{"id":5790,"date":"2023-12-07T08:17:00","date_gmt":"2023-12-07T06:17:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/magazine.prestigevillarental.com\/guadeloupe-national-park\/"},"modified":"2025-09-19T18:06:08","modified_gmt":"2025-09-19T16:06:08","slug":"guadeloupe-national-park","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/magazine.prestigevillarental.com\/en\/guadeloupe-national-park\/","title":{"rendered":"Guadeloupe National Park"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Looking for a break from beaches and idleness? Then head for a green oasis in Basse-Terre, in the Parc Naturel de la Guadeloupe. Created in 1898, it was the very first French overseas national nature park. <\/p>\n\n

Basse-Terre is the most mountainous part of Guadeloupe<\/a>. That\u2019s why its rugged terrain is home to some of the world\u2019s finest waterfalls, the La Soufri\u00e8re volcano and beautiful rivers<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n

Lose yourself in the lush, tropical nature of the 17,300 hectares of forest, not to mention the 3,700 hectares of wetlands and marine areas.<\/p>\n\n

What to see in Guadeloupe National Park?<\/span><\/h2>\n\n

The Guadeloupe<\/a> National Park was created to protect the island\u2019s flora and fauna, both on land and at sea.<\/p>\n\n

This vast territory is home to some of Guadeloupe\u2019s most beautiful natural sites. In the heart of the Parc Naturel are a number of primary forests, whose warm, humid climate is ideal for the development of insectivores, frugivores and nectarivores. <\/p>\n\n

Between waterfalls, volcanoes and marine sites, let\u2019s take a closer look at what the Guadeloupe National Park has in store for you:<\/p>\n\n

The Carbet Falls<\/span><\/h2>\n\n

It\u2019s hard to imagine the majestic and imposing aspect of the Carbet Falls<\/a>, of which there are 3.<\/p>\n\n

Legend has it that Christopher Columbus spotted the falls when he landed in Guadeloupe in 1493, from the beach at Capesterre-Belle-Eau.<\/p>\n\n

The 3 waterfalls are fed by water from the Grand Carbet river. The river\u2019s name has its origins in the Amerindian name for the village, which was made up of huts used as shelters, known as \u201ccarbets\u201d. The carbets were built very close to the mouth of the Grand Carbet River. <\/p>\n\n

Although there are still 3 Carbet Falls, only 2 can be seen up close:<\/p>\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n

The 1st Carbet Falls<\/span><\/h3>\n\n

It consists of two levels with an impressive 115-metre-high jump. If you\u2019re a hiking enthusiast, you\u2019ll love this 3-hour round-trip forest walk, starting from the lookout at the Guadeloupe National Park reception. <\/p>\n\n

La 2\u1d49 chute du Carbet<\/span><\/h3>\n\n

This 110-metre-high waterfall is the most accessible of the three. A well-maintained trail takes you there quickly and easily. The gates and footbridges allow you to move easily through the rainforest. <\/p>\n\n

The 3\u1d49 fall of Carbet<\/span><\/h3>\n\n

Although this waterfall is only 20 metres high, its main attraction is its ultra-powerful flow. That said, access to the waterfall is currently closed due to dangerous rockfalls. <\/p>\n\n

La Soufri\u00e8re<\/span><\/h2>\n\n

Even if you don\u2019t know much about Guadeloupe, you\u2019re bound to have heard the name: La Soufri\u00e8re. If you like hiking and mountain scenery, you\u2019re in for a treat. <\/p>\n\n

La Soufri\u00e8re is the highest peak in Guadeloupe and the Lesser Antilles (1,467 metres). It is undoubtedly the best-known spot in the Guadeloupe National Park. <\/p>\n\n

La Soufri\u00e8re is an active volcano that spews fumaroles and sulfurous vapors, hence its name. There are even hot springs. <\/p>\n\n

If you\u2019re staying in Guadeloupe, take the time to hike to La Soufri\u00e8re, and if possible, to its summit. In fine weather, you\u2019ll have a magnificent view of the whole island and its surroundings. <\/p>\n\n

Beware of gas fumes during your ascent, which can be dangerous (and don\u2019t forget to bring a Kway).<\/p>\n\n

Plan to leave early in the morning, as Soufri\u00e8re is often covered in clouds in the afternoon.<\/p>\n\n

Ilets Pigeon<\/span><\/h2>\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n

Also in the Guadeloupe National Park, \u00celets Pigeon are located in Bouillante, off Malendure beach, just one nautical mile from the coast.<\/p>\n\n

The \u00celets Pigeon are an ideal place to admire the underwater flora and fauna, either snorkeling or with diving equipment. They are in the Cousteau Reserve, where you can spot a wide variety of tropical fish, turtles and gorgonians. <\/p>\n\n

You can dive between 0 and 60 meters at various spots: Le Jardin de Corail, L\u2019Aquarium, Point Barracuda, La Piscine, etc.<\/p>\n\n

If you\u2019re looking for an introduction to scuba diving, you\u2019ll feel safe in this underwater space, where the depth is gently accentuated.<\/p>\n\n

Grand Cul-de-Sac-Marin Nature Reserve<\/span><\/h2>\n\n
\"mangrove<\/figure>\n\n

The Grand Cul-de-Sac-Marin is another jewel in the crown of Guadeloupe\u2019s National Park. It links Grande-Terre and Basse-Terre, north of Rivi\u00e8re Sal\u00e9e. <\/p>\n\n

The Grand Cul-de-Sac-Marin was created to preserve the mangrove coastline and marine areas of this gigantic lagoon. This means you\u2019ll be able to observe protected plant and animal species. <\/p>\n\n

The aim of this protected area is to preserve its ecosystem and its threatened biodiversity. The priority is to enable the animals, birds, fish and insects that live there to reproduce peacefully, undisturbed by human activity. <\/p>\n\n

The lagoon is so large that it comprises 6 zones and includes the communes of Sainte-Rose, Morne \u00e0 l\u2019eau, Les Abymes and Le Lamentin.<\/p>\n\n

The best way to discover the Grand Cul-de-Sac-Marin is by boat, with Le Flibustier from Gosier or Blue Lagoon Excursion<\/a> from Sainte-Rose.<\/p>\n\n

Admire the mangrove swamps of Rivi\u00e8re Sal\u00e9e. You\u2019ll discover a whole eco-system that will delight young and old alike. <\/p>\n\n

During your excursion, you\u2019ll dive close to the coral reef, where you\u2019ll see some magnificent fish.<\/p>\n\n

Don\u2019t forget to take an anti-UV T-shirt to avoid getting sunburned underwater!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Looking for a break from beaches and idleness? Then head for a green oasis in Basse-Terre, in the Parc Naturel de la Guadeloupe. Created in 1898, it was the very…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4222,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[151,128],"tags":[],"powerkit_post_featured":[],"class_list":["post-5790","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-guadeloupe-en","category-excursions-en"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/magazine.prestigevillarental.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/chute-et-riviere-guadeloupe.jpeg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/magazine.prestigevillarental.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5790","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/magazine.prestigevillarental.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/magazine.prestigevillarental.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/magazine.prestigevillarental.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/magazine.prestigevillarental.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5790"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/magazine.prestigevillarental.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5790\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":21754,"href":"https:\/\/magazine.prestigevillarental.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5790\/revisions\/21754"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/magazine.prestigevillarental.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4222"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/magazine.prestigevillarental.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5790"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/magazine.prestigevillarental.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5790"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/magazine.prestigevillarental.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5790"},{"taxonomy":"powerkit_post_featured","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/magazine.prestigevillarental.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/powerkit_post_featured?post=5790"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}