Holiday in Basse-Terre

About Basse-Terre

Basse-Terre is the administrative capital of Guadeloupe, a French overseas department in the Caribbean — and thus a piece of France in the Lesser Antilles. The small town on the southwest coast of the namesake volcanic island lies at the foot of La Soufriere, the highest peak in the Lesser Antilles (1,467 m), and offers a fascinating mix of French administration, Creole culture, and tropical nature. Fort Louis Delgres, an imposing fortress from the 17th century on a cliff above the town, tells the story of the resistance against the reintroduction of slavery by Napoleon. The Creole old town with its wooden houses and the Notre-Dame de Guadeloupe Cathedral offers a French-Caribbean flair. La Soufriere is the great adventure: The hike to the summit of the active volcano leads through tropical rainforest, past hot springs and sulfur fumaroles, to the crater in the clouds. The Chutes du Carbet, three spectacular waterfalls in the rainforest (the highest 115 m), are among the most beautiful in the Caribbean. The Guadeloupe National Park (Parc National de la Guadeloupe) protects 17,300 hectares of tropical rainforest with over 300 tree species, rare hummingbirds, and the Trace Victor Hugüs, a long-distance hiking trail through the heart of the island.