Guadeloupe, Overseas region in Lesser Antilles, France
Guadeloupe is an overseas region of France located in the Lesser Antilles, consisting of several inhabited islands in the Caribbean Sea. The archipelago includes two main islands, Grande-Terre and Basse-Terre, along with smaller inhabited islands such as La Désirade, Marie-Galante, and Les Saintes, all connected by regular ferry services.
Christopher Columbus reached these islands during his second voyage in 1493 and named the territory after Santa María de Guadalupe de Extremadura in Spain. Over the following centuries, control shifted multiple times between France and England until the territory became permanently French and later gained full status as an integrated overseas region.
Carnival begins in January with parades of masked dancers, musicians playing traditional zouk rhythms, and local food vendors offering Creole specialties throughout the streets. In villages, residents gather regularly in central squares where domino players sit under shaded trees and fishmongers sell fresh catches straight from their boats.
Travelers reach the islands through Pointe-à-Pitre International Airport with direct flights from Paris, Montreal, and several Caribbean destinations. The best time to visit runs from December through May when rainfall is lower and temperatures stay comfortably warm, while hurricane season from June to November brings more precipitation and occasional storms.
La Soufrière is an active volcano rising to 4813 feet (1467 meters) with numerous hiking trails through tropical forests and sulfur springs that emerge from the ground below. The territory uses the euro as its official currency and follows French law entirely, despite being thousands of miles away from continental Europe.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
