Caribbean · Island-hopping by boat: Grande-Terre, Les Saintes & Martinique
White beaches and Creole food on Grande-Terre, the car-free Les Saintes islands, rainforest waterfalls, then a ferry to Martinique to snorkel with turtles and taste rum.
Overview
The French Antilles are the Caribbean with euros, French and baguettes, and without passport stress. Guadeloupe is shaped like a butterfly. Its eastern wing, Grande-Terre, has the white-sand beaches and lagoons. The western wing, Basse-Terre, has rainforest, waterfalls and the La Soufrière volcano. Offshore lies Les Saintes, one of the most beautiful bays in the world, with no cars. A ferry then takes you to Martinique for turtles in the Anses d'Arlet, the rum distilleries and the Mount Pelée volcano. Honestly, most visitors rent a car here and the buses are limited. This version is built around bases where you can walk to beaches and restaurants, plus boats, buses, taxis and day tours.
Scorecard
Tap a criterion to see why it got that score.
Average of 19 criteria
Excellent Creole cooking (accras, colombo, fish in court-bouillon), French bakeries and world-class agricultural rum.
Saint-Pierre's ruins, Fort Napoléon, the Mémorial ACTe in Pointe-à-Pitre, rum distilleries.
Volcanoes, rainforest, waterfalls and marine reserves.
Beautiful white and black-sand beaches, lagoons and reefs.
Sea turtles, reef fish and seasonal whales; hummingbirds.
Snorkelling, diving (the Cousteau reserve), hiking the volcanoes, kayaking and sailing.
Beach bars and 'ti-punch' (the local rum cocktail); zouk evenings in town; quiet overall.
A beach-and-boat holiday at an island pace.
Beaches, rainforest, volcanoes, small islands and two different islands to explore.
Via Paris (≈ 8h30 nonstop from Paris, 11–13 h in total from Geneva).
Good boats between islands, but limited buses and expensive taxis on the main islands.
French territory: euros, French language, EU standards and Swiss ID accepted.
−5 h (winter) / −6 h (summer) from Geneva.
Prices are like France or higher: restaurants CHF 25–50, and taxis are expensive.
Warm all year (27–31°C); dry season December–May; hurricanes possible from July to October.
Safe for travellers; some crime in Pointe-à-Pitre and Fort-de-France at night.
French healthcare; dengue possible; occasional water cuts in Guadeloupe.
Many holiday rentals and small hotels; fewer great-value options.
Busy during French school holidays; quiet otherwise.
When to go
December to April is best. Avoid September–October.
Getting there
Fly via Paris. Air France (CDG and Orly), Air Caraïbes and Corsair (both from Orly) fly nonstop to Pointe-à-Pitre (PTP) and Fort-de-France (FDF) in about 8h30. From Geneva, connect by flight to Paris or take the TGV Lyria (3h10) to Paris. Book an open jaw: into Guadeloupe, home from Martinique.
| Routing | Airline | Stops | Travel time | Return, economy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GVA → CDG → PTP / FDF | Air France | 1 | 11h–13h | CHF 700–1200 |
| Geneva → Paris (TGV Lyria) → ORY → PTP / FDF Leave 4 h between the train arrival and the flight (transfer to Orly). | Air Caraïbes / Corsair / Air France | 1 | ≈8h30 flight + train | CHF 600–1100 |
Itinerary
Pick a trip length. Day 1 is arrival day and the last day is departure day; the overnight flights are extra. Each transfer lists every option, with the recommended one first.
Grande-Terre's beaches, a Basse-Terre rainforest tour, two nights on Les Saintes, then Martinique's turtles, north and catamaran.
Land in the afternoon, take a taxi to Sainte-Anne, and have a ti-punch and accras on the beach at sunset.
Accras, grilled fish and a ti-punch at a beach bar.
Grande-Terre's wild eastern tip for the view, then the beaches of Saint-François and a lagoon swim.
Limestone cliffs and a cross on a hill above crashing Atlantic waves, with a view of La Désirade.
