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Practical info
Time difference
5 hours behind Mainland France in winter, and 6 hours behind in summer.
5 hours behind Mainland France in winter, and 6 hours behind in summer.
Flight time
8 h
8 h
Currency
Euro
Area size
1 780 km
Euro
Area size
1 780 km
Distance
6 732 km
(from Paris)
Population
443 000 habitants
6 732 km
(from Paris)
Population
443 000 habitants
Languages
French
French
Creole
Capital
Port-Louis
Capital
Port-Louis
Before leaving vous must carry :
- A valid passeport
- A return ticket is mandatory
Information on customs and security formalities is provided as a guide.
Under no circumstances may Corsair be held responsible if your official documentation is not in order.
To prepare your trip, we suggest you contact the island’s tourist office:Interface Tourism
11, Bis Rue Blanche, 75009 Paris
01 53 25 11 11 / fax. 01 53 25 11 12
email: ilemaurice@interfacetourism.com
Worth knowing
There are no obligatory vaccinations. However, remember to take sun cream, sunglasses and mosquito repellents.
Shopping hours
Shops are open between 08:00 and 18:00, with a break between 12:00 and 14:00.
Transport
There are various ways to get around Guadeloupe. To reach the neighbouring islands, use the regular boat links. Coaches are the most common way of getting around the island, but the ideal way to discover the island remains hiring a car.
Security
Before swimming, do watch out for certain fish and marine animals: seek advice beforehand.
Services
Administrative offices are open between 09:00 and 17:00 from Monday to Friday.
Holidays and celebrations
- New Year’s Day: 1st January
- Easter Monday: between 22nd March and 25th April
- Labour Day: 1st May
- VE Day: 8th May
- Ascension: 20th May
- Pentecost Monday: 30th May
- National holiday: 14th July
- Assumption: 15th August
- All Saints’ Day: 1st November
- Armistice Day: 11th November
- Christmas: 25th December
Going to / Leaving the airport
See detailThe essentials
Washed by both the Caribbean and the Atlantic, Guadeloupe comprises seven islands. With its long beaches (white at Sainte-Anne and black at Trois-Rivières), its forests, its exotic fauna and flora, it has superb landscapes to offer.
Apart from seaside activities, water sports and diving, you can also discover the volcano at Soufrière or launch yourself into the joys of hiking. You can also check out the markets and secrets of Pointe-à-Pitre.
Lastly, , history lovers will appreciate the vestiges of Guadeloupe’s colonial past.
Gastronomie
Locally, you will be able to try out some speciality dishes such as blood pudding, accras and Ti punch, which can be found throughout the West Indies.
However, the blend of flavours and know-how has produced an original Guadeloupian cuisine, with local produce well worked to give excellent results on the plate.
The dishes are often very spicy with very large helpings (often more so than Martinican cuisine). Rum is also the great pride of the island, and it is often deemed the best in the West Indies.
Culture
As throughout the French West Indies, dance and music are very important in Guadeloupe. With their great sense of celebration and hospitality, Guadeloupians will be able to give you a suitably warm welcome.
The Carnival is the big festival in the West Indies. It starts on Epiphany Sunday (1st Sunday in January), and finishes two months later on Ash Wednesday.
Since Guadeloupians are highly devout, on Easter and Good Friday there a host of processions to most crosses on Guadeloupe. However, Monday is a particularly festive day. The punch flows freely, people go for a dip, there is music everywhere and the food is abundant and delicious. This festival finishes with the “Easter camp”, where the families relocate for a few days to the island’s beaches.
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