A little over an hour east from Pointe-à-Pitre and Basse-Terre, if Guadeloupe has a classic “beach town,” this is it. On the south coast of Grande-Terre island with a population of roughly 24,000, its beaches — including Bois Jolan, Bourg, Les Helleux, Sainte-Anne, and especially Plage de Caravelle — boast turquoise water and white sand lined with palms. The town itself has a funky and occasionally ramshackle Caribbean vibe, with one- and two-story buildings, with wooden shutters and tin or tile roofs, and painted in bright pastels. Along with colorful murals, the streets are lined with shops, open-air bars, cafés, and restaurants (rum punches at sunset are de rigeur). Sainte-Anne’s lively market among many other things sells spices, madras fabrics, and locally made rhum agricole (about that, see more below), and the nearby Pointe des Châteaux, a 741-acre nature reserve, 20 to 30 minutes away, that´s full of scenic hiking trails and wild beaches. Accommodations in Sainte-Anne are in guesthouses and small hotels and hostels.

Read more in my post Guadeloupe and 8 of its Top Highlights.

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