Wild beaches near the point.
A full-day tour to the rainforest of the national park: the Carbet falls, the Route de la Traversée, and snorkelling around the Pigeon islands.
Rainforest walks (Cascade aux Écrevisses, the Carbet falls viewpoint), the Mamelles pass, and snorkelling or a glass-bottom boat at the Cousteau reserve (Malendure).
A ferry to Terre-de-Haut. Walk up to Fort Napoléon for the view over the bay.
A 19th-century fort with a cactus garden, iguanas, and one of the Caribbean's most beautiful bay views.
Snorkelling off the Pain de Sucre, lunch in the village, Pompierre bay, and a hike up Le Chameau for sunset.
Basalt columns and reef fish, sometimes turtles.
A sheltered, palm-fringed crescent bay, with goats.
A 1-hour climb to the island's highest point (309 m) and an old watchtower.
A ferry back to Guadeloupe and on to Martinique (or a short flight), then a boat shuttle across the bay to Les Trois-Îlets.
Dinner at the marina.
Snorkel with the green turtles grazing in Grande Anse d'Arlet's bay, then the postcard village church of Anse d'Arlet.
Green turtles graze on the seagrass just off the beach at Grande Anse d'Arlet and Anse Dufour; keep your distance.
The famous church facing the pier and the sea.
A day tour to the rainforest road, the Balata gardens, Saint-Pierre (destroyed by Mount Pelée in 1902) and a rum distillery.
Jardin de Balata, the Route de la Trace through the rainforest, the ruins of Saint-Pierre, and a tasting at the Depaz or Habitation Clément distillery. Hikers can climb Mount Pelée with a guide instead.
A catamaran day in the Robert and François bays: standing waist-deep in turquoise water at the 'Baignoire de Joséphine', with a Creole lunch on an islet.
Sandbanks in the middle of the bay, with a planter's punch in hand; islet lunch and snorkelling.
A morning swim, then a taxi to the airport for the flight to Paris.
A day trip to the island of windmills and rum.
Land in the afternoon, take a taxi to Sainte-Anne, and have a ti-punch and accras on the beach at sunset.
Accras, grilled fish and a ti-punch at a beach bar.
Grande-Terre's wild eastern tip for the view, then the beaches of Saint-François and a lagoon swim.
Limestone cliffs and a cross on a hill above crashing Atlantic waves, with a view of La Désirade.
Wild beaches near the point.
A full-day tour to the rainforest of the national park: the Carbet falls, the Route de la Traversée, and snorkelling around the Pigeon islands.
Rainforest walks (Cascade aux Écrevisses, the Carbet falls viewpoint), the Mamelles pass, and snorkelling or a glass-bottom boat at the Cousteau reserve (Malendure).
A ferry to the 'flat island' for its windmills, distilleries and empty beaches.
Rum distilleries (Bielle, Père Labat), the Château Murat plantation, and the Capesterre and Anse Canot beaches. Tour by local minibus or taxi from the port.
A ferry to Terre-de-Haut. Walk up to Fort Napoléon for the view over the bay.
A 19th-century fort with a cactus garden, iguanas, and one of the Caribbean's most beautiful bay views.
Snorkelling off the Pain de Sucre, lunch in the village, Pompierre bay, and a hike up Le Chameau for sunset.
Basalt columns and reef fish, sometimes turtles.
A sheltered, palm-fringed crescent bay, with goats.
A 1-hour climb to the island's highest point (309 m) and an old watchtower.
A ferry back to Guadeloupe and on to Martinique (or a short flight), then a boat shuttle across the bay to Les Trois-Îlets.
Dinner at the marina.
Snorkel with the green turtles grazing in Grande Anse d'Arlet's bay, then the postcard village church of Anse d'Arlet.
Green turtles graze on the seagrass just off the beach at Grande Anse d'Arlet and Anse Dufour; keep your distance.
The famous church facing the pier and the sea.
