Pointe A Pitre, Guadeloupe

Just back from our Feb 2 cruise on Brilliance, with a one-day stop at Guadeloupe. We had a fine DIY day in Pointe a Pitre, no danger, no problems, no hassles. We began by getting off the ship and picking up the map from the local tourist people almost as soon as we got off and before we even walked down the pier. The map is very accurate, and the Guadeloupe tourism folks are very helpful with info and advice, in English if you wish.

 

Since I was very interested in buying local madras fabric and spices, we first went to one of the ATMs marked clearly on the map. We chose in instructions for the ATM "in English" and were able to easily withdraw Euros in the amount we wanted. I looked carefully at the ATM to see if there were any suspicious hardware add-ons, but it looked just fine. The withdrawal process prompted us to shield our password. We have received no notifications of bogus charges afterward, so it's safe to do this in Guadeloupe.

 

Pointe a Pitre is easy to figure out as you walk along with the map. We easily found the market and had a good time looking at the produce and spices, with no harassment from vendors. That produce market then opens out to the fish market, where we had a good time watching the pelicans clustering around for leftovers. Within sight was a big square, with huge ancient trees and some history. Right near that (within sight) is the church designed by Eiffel, and that was certainly worth a look inside, although it's a working church, with people praying and going to confession, so we didn't barge around talking loudly.

 

From the church we were a little confused about which direction to go, so just headed generally back toward where the ship was and within a block or so found ourselves in another handsome square, with the spice/art market arranged in the middle under canvas awnings. But first, we sank into chairs under umbrellas in one of the cafes on the edge of the square to order ice-cold Cokes that came in the can, and use the restaurant's very clean toilet. This was my hubby's Waterloo, as two doors down was a fabric store, which I dragged him into. Here we were surrounded by many local sewing women matching their fabric swatches to zippers, threads, and trims, with narrow aisles between many bolts and rolls of fabrics. I was bewitched by the gorgeous madras plaids in rainbows of colours - plus my dilemma - what would I make from the fabric if I bought some of it? No problem, a saleswoman suggested I could easily make a tablecloth and helped me pick out a handsome plaid! Sold.

 

Back out on the square in the spice market, we found a big handful of vanilla beans in their pods, local curry, and really nice little variety packs of spices. Bought a whole buncha souvenir n gift spices for 20 Euros, and had just enough energy to walk back to the ship. Still had $45 Euros left, so made a deal with a vendor to buy three of those gorgeous big beach wraps that look like nothing I've ever seen in the Caribbean anywhere else.

 

The negative reports about Guadeloupe and Pointe a Pitre are false, and have attained an unfortunate urban legend status on CC. This port is clean, very civilized, very polite and very interesting. At no time were we unsafe or harassed in Pointe a Pitre. We had no problems with language. Many vendors posted prices in US$ and Euros.

 

I would go back to Pointe a Pitre in a minute. It was my favorite and most memorable port on this cruise. At our dinner table that evening I was so saddened to learn that one couple cancelled their scheduled excursion because they were afraid to even get off the ship. This is just wrong.

Thank you for your input. I was really concerned about this stop, but after reading your mini review, I think we'll get off and look for one of those maps and diy it. :)

"The negative reports about Guadeloupe and Pointe a Pitre are false, and have attained an unfortunate urban legend status on CC. This port is clean, very civilized, very polite and very interesting. At no time were we unsafe or harassed in Pointe a Pitre. We had no problems with language. Many vendors posted prices in US$ and Euros. "

I would refrain from calling others liars. Your experience may be different than others. Because it's not what you experienced does not make it untrue.

It's best to give your view without making generalizations about the comments of others. People want to know your viewpoint of Guadaloupe not your view of what others have to say.

Have a nice evening.

In another thread you admitted you had not gone off the ship at all in Pointe a Pitre or gone anywhere else in Gaudeloupe. That is to say, you had no direct experience at all with this city or this country. Yet you presumed to warn people against leaving the ship, and claimed the city is dirty, dangerous and over-priced. Your report about this port is false. You have never set foot on land in Guadeloupe.

I gave my viewpoint about Pointe a Pitre from my first-hand experience walking around the city and interacting with the people and their culture. You chose to challenge my post afterward, with your second-hand stories and dark warnings - that is, you gave your view of what another (that would be me) had to say. You should take your own advice.

As for your egregious wish for my nice evening, I do not take it sincerely.

In another thread you admitted you had not gone off the ship at all in Pointe a Pitre or gone anywhere else in Gaudeloupe. That is to say, you had no direct experience at all with this city or this country. Yet you presumed to warn people against leaving the ship, and claimed the city is dirty, dangerous and over-priced. Your report about this port is false. You have never set foot on land in Guadeloupe.

 

I gave my viewpoint about Pointe a Pitre from my first-hand experience walking around the city and interacting with the people and their culture. You chose to challenge my post afterward, with your second-hand stories and dark warnings - that is, you gave your view of what another (that would be me) had to say. You should take your own advice.

 

As for your egregious wish for my nice evening, I do not take it sincerely.

