Terre-de-Haut, Guadeloupe

Filed in archive on February 18, 2007

Standing on the dock at a marina in Bas-du-Fort, Guadeloupe, Alain, a Belgian transplant, pointed his finger at a group of islands on the French West Indies chart." You must sail to Terre-de-Haut, it's a mini St. Barts, but not many people know about it," he says. Soon after, my husband, John, and I cast the dock lines off our chartered 41-foot catamaran, Jade Marie, and steered a course of 203 magnetic. After two hours of sailing in light winds, the volcanic domes of the archipelago of Iles des Saintes begin to distinguish themselves. There are seven islands; we head for the tiny, main island, Terre-de-Haut. Dotting the waterfront are bright red roofs and bobbing Breton-style fishing boats. With remote control in hand, the anchor and rode descend into the abyss. The anchor is set and we start the dingy's engine to set out for a day of exploration.

In five minutes, the dinghy reaches the dock. In another five minutes, we're renting a scooter. Locals use them, and tourists rent them. The island is free of cars and a walker's dream; a scooter will cover every nook and cranny. We head for the highest point, Le Chameau (1,036 feet), by the old Napoleonic lookout tower. Although Napoleon never set foot on Terre-de-Haut, Comte de Grasse saw 2000 French sailors killed or wounded by the British in1782. This led to De Grasse's surrender. We climb an old ladder in the tower for a 360 degree view of the town and six of the seven neighboring islands. It's a sweeping view, which includes one of the most beautiful bays in the world, the Bay of Pain de Sucre.

I wrote an article on Terre-de-Haut for the Los Angeles Times. Click here to read it.