Guadeloupe
Earth : North America : Caribbean : Guadeloupe
Guadeloupe [17], sometimes known as the Butterfly Island (French: I'ile Papillon), on account of the shape of two of its major islands, is a group of islands in the eastern Caribbean, and is a French overseas department. It is located southeast of Puerto Rico.  Map of Guadeloupe Islands
CitiesGrande Terre
In the town: You can enjoy the boardwalk during the day as well as in the evening. For the people who like surfing and have a good level, you can find one of the famous surf spot of Guadeloupe at the entrance of the town. There is a restaurant next to “le spot”. You can find a shopping mall at the entrance of the town and in the downtown. Shops are open from Monday to Saturday, including Saturday afternoon, something rare in Guadeloupe. You can see a very charming downtown with its church, its old ruins. Going to Saint-François Direction: If you look for a beach, you can go in the beach “l’autre bord” or “l’anse à l’eau”, when you leave downtown. You will see the “maison Zavellos” which is an old colonial house. Some say it’s a haunted house. The town of Moule also has, one of the first rum distillery which produces the famous Damoiseau rum. If you like walking, you can go to the “baie Olive” there are beautiful cliffs or go to the beach “plage des rouleaux”.
Basse Terre
Other destinationsDon't miss the spectacular waterfalls in the jungle of Basse-Terre. Some are within 5-10 minutes walking distance from the nearest parking lot, some require at least 3-4 hours of hiking (those are, of course less frequented by other tourists and you might find yourself alone at a spectacular waterfall in the middle of nowhere - an amazing experience!). The local rum distilleries offer tours (check for opening times as they may vary from season to season) which are certainly worth the while since rum production is a very integral part of Guadeloupe's economy. And sampling the local rums is definitely worth the while. Even though they might not be the best way to get around the island, a ride on the bus is still an experience you should not miss. Cheap, full of locals, conducted by fearless drivers, you can enjoy the beautiful Caribbean panorama to the sound of Guadeloupean zouk music. Some routes are not good for passengers with weak stomachs. If you're careful, you can hitch a free ride on the back for some "realistic" tourist experience. UnderstandGuadeloupe has been a French possession since 1635 except for the years 1813-1814 when it came into Swedish possession as a consequence of the Napoleonic Wars. The island of Saint Martin is shared with the Netherlands; its southern portion is named Sint Maarten and is part of the Netherlands Antilles and its northern portion is named Saint-Martin and is part of Guadeloupe. Guadeloupe is an archipelago of nine inhabited islands, including Basse-Terre, Grande-Terre, Marie-Galante, La Desirade, Iles des Saintes (2), Saint-Barthélemy, Iles de la Petite Terre, and Saint-Martin (French part of the island of Saint Martin).
Get inPassports and visasFrench Guiana, Martinique,Guadeloupe, St. Martin, St. Barthelemy, Reunion Passport holders of the following countries do not require a visa to enter the Departement o. Mere,D.O.M. as long as their visit (for business or tourism) does not exceed 90 days. NOTE: If you cannot find your nationality in the list below this means that you require a visa. Some passeport holders of the following countries mentioned below do however need to apply for a visa in order to study or work in the D.O.M. Please contact the visa section at [email protected] A Andorra Anguilla (1) Argentina Australia Austria B Bahrain (2bis) Barbados Belgium Bermuda (1) Bolivia Brunei Brazil (5) Bulgaria C Canada Cayman Islands (1) Chile Congo Republic - Brazzaville (3bis) Costa Rica Croatia Cyprus Czech Republic D Denmark E El Salvador Estonia F Falkland Islands (1) Finland G Germany Gibraltar (1) Greece Guatemala H Honduras Hong Kong SAR (4) Hungary I Iceland Ireland Israel (3) (regular passeport only) Italy J Japan L Latvia Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg M Madagascar (2) Malaysia Malta Maurice (2) Mexico Monaco Montserrat (1) N Netherlands, The New Zealand Nicaragua Norway P Panama Paraguay Poland Portugal R Romainia S Saint Helena (1) San Marino