Grand Etang

Basse-Terre Island

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Starting from St-Sauveur on the N1, the road runs 8.5km inland, making for a nice 15-minute drive up through a rainforest. Nearly 3km before the end of the road is a marked stop at the trailhead to Grand Etang, a placid lake circled by a loop trail. It’s just a five-minute walk from the roadside parking area down to the edge of the lake, and it takes about an hour more to hike the lake’s perimeter.

The going can be tough at times, with a couple of river crossings and slippery tree roots underfoot.

Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

  • Snorkeler surveys coral reef, Guadeloupe, French West Indies, Caribbean Sea

    Réserve Cousteau

    14.47 MILES

    Jacques Cousteau brought Pigeon Island to international attention by declaring it to be one of the world’s top dive areas, and the waters surrounding the…

  • Mémorial ACTe

    Mémorial ACTe

    15.38 MILES

    Top billing in the French Antilles goes to this huge museum of slavery, opened by President Hollande in 2015. Housed in a spectacular silver-latticework…

  • Maison du Cacao

    Maison du Cacao

    16.01 MILES

    One of Basse-Terre's most enjoyable attractions, the Maison du Cacao is for anyone who loves their chocolate. Presentations in English take place at 10am,…

  • Zoo de Guadeloupe

    Zoo de Guadeloupe

    13.37 MILES

    One of Guadeloupe's must-sees, this excellent zoo, high in the mountains of Basse-Terre, combines animal enclosures with a jungle adventure. Follow the…

  • Grande Anse

    Grande Anse

    22.92 MILES

    This superb golden-sand beach with no hotel development in sight is just 2km north of Deshaies. This is one of Basse-Terre's longest and prettiest…

  • Plage de la Caravelle

    Plage de la Caravelle

    20.29 MILES

    This headland of white sand about 2km west of Ste-Anne's center is one of Guadeloupe's very finest beaches – it's the Caribbean you probably came to see…

  • Grand Cul-de-Sac Marin

    Grand Cul-de-Sac Marin

    22.3 MILES

    This Unesco Biosphere Reserve just off the coast of Basse-Terre makes for an enjoyable day trip. A chain of coral islets sitting atop a 25km-long coral…

  • Baie de Pompierre

    Baie de Pompierre

    11.32 MILES

    The horseshoe-shaped Baie de Pompierre is perhaps Terre-de-Haut's loveliest beach: a reef-protected golden strand with a splendid setting. There are even…

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Nearby Basse-Terre Island attractions

1. Chutes du Carbet

1.91 MILES

Unless it’s overcast, the drive up to the Chutes du Carbet lookout gives a view of two magnificent waterfalls plunging down a sheer mountain face. From…

2. La Soufrière

2.67 MILES

Active volcano La Soufrière (1467m) looms above Basse-Terre's southern half. For an adventurous 1¾-hour hike to the sulfurous, moonscape-like summit, a…

5. Parc National de la Guadeloupe

9.14 MILES

Guadeloupe's only national park is an absolute stunner, covering much of the interior of Basse-Terre and including such sights as the Chutes du Carbet…

6. Valombreuse Floral Park

10.22 MILES

Nestled in the hills west of Petit-Bourg, this mature 14-hectare botanical garden includes a wide range of tropical plants and flowers, a palmery, and…

7. Fort Napoléon

10.91 MILES

Built in 1867 on the site of an earlier fort destroyed by the British in 1809, this installation sitting over 100m above sea level affords a splendid view…

8. Cascade aux Ecrevisses

10.97 MILES

This idyllic jungle waterfall drops from a Basse-Terre mountainside into a small riverside pool where you can swim. It's a wonderful and therefore popular…

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