Ile des Saintes Guadeloupe Cruise Port Guide

Location:

Cruise ships will tender you to Ile des Saintes close to the center of town.

Terre-de-Haut is the most tourist-friendly municipality in les Saintes archipelago, with hotels bungalows, bars and restaurants. There is little formalized activity, but one can tour the restored Fort Napoleon or rent mopeds.

Printable map to take along.

Cruise schedule for Ile des Saints.

Watch a destination video.

Live Nautical Chart with Wikipedia Markers

Monthly Climate Averages for Ile des Saintes Guadeloupe

Sightseeing:

There is a tourist office in the main street which has free maps of the island.

Fort Napoleon:The fort is well worth visiting but, beware, it closes at 12.30pm so double check that. Admission to the fort is 4 Euros. The fort houses a mini-botanical garden and a museum. The views from the fort are spectacular. It is a good hike, take plenty of water. The fort can also be reached by taking the local minibus.

Tours Excursions Transportation:

There's a 20 minute walk over the spine of the island to a tree shaded beach.

Scooter rental is 15 Euros for the day. Drivers license required.

Nearby Places:

On Terre-de-Haut, part of the Iles des Saintes, you'll find pristine beaches and families descended from Breton sailors.

There is no finer beach than Plage de Pompierre, which curves around the bay like a half moon, and is set against a backdrop of palms. The beach lies only a 15- to 20-minute walk from where the ferry from Basse-Terre docks. Unless a cruise ship is in port, the beach is generally uncrowded, filled with mainland French enjoying the powdery-white sand wearing next to nothing. If you want to bare all, head for Anse Crawen on the western coastline. It is the legal nudist beach, although people often go nude on the other beaches, too. The best snorkeling is on the southern coast at Plage Figuier, which, chances are, you'll have almost to yourself.

Shopping and Food

Plenty of shops, cafes and restaurants in the main street. It feels like you are in the south of France.

Currency:

The currency is the Euro.

Most banks and bank machines accept most international credit cards.

Credit cards: are welcomed almost everywhere, the best known is Visa.

Currency Converter

Communication:

Police: 17

There are cybercafes in Saint-François, Sainte Anne, Mare-Gaillard, Pointe-à-Pitre... there are also terminals in some post offices and other public sites.

The official language is French. Most people speak creole. In big tourist centers and at the northern islands (Saint-Martin, Saint-Bartholomew), they also speak English.

Opening Hours and Holidays:

Stores are usually open 8.00 am to noon and from 2.00 pm to 6.00 pm. Businesses are closed Saturday afternoons, Sundays, holidays and very often Wednesday afternoons.

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