Serbia (6) Seychelles (2) Slovakia Slovenia South Africa (2) South Korea Spain Sultanat of Oman (4bis) Sweden Switzerland T Taiwan (7) Trinidad and Tobago Turks and Caicos (1) U United Kingdom (1) United States Uruguay V Vatican City Venezuela Virgin Islands (1) (1) The holders of passports with one of the following stipulations: “British Dependent Territories Citizen”, “The holder has the right of abode in the United Kingdom”, “European Community”, “European Union”, do not require a visa for tourism purposes as long as the stay does not exceed 90 days within a period of six months. All other passport holders of this nationality must apply for a visa. (2) No visa required for Reunion only (2bis) From August 1st, 2009, only citizens of the Kingdom of Bahrain holding a diplomatic or special passport, do not require a short stay visa to travel to France and/or D.O.M./T.O.M. (3) Holders of diplomatic and service passeports need a visa (3bis) From August 1st 2009, only citizens of the Congo Republic (Brazzaville) holding a "Biometrically Secured" diplomatic passports ONLY do not require a visa to travel to France and/or D.O.M./T.O.M. (TAAF excepted) (4) British National Overseas (B.N.O.) require visas. (4bis) From July 1st, 2009, citizens of the Sultanat of Oman holding a Diplomatic, Official (only Omanees citizens) and Special passport do not require a short stay visa to travel to France and/or D.O.M./T.O.M. (5) From August 1st 2009, Brazilian citizens holding a diplomatic, official or ordinary passport, do not need a short stay visa to travel to Saint-Martin and Saint-Barthélemy. (6) Only for holders of red biometric passports. Holders of non biometric passports must apply for a visa. (7) Only for holders of passports mentioning a "Personal id No" By planeAmerican Airlines (from San Juan, PR), Delta Airlines (weekly from Atlanta), Air Caraïbes, Corsair, Air France, Air Europe, Air Canada, Cubana. Norwegian air-shuttle has introduced a low-cost connection between Fort Lauderdale and Point-à-Pitre. To get more information, you can have a look at Guadeloupe Airport website [18]. From Guadeloupe, to travel in the surrounding places, here is an idea of the prices (roundtrip): Trinidad ~250 €, Barbade ~260 €, Puerto Rico ~300 €, Dominican Republic ~350 €, Cuba ~550 € There is an Air Pass [19] to travel between most of the islands of the lesser Antilles delivered by the regional company LIAT Airlines [20], it costs about $500 for one month and is unlimited, but you have to pay taxes for each airport. You can obtain information at Agence Penchard, 1 bis rue de la République 97100 Basse-Terre, Tel 0590 812 712 Fax 0590 810 711 By carFrom some neighbouring islands, you can travel with your car on ferry companies (See section by boat). By boatFrom Martinique, Dominica, Saint Lucia, Marie Galante, Les Saintes: Express des Iles [21], Brudey Frères [22], Star Ferries[23].
CMA CGM shipping company take a few passengers on their weekly container ships from France to Martinique and Guadeloupe Get aroundBy carThe bus system is infrequent and unreliable. Cars can be hired at the airport in Pointe-à-Pitre: Rentacar Guadeloupe [24] The main roads are of the same quality as metropolitan France, but smaller roads are often uneven, pot-holed and frankly dangerous. Prudence is required! Drivers are often undisciplined, but rarely aggressive. By boatTalkFrench is the official language. Antillean Creole is a language also spoken primarily in the French (and some of the English) Lesser Antilles, such as Martinique, Guadeloupe, Îles des Saintes, Dominica, St. Lucia, Trinidad and Tobago and many other smaller islands. Everyone speaks French but few people understand English which has however influenced Antillean Creole since the British seized the island several times. See also: French phrasebook. SeeDoScuba diving and snorkeling. There is an amazing assortment of tropical fish, even in water less than one meter deep. For those who can't swim, glass bottomed boat trips are on offer. There are many festivals to attend to in Guadeloupe. In Guadeloupe they call them "parties on the street". They use colourful ribbons and tie them round their wrists to resemble the colours of all the nations. Their parties last all through the night until the early morning. They sometimes call them "swatson".
