ZOCO SURFING ADVENTURES

SURFING HOLIDAYS IN THE CARIBBEAN (NORTH AMERICA)

A ROUGH GUIDE TO GUADELOUPE

Guadeloupe is the centre of the Caribbean's Creole culture and a spirited blend of French and African influences are noticable all over the islands from the architecture to the cuisine to the music. Historically famous for its sugar and rum, today 'Gwada' is equally famous for its surf, beaches and resorts. The archipelago offers an eclectic mix of modern cities, rural hamlets, rainforests and secluded beaches.

LOCATION

Guadeloupe is an archipelago located in the eastern Caribbean Sea at 16°15'N 61°35'W, with a total area of 1,780 square kilometres (687 sq. mi). It is an overseas département (département d'outre-mer, or DOM) of France. Like the other DOMs, Guadeloupe is also one of the 26 régions of France (as a région d'outre-mer), and an integral part of the Republic. As part of France, Guadeloupe is part of the European Union, and the currency in use is the euro.

THE ISLANDS OF THE ARCHIPELAGO

The Guadeloupe Archipelago includes the large islands of Basse-Terre and Grande-Terre, the nearby islands of Marie-Galante and La Desirade and numerous smaller islands. It also includes the island of Saint Barthelemy and the French controlled part of the island of Saint Martin.

Basse-Terre is lush, with dense forested areas. It's dominated by a single (active) volcano, La Soufriere. It stands at 4,687 ft. (1,484m).
Grande-Terre is mostly a flat limestone-base island, with a few coastal mangrove swamps north of Point-a-Pitre. The other smaller islands are hilly and volcanic in origin. A few small rivers (streams) drain Basse-Terre.

The Guadeloupe cuisine is a great mix of Creole and French, and the beaches, casinos and nightlife are all first-class. Pigeon Island and the Jacques Cousteau Underwater Park are considered one of the world's best dive destinations, and the local sailing conditions are some of the best in the Caribbean.

The bustling port of Pointe-A-Pitre is the main entry point, and it's crammed with local markets, shops and cruise ship passengers.

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