A day tour to the rainforest road, the Balata gardens, Saint-Pierre (destroyed by Mount Pelée in 1902) and a rum distillery.
Jardin de Balata, the Route de la Trace through the rainforest, the ruins of Saint-Pierre, and a tasting at the Depaz or Habitation Clément distillery. Hikers can climb Mount Pelée with a guide instead.
A catamaran day in the Robert and François bays: standing waist-deep in turquoise water at the 'Baignoire de Joséphine', with a Creole lunch on an islet.
Sandbanks in the middle of the bay, with a planter's punch in hand; islet lunch and snorkelling.
A morning swim, then a taxi to the airport for the flight to Paris.
Adds a guided hike up Guadeloupe's volcano.
Land in the afternoon, take a taxi to Sainte-Anne, and have a ti-punch and accras on the beach at sunset.
Accras, grilled fish and a ti-punch at a beach bar.
Grande-Terre's wild eastern tip for the view, then the beaches of Saint-François and a lagoon swim.
Limestone cliffs and a cross on a hill above crashing Atlantic waves, with a view of La Désirade.
Wild beaches near the point.
A full-day tour to the rainforest of the national park: the Carbet falls, the Route de la Traversée, and snorkelling around the Pigeon islands.
Rainforest walks (Cascade aux Écrevisses, the Carbet falls viewpoint), the Mamelles pass, and snorkelling or a glass-bottom boat at the Cousteau reserve (Malendure).
A guided hike up Guadeloupe's active volcano (1,467 m): fumaroles, a moonscape and huge views, with a hot-spring bath at the Bains Jaunes.
A 4–5 h round trip from the Bains Jaunes; often in the clouds (start early). The summit is sometimes closed because of gases.
A ferry to the 'flat island' for its windmills, distilleries and empty beaches.
Rum distilleries (Bielle, Père Labat), the Château Murat plantation, and the Capesterre and Anse Canot beaches. Tour by local minibus or taxi from the port.
A ferry to Terre-de-Haut. Walk up to Fort Napoléon for the view over the bay.
A 19th-century fort with a cactus garden, iguanas, and one of the Caribbean's most beautiful bay views.
Snorkelling off the Pain de Sucre, lunch in the village, Pompierre bay, and a hike up Le Chameau for sunset.
Basalt columns and reef fish, sometimes turtles.
A sheltered, palm-fringed crescent bay, with goats.
A 1-hour climb to the island's highest point (309 m) and an old watchtower.
A ferry back to Guadeloupe and on to Martinique (or a short flight), then a boat shuttle across the bay to Les Trois-Îlets.
Dinner at the marina.
Snorkel with the green turtles grazing in Grande Anse d'Arlet's bay, then the postcard village church of Anse d'Arlet.
Green turtles graze on the seagrass just off the beach at Grande Anse d'Arlet and Anse Dufour; keep your distance.
The famous church facing the pier and the sea.
A day tour to the rainforest road, the Balata gardens, Saint-Pierre (destroyed by Mount Pelée in 1902) and a rum distillery.
Jardin de Balata, the Route de la Trace through the rainforest, the ruins of Saint-Pierre, and a tasting at the Depaz or Habitation Clément distillery. Hikers can climb Mount Pelée with a guide instead.
A catamaran day in the Robert and François bays: standing waist-deep in turquoise water at the 'Baignoire de Joséphine', with a Creole lunch on an islet.
Sandbanks in the middle of the bay, with a planter's punch in hand; islet lunch and snorkelling.
A morning swim, then a taxi to the airport for the flight to Paris.
An extra Martinique day for its most beautiful southern beach.
Land in the afternoon, take a taxi to Sainte-Anne, and have a ti-punch and accras on the beach at sunset.
Accras, grilled fish and a ti-punch at a beach bar.
Grande-Terre's wild eastern tip for the view, then the beaches of Saint-François and a lagoon swim.
Limestone cliffs and a cross on a hill above crashing Atlantic waves, with a view of La Désirade.
