Impressions of Guadeloupe
We landed in Pointe a Pitre with just a few hours before sunset.
We took advantage of the remaining daylight hours to explore the city. Driving in this city was a nightmare. Streets are narrow and cars are parked on both sides. GPS is quite useless because often where I was told to turn, the street turned out to be a one way. Additionally, traffic can be very slow and congested.
The city has a crowded feel. We did enjoy many of the murals that are painted throughout the city.
On our first day, we explored Grand-Terre side of the island and stopped at the beautiful beaches along the way.
If you’ve ever been to France, you will notice that Guadeloupe is very French. Road signs are the same as in France as well as meal times. Lunch service ends around 2:00-2:30. Dinner service starts around 6:00 to 6:30. If you want to eat between those times, you may have difficulty finding a place to eat. Before ordering always ask if credit cards are accepted. A few places we went to did not accept them although mostly everywhere did. If you’re paying in cash, most places only take Euro.
The majority of the tourists are French so don’t be surprised to see topless sun bathers. Since Norwegian Air started flying to the Island from the USA in 2013, few Americans had gone there. Therefore, it is helpful to know some French. Some people in the service industry knew some English, but I found the ability to speak French very helpful.
I got the impression that the resort town where we stayed, Le Gosier, was kind of stuck in the 80s. The resort where we stayed was nice and was probably top notch 30-35 years ago, but it was evident nothing had ever been updated.
The beach was beautiful and very private. I was surprised that the hotel did not have waiters coming by to sell drinks. Every time I wanted a cold drink, I had to get up, put on my cover and shoes, and walk to the restaurant for one.
This was a first—when I secured my rental car, I was told that I had to wash and vacuum it before returning it. I wasn’t about to look for a car wash at 5:00 am on my way to the airport. I stopped at a grocery store the night before and bought baby wipes. My son and I washed down the car in, yes, baby wipes. I doubt they would have charged me a cleaning fee, but I wasn’t taking any chances.
Finding the box to return the key for the rental car was a night mare. Let me save you the hassle. Once you find P1, park near the terminal at the left end facing the terminal. Secure your belongings, lock the car, and cross the street. Turn left. Keep going left until you reach the car rental building. Go to the very end of the glass portion. Where that ends, you will find the key return box on the far side.
I understand that it is Possible to take a taxi from airport to Le Gosier. Should be around 30$.
I was glad to explore Guadeloupe. The weather was beautiful. There wasn’t much to see and finding good places to eat was tough. I could find them on GPS, I may couldn’t GET to them. Crazy. It’s probably not a destination I would go back to though.
~Bella