Traveling to Guadeloupe with kids will be one of your best decisions, as this tiny Caribbean island offers lots of things for your little travellers.
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Guadeloupe with kids – what to do and see?
Enjoy the amazing beaches
Guadeloupe with kids or no kids, the sandy beaches there are just amazing. What we like best is that almost all the beaches offer natural shades, what is actually a very important fact when traveling with kids. The beaches in Guadeloupe are very diverse – some have waves, but some are without them, what makes them perfect for our little ones.
Our favorite beaches in Guadeloupe for kids:
- Plage Petit Havre – Calm sea, lots of shade, a snack truck and a restaurant, but be there early, as there’s not a big parking lot available. That was actually our most favorite beach.
- Sainte-Anne – The beach is wonderful, but a bit too crowded for our taste and with little shade, but lots of additional offer like water sports, restaurants, bars, shops. Due to its popularity it is extremely hard to get a parking space and whenever we drove through, the main road was always crowded.
- Saint-Francois – high palm trees, sand, calm sea and not many people. There is just not much shade, but nevertheless if you come in the morning, you’ll be fine.
- The beaches along the road from Saint-Francois to Pointe des Chateaux – You will see parking cars along the road, so just stop and take a look if the beach suits you. The sea is calm, but during our visit, it was a bit windy.
- Plage de Malendure – the beach is interesting because of its black sand and is perfect for snorkeling – you can spot the sea turtles already 100 meters from the coast. But be there early in the morning or late in the afternoon as it is lacking shade. We recommend to visit this beach early in the morning or otherwise it will be almost impossible to find a parking space.
If you are traveling to Guadeloupe with kids that are a bit older, there are numerous other beaches too, as many of them have a bit higher waves, but still perfect for older kids to have fun with them. Our favourite are Plage Mambiaf, Plage des Amandiers, Plage de Clugny, Plage de Grande Anse, Plage la chapelle – all offering plenty of shades.
The Guadeloupe Zoo and mammals park
Even though the ZOO and mammal park is not extremely big it is actually one of my favorite I have ever visited. The complete wooden path runs through the vivid green forest, which is fenced both sides, so your kids can freely run on it without you being worried. We also loved the fact that all the areas with the animals have big glasses, where even a one-year old kids can observe the animals without lifting them. Not to mention you’ll also find amazing canopies / suspension bridges high above the ground, which are perfect for some adrenalin rush. If not the best, but definitely one of the best things to do when traveling to Guadeloupe with kids.
Deshaies botanical garden
The botanical garden is very nice for a walk and learning about different trees and flowers. But kids will enjoy it mostly for four surprises – the pond with big hungry fishes, which kids can feed (a cup with food costs 50 cents), thirsty birds, which will sit on your hand and drink from the cup (the nectar can be bought for 50 cents on self-service machine), a nice playground with the view and a snack bar and few farm animals, which you can also feed (buying food for 50 cents). Our little traveler did not want to leave, so this is for sure one of the best things to visit when traveling to Guadeloupe with kids.
The Aquarium in the capital city
The aquarium is not amazingly big, but if you are traveling to Guadeloupe with kids, that is absolutely one of the things to do. Seeing the big and colorful wishes is always fun, especially in big thanks, so your kids can enjoy all by them self. There’s even a cute tunnel, where they can crow what makes them smile and hard to get them out from, as tunnels are always fun. At the end there’s a special room, where they can color the fishes, scan them and seeing them swimming in the “ocean”. Don’t forget to take a photo too, as they will see their face in a big yellow submarine or / and as a diver.
Maison du Cacao (Cocoa museum)
Have you ever met any child not liking chocolate? Visiting the cocoa museum they can learn all about the cocoa – how it grows, how it is processed and how the chocolate is being made. At the end the best thing comes – tasting. Trying the local chocolate is a must thing to do when exploring Guadeloupe with kids.
Markets in Point-a-Pietre
No matter the age, markets are always a good place to learn more about the country and its people. If you will be visiting Guadeloupe with kids or without them, you definitely should not miss them. The capital city in Guadeloupe offers few different markets and they are all reached on foot. You can visit the fish market, the fruit / vegetables market and the market with spices and local products. If you will come early enough, you can even spot fishermen and their boats, coming back from the sea.
The Gosier island
You need just few minutes’ drive by boat to reach the beautiful Gosier island from the town Le Gosier. You can already see it from a far and recognize it for its picturesque red-white lighthouse. There’s also a nice sandy beach with calm sea and lots of shade, what makes it one of the best things to do when traveling to Guadeloupe with kids. There’s even a restaurant on the island and a coco sorbet seller, which we tasted and loved it.
The Guadeloupe Island offers much more things to do, but the above ones are our absolute favorite, which you should not miss when traveling to Guadeloupe with kids. You can also explore and visit the plantations (most interesting will probably be the banana and sugar cane plantation). You can also hike to waterfalls, do longer boat trips and snorkeling if your kids are old enough. You can hike the volcano or walk around the fort, jump into pools when attend a canyoning tour or just have fun with numerous water sports.
If you are thinking which destination to choose when traveling as a family (also for first timers), Guadeloupe is for sure one of our favorite and kids friendly destinations for now. The island is not big, what makes it a great combination for exploration and enjoying the beaches every single day. After all one of the main reasons visiting Guadeloupe with kids are its beaches. Not to mention that the island is part of France, what makes the island more organized, clean and with good health care too.