What is your problem? I gave my opinion and shared what I had been told by those who had experienced the island including the cruise director. I did not call you a liar. Don't call me one. I was very honest. Your experience may not be the experience of others. I'm sorry you can't see that. The passengers will hear the advice from the cruise director for themselves.

Obviously you are someone who can just not stand for anyone to disagree with them. People can make their own decisions. I just hope if their experience is not exactly like yours they don't post it.

People asked a question. I didn't realize they only wanted answers from you. My bad.

Gee, tiessa, you just gotta get in the last word, huh?

People asked a question, alright. They wanted to know if it was safe and pleasant to go ashore in Pointe a Pitre, Guadeloupe. You, with only gossip and the possibly self-interested advice of the CD, and no first-hand experience of your own, told them the port was dirty, unsafe and overpriced.

You're talking through your hat, tiessa. Everybody knows you never even got off the ship to give the place a look.

I posted this on another thread, but seeing there is another on this topic, thought I would post on this one as well, and have added a bit to it.

We were just there on a Dec 27, 2012 port stop. We opted to walk around a few of the different markets that were within walking distance to the port (the ship had provided a simple map, but you can just start walking - we came upon several different markets and just went up and down whatever streets looked interesting.) We were 2 adults and a 9 year old and felt safe wandering around.

The shopping set up right at the terminal had prices listed in USD and Euros and were a bit more than what we found elsewhere. The big wraps hanging there are lovely, and are around $25 USD - some more, some less. They have "made in Indonesia" tags, but are all with Caribbean design. We found many more on the streets when walking about at stalls and stores - some with more elaborate designs and even cut outs (like geckos) and gold and silver trim and fancy stitching, and they varied between about $18 for the simple - $45 US equivalent for the nicer (prices all seemed set). However, you will likely need Euros if you are shopping further out. All the pricing that I saw outside of the terminal was in Euros.

Something we bought at the terminal shops were small plastic wrapped packs of a brown candied coconut treat - I think it's fresh coconut toasted with brown sugar and butter or something and forms sweet little clumps - it's delicious and addictive! I think they were 3 Euros (and had a USD price I don't recall). The lady was very nice and has small samples to try first. We had some Euros left from an earlier vacation that I had brought.

One of the markets we visited was a very large spice market and I bought a huge bunch of fresh, soft vanilla beans for 8 Euros (which is about $11 US or so - I have to pay about $8 for 2 or 3 vanilla beans in a tube where I live, so if you are a foodie or know someone who likes to use them, this is a good buy!). The lady I bought from knew no English at all, but she was not pushy and I liked her, so that is where I bought. Most of the sellers only spoke French, some a very little English, but it's easy enough to point and they would raise fingers for how many Euros. Most things had signs with the price anyway. Many of the lady spice sellers can be a bit aggressive (especially if they know some English), as they want you to buy from their stall, as there are so many options, but it's okay to deal with. We also walked through fruit and vegetable markets, and watched the fresh fish coming in and being gutted (good pics and good for our son to see the day to day lives of other people).

My husband needed to buy another bathing suit and he landed up buying two at one of the larger stores we stumbled upon. The prices were very reasonable and there were lots of locals shopping there for clothing (he paid in Euros about $8 US each equivalent - would have been $20 - $30 where we live in Canada). One of the workers was eager to practice English and came to help us when we were looking. He actually lived in Canada for a few years, but in French speaking Quebec, so was delighted to chat.

We talked to some people on our ship that went on the ship's excursion to the Jacques Cousteau marine reserve and snorkeling and they thought it was great. I had debated doing that - if there again I would likely do that as well (the trip is 4 1/2 hours, so you would have time to do that and still do some wandering around).

Hope some may find this helpful!

Just back from our Feb 2 cruise on Brilliance, with a one-day stop at Guadeloupe. We had a fine DIY day in Pointe a Pitre, no danger, no problems, no hassles. ....

I posted this on another thread, but seeing there is another on this topic, thought I would post on this one as well, and have added a bit to it.

...We were just there on a Dec 27, 2012 port stop. We opted to walk around a few of the different markets that were within walking distance to the port (the ship had provided a simple map, but you can just start walking - we came upon several different markets and just went up and down whatever streets looked interesting.) We were 2 adults and a 9 year old and felt safe wandering around...

Thanks, both, for posting your personal experiences - very helpful.

Especially about the markets, and prices.

I will post of our experience after we get back from our March 2 cruise.

DH and I were here on the Brilliance cruise last month. We heard all the warnings and almost did not get off the ship. We were very glad we decided to see for ourselves. We walked off, looked through the vendors at the pier(small group of them set up on the pier...no pressure, very friendly). We wanted to experience the city a bit more than just a few vendors so we stepped outside the gates and into the city. We turned left went up to the next street and walked a few blocks and saw the marketplace square. The vendors were friendly(spoke French and a small bit of English). We bought a painting on a long rectangular piece of canvas for $20 usd(did not have euros wihands since we didn't plan on buying anything) and walked through the small alley lined with cafes. We wished we brought more cash with us so we could eat there. We walked through the produce market and fish area (that wassup described a few posts above this post) and saw the church from the distance. Our legs were still aching quite a bit from the excursion we did the day before so we turned back to the ship.

Not once did