The most diverse and complete island of the Caribbean MUST be Guadeloupe. It’s actually a dozen islands, with amazing beaches, tropical rainforest, rare birds and animals, history, culture and great food. Guadeloupe is especially popular with cruise passengers and French tourists, but it’s actually a great destination for both Europeans and Americans. Flying to the capital Pointe-á-Pitre is not very expensive from Paris, LA, London or Amsterdam. So what is there to do?

We stay at Grande-Terre in Le Gosier, where the best beaches are and the sun is shining most of the times. We rented a car to visit the other part of Guadeloupe called Basse-Terre. The second of the two main islands has volcanoes, lakes and lush rainforest to explore. There we see the three waterfalls called Chutes du Carbet in the National Park of Guadeloupe. We visit a small island just off the coast, see lots of animals and also visit the far east. On a road trip we stop at the most incredible beach: La Caravelle, near Saint-Anne. In Pointe des Châteaux we see the extreme differences. In a dry rocky area we see pink lakes, high cliffs and a famous cross statue.

The hotel we stayed in: Karibea Beach Resort in Le Gosier.

Watch the video about Guadeloupe here