Wild beaches near the point.
A full-day tour to the rainforest of the national park: the Carbet falls, the Route de la Traversée, and snorkelling around the Pigeon islands.
Rainforest walks (Cascade aux Écrevisses, the Carbet falls viewpoint), the Mamelles pass, and snorkelling or a glass-bottom boat at the Cousteau reserve (Malendure).
A guided hike up Guadeloupe's active volcano (1,467 m): fumaroles, a moonscape and huge views, with a hot-spring bath at the Bains Jaunes.
A 4–5 h round trip from the Bains Jaunes; often in the clouds (start early). The summit is sometimes closed because of gases.
A ferry to the 'flat island' for its windmills, distilleries and empty beaches.
Rum distilleries (Bielle, Père Labat), the Château Murat plantation, and the Capesterre and Anse Canot beaches. Tour by local minibus or taxi from the port.
A ferry to Terre-de-Haut. Walk up to Fort Napoléon for the view over the bay.
A 19th-century fort with a cactus garden, iguanas, and one of the Caribbean's most beautiful bay views.
Snorkelling off the Pain de Sucre, lunch in the village, Pompierre bay, and a hike up Le Chameau for sunset.
Basalt columns and reef fish, sometimes turtles.
A sheltered, palm-fringed crescent bay, with goats.
A 1-hour climb to the island's highest point (309 m) and an old watchtower.
A ferry back to Guadeloupe and on to Martinique (or a short flight), then a boat shuttle across the bay to Les Trois-Îlets.
Dinner at the marina.
Snorkel with the green turtles grazing in Grande Anse d'Arlet's bay, then the postcard village church of Anse d'Arlet.
Green turtles graze on the seagrass just off the beach at Grande Anse d'Arlet and Anse Dufour; keep your distance.
The famous church facing the pier and the sea.
A day tour to the rainforest road, the Balata gardens, Saint-Pierre (destroyed by Mount Pelée in 1902) and a rum distillery.
Jardin de Balata, the Route de la Trace through the rainforest, the ruins of Saint-Pierre, and a tasting at the Depaz or Habitation Clément distillery. Hikers can climb Mount Pelée with a guide instead.
A catamaran day in the Robert and François bays: standing waist-deep in turquoise water at the 'Baignoire de Joséphine', with a Creole lunch on an islet.
Sandbanks in the middle of the bay, with a planter's punch in hand; islet lunch and snorkelling.
Martinique's most famous beach, Les Salines, and the Diamond Rock viewpoint.
A long white-sand beach lined with coconut palms at the southern tip.
Diamond Rock rising from the sea, and the slavery memorial at Anse Cafard.
A morning swim, then a taxi to the airport for the flight to Paris.
Everything, plus a free beach day before flying home.
Land in the afternoon, take a taxi to Sainte-Anne, and have a ti-punch and accras on the beach at sunset.
Accras, grilled fish and a ti-punch at a beach bar.
Grande-Terre's wild eastern tip for the view, then the beaches of Saint-François and a lagoon swim.
Limestone cliffs and a cross on a hill above crashing Atlantic waves, with a view of La Désirade.
Wild beaches near the point.
A full-day tour to the rainforest of the national park: the Carbet falls, the Route de la Traversée, and snorkelling around the Pigeon islands.
Rainforest walks (Cascade aux Écrevisses, the Carbet falls viewpoint), the Mamelles pass, and snorkelling or a glass-bottom boat at the Cousteau reserve (Malendure).
A guided hike up Guadeloupe's active volcano (1,467 m): fumaroles, a moonscape and huge views, with a hot-spring bath at the Bains Jaunes.
A 4–5 h round trip from the Bains Jaunes; often in the clouds (start early). The summit is sometimes closed because of gases.
A ferry to the 'flat island' for its windmills, distilleries and empty beaches.
Rum distilleries (Bielle, Père Labat), the Château Murat plantation, and the Capesterre and Anse Canot beaches. Tour by local minibus or taxi from the port.
