointe Ste Marguerite for the days lunch spot over looking a rocky beach with the Atlantic swell rolling in – very unlike the sandy palm fringed beaches on the south coast.

Our super car, we asked for small car ended up with 7 seater for same price!

Let's hope we are back out at sea soon

As you drive more inland and north east around the coast the vegetation changes again with huge fields full of sugar cane and random cows – funny the cows are normally chained to the spot and usually just 1 or 2 – bet they miss their friends.

Cow and Sugar Cane fields in distance

We then stopped Lagon de la Pointe where there is a protected inlet although the waves are crashing at the entrance it is still at the shoreline although to be honest the water looked a bit green and murky and wouldn't have tempted me in.

Crashing waves of the Atlantic

The final stop right at the top of north east coast was Pointe de la Grande Vigie where there were some great views back along the east coast with the sugar cane field stretching out in the distance - the sugar cane is obviously used for sugar but did you also know that the Rum in Guadeloupe is made from sugar cane and not Molasses and we can already tell you it tastes pretty good :) 

Fields of sugar cane in the distance

Looking almost normal again with the east coast of Guadeloupe in the distance

The final stop of the day was Anse Betrand which actually looked out towards Antigua in the distance and it really didn't look that far away – great because that is our next hop.