Buy
EatNot to be missed, the plate Colombo (chicken, rice, curry), imported from India, has become the typical regional plate. the expected cost for food is anywhere from 4.99 to 38.99 DrinkThe local drink is white rum. Do try the "'Ti Punch" (Petit Punch/small Punch) (rum, lime, and sugar cane/brown sugar). Packs a wallop, so be prepared to melt into the island way of life. Sleep
WorkFor European people coming from an EU country, working in Guadeloupe is allowed without problem. If you're from outside the EU, you will probably need a work permit - check with the French Embassy in your country. Do not forget though that the unemployment rate is around 28%. But if you work in the health sector (doctor, nurse), it will be much easier. Else you could find a job in bars, restaurants, and/or nightclubs. The better is to have a precise idea of what you want to do, inform yourself and prospect before going there. Voluntary service: Volontariat Civil à l'Aide Technique (VCAT). Conditions: you must be French or from another EU-member state or a country belonging to the European Economic Area. You must be over 18 and under 28 years old (inclusive). You must not have had your civic rights revoked by a court or have been convicted of certain offences. VCAT [25], Préfecture Guadeloupe [26]. Stay safeBring lots of sunscreen! There are Metropole-style pharmacies which carry top of the line French sunscreen, that can be expensive. Also, keep hydrated, especially when hiking in the mountainous areas. A hat is often a good thing to have because the sun can get extremely hot. Stay healthyThere is no particular disease but you should protect yourself from the sun. Sanitary and medical facilities in Guadeloupe are good. Health care in Guadeloupe is controlled by a state-owned organisation (Sécurité Sociale). Doctors are available in almost every village. Tap water is usually safe for consumption. Public sources of water are unsafe if labeled with "Eau non potable" (no drinking water). Visitors from European Union should bring a European Health Insurance Card or EHIC (formerly the E111 form) with them. Ask details at your local health care organisation. Emergency phone numbers
RespectWhile officially a part of France, the country does not have a very europeanized way of life. In fact, life in the Caribbean has a much slower pace. Busses run very infrequently, taxis are hard to find, smaller stores open or close not always on time, queuing in stores is sometimes very time consuming... Try to fall into the local pace and do not complain about minor annoyances as Guadeloupeans will see that as an offense to their way of life. And they are proud of the distinction between caribbean and metropolitan (French) life style! ContactPhonesCountry code: 590 Dialing within Guadeloupe: all numbers have 10 digits. Landlines begin by 0590 and mobile phones by 0690. Dialing to Guadeloupe: international prefix + 590 + phone number without the first 0 (this leads to dial twice 590 which is normal). If you dial from France, just use the 10 digits number. Dialing from Guadeloupe: the international prefix is 00. Calling to a mobile phone is more expensive than to a landline. Number beginning by 0800 are free phone. Number beginning by 089 are premium-rate. Few foreign mobile phone companies offer international roaming to Guadeloupe so double-check before leaving. Your company should provide specific roaming to Guadeloupe since it has deferent mobile phone companies than in mainland France. Alternatively, you should be able to get a Pay-as-you-go SIM card from various locations. There are two companies offering wireless services: Bouygues Telecom Caraïbe [27] and Orange Caraïbe [28]. PostPost offices are found in all cities. Letter boxes are colored in yellow. RatesLess than 20g (postcard, letter with one or two pages in a regular envelop) :
 Marianne The basic stamp for regular mail is red with the head of "Marianne" (the Republic logo). It does not carry its value and can therefore be used even after a price increase. It is sold in all Post Offices, Bureaux de Tabacs (Tobacco sellers identified by a red lozenge) and postcard vendors. The latter may also carry other common stamps. In most Post Offices you will find an automatic machine (yellow) with a scale and a screen. Just put your mail on the scale, tell the machine (French or English) the destination, pay the indicated amount and the machine will deliver a printed stamp.
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