A change of scenery and atmosphere. Here we are in Basse-Terre for the second part of our stay in Guadeloupe. This side of the island is greener, more tropical, but just as welcoming.

Itinéraire de notre séjour

Jour 1 : Québec - Saint-François

Jour 2 : Pointe à Pitre

Jour 3 : Road trip en Grande Terre

Jour 4 : Traversée vers Bouillante (Basse-Terre)

Jour 5 : La Soufrière

Jour 6 : Les Saintes

Jour 7 : Réserve Cousteau

Jour 8 : Bouillante - Québec

Day 4

We left our accommodation in Saint-François in the morning to head towards Bouillante for the next leg of our trip.

To get there, we took the Route de la Traversée (the D23). It's a beautiful road that crosses Basse-Terre from east to west through a tropical rainforest. The landscape and climate are a world apart from Grande-Terre.

We decided to make two stops along the way: the Cascade aux Écrevisses (Crayfish Waterfall) and the Parc des Mamelles Zoo.

While the weather had been beautiful since our arrival, today it was alternating between rain and... rain.

During the short walk to the waterfall, we were caught in a downpour. We hadn't brought any shelter. Oh well, since we were already wet, we decided to go for a swim anyway.

After drying off, we hit the road again towards Bouillante. We stopped at the Guadeloupe Zoo. We bought our tickets and had lunch/dinner at the only restaurant across the road, Le Pik.

This time we donned our ponchos for the zoo visit. We weren't going to get caught out twice in one day. The zoo isn't very big, but it's unique. Part of the visit takes place on suspension bridges in the middle of the canopy.

We're heading towards Bouillante to visit an open-air jacuzzi. It's an underground hot spring fed by a nearby volcano and used by the geothermal power plant, which then releases the water into the sea. This "river" is extremely hot. The closer you get to the mouth, the hotter it gets. The water is also very sulfurous. Be careful with your jewelry; it might change color.

We arrived at our gîte, nestled in the hills near Malendure beach in Bouillante, feeling completely relaxed. We were greeted by the lovely owners, Claudine and Christian. The bungalow we stayed in was in their garden, and we had access to the swimming pool. But above all, the view of the sea was magnificent, and the sunsets were breathtaking. We adored our stay in this little paradise. Our only regret was not staying longer.

Today is Jean-François's birthday. Happy birthday, Jeff!

We're celebrating at a great restaurant recommended by our hosts, the Sunset B.

Day 5

We left the gîte early this morning for a hike. We were heading to the summit of La Soufrière, the highest point in the Lesser Antilles at 1,467 meters. It's an active volcano, and the round trip takes about four to five hours.

The starting point is at the Bains Jaunes (Yellow Baths) in Saint-Claude. The parking lot is small, so to get a spot, you have to arrive early because it's first come, first served.

The hike isn't easy, but the last part is really tough.

During the climb, we were enveloped in clouds several times. We had to bring out our ponchos again.

At the summit, the wind was very strong, and we had to respect the safety guidelines. You can't go down into the crater without being accompanied by authorized guides and without wearing masks because of the sulfur. We only caught a glimpse of the crater for a few seconds when the clouds parted a little.

Day 6

Another early start, as we're spending the day in Les Saintes, Terre-de-Haut. We booked our 9:00 a.m. ferry from Trois-Rivières a few weeks ago. Following our hosts' advice, we left very early to avoid the traffic jams at the start of the school day and make sure we didn't miss our boat.

On the island, we met up with our Quebec friends, whom we'd seen in Saint-François, and spent the day together.

Les Saintes is a true little slice of paradise. There are practically no cars on the island. People get around on foot, by electric scooter, or by golf cart. We didn't have enough time to stay overnight, which is a real shame. In the evening, the tourists take the last ferry at 5:15 p.m., and the atmosphere is much more peaceful. Maybe next time...

After a busy day in Les Saintes, we arrived in Bouillante in the evening. It wasn't easy to find a restaurant that was open or still had a table. Finally, we settled in at Didier's. The atmosphere was very friendly. The owner is quite the character and puts on a real show. Needless to say, the food was excellent. In short, it was a perfect end to a wonderful day.

Day 7

Today, we're going swimming with the fish at the Cousteau Reserve. We rented a kayak to reach the Pigeon Islands. The kayak trip takes about 25 minutes. The return trip was a bit more challenging than the outward journey. A headwind picked up, and we had to paddle hard to reach the beach.

Luckily, we left early in the morning because there isn't much space to set up your kayak once you arrive at the islet. We were among the first to arrive, so no problem, but by mid-morning, it was very crowded.

It's a beautiful spot to admire the colorful fish. But here too, the sargassum seaweed spoils the experience. The later it gets, the more there is. It's a real shame.

For our last evening of vacation, we're going to have dinner at the Rocher de Malendure restaurant. The terrace offers a splendid view at sunset. It's actually our last sunset in Guadeloupe.

Day 8

The holidays are over. We have to return to Pointe-à-Pitre airport for our 1 p.m. flight. We reluctantly leave Guadeloupe, which has charmed us. A week is far too short to appreciate all the beauty of this island and the charm of its people. So, it's only goodbye for now.

See you soon!