A ferry to Terre-de-Haut. Walk up to Fort Napoléon for the view over the bay.
A 19th-century fort with a cactus garden, iguanas, and one of the Caribbean's most beautiful bay views.
Snorkelling off the Pain de Sucre, lunch in the village, Pompierre bay, and a hike up Le Chameau for sunset.
Basalt columns and reef fish, sometimes turtles.
A sheltered, palm-fringed crescent bay, with goats.
A 1-hour climb to the island's highest point (309 m) and an old watchtower.
A ferry back to Guadeloupe and on to Martinique (or a short flight), then a boat shuttle across the bay to Les Trois-Îlets.
Dinner at the marina.
Snorkel with the green turtles grazing in Grande Anse d'Arlet's bay, then the postcard village church of Anse d'Arlet.
Green turtles graze on the seagrass just off the beach at Grande Anse d'Arlet and Anse Dufour; keep your distance.
The famous church facing the pier and the sea.
A day tour to the rainforest road, the Balata gardens, Saint-Pierre (destroyed by Mount Pelée in 1902) and a rum distillery.
Jardin de Balata, the Route de la Trace through the rainforest, the ruins of Saint-Pierre, and a tasting at the Depaz or Habitation Clément distillery. Hikers can climb Mount Pelée with a guide instead.
A catamaran day in the Robert and François bays: standing waist-deep in turquoise water at the 'Baignoire de Joséphine', with a Creole lunch on an islet.
Sandbanks in the middle of the bay, with a planter's punch in hand; islet lunch and snorkelling.
Martinique's most famous beach, Les Salines, and the Diamond Rock viewpoint.
A long white-sand beach lined with coconut palms at the southern tip.
Diamond Rock rising from the sea, and the slavery memorial at Anse Cafard.
A slow day at Anse Mitan or Anse Noire, a massage, and a last Creole dinner.
Twin coves, one with black sand and one with white sand, and turtles again.
A morning swim, then a taxi to the airport for the flight to Paris.
Skip a region, add beach days, change the pace… Suggest changes and a new version of this trip will be created.
Getting around
Choose accommodation within walking distance of a beach and restaurants, and use boats as your main transport: ferries to Les Saintes, the Express des Îles to Martinique, and boat shuttles across Fort-de-France bay. Book day tours with hotel pick-up for the rainforest and volcano areas. Use taxis or apps for airport transfers. On Les Saintes, walk or rent an e-bike (no cars for visitors).
Fast, frequent ferries between the islands; the backbone of a car-free trip.
Day tours and catamaran trips include pick-up and cover the places buses don't reach.
Available but expensive; book ahead, especially for early or late rides.
Local apps (En Woute, Heetch) in the main urban areas.
Karulis in Guadeloupe and Martinique's buses: cheap, but infrequent and with no evening or Sunday service.
40-min hops between Pointe-à-Pitre and Fort-de-France (Air Antilles, Air Caraïbes).
Where to stay & budget
Per person per day, excluding international flights. Assumes two people sharing a double room or apartment, boats and occasional taxis, and restaurant meals. Taxis are the costly part without a car (CHF 30–70 per ride).
A lively seaside town with a lagoon beach, market and restaurants, a good car-free base for Grande-Terre.
Where: Walking distance from the Sainte-Anne beach and centre.
A tiny archipelago of Breton-Norman fishermen's heritage, with colourful houses, a stunning bay and no traffic.
Where: In or near the village of Terre-de-Haut.
The 'island of a hundred windmills': sugar cane, distilleries, empty beaches and a slow pace.
Where: Visited as a day trip here.
The Pointe du Bout marina and beaches across the bay from Fort-de-France (20 min by boat shuttle), close to the Anses d'Arlet.
Where: Pointe du Bout (boat shuttle, restaurants, beaches), or Anses d'Arlet for quiet.
Practical
Information last checked: September 2026. Visa rules, prices and timetables change, so always check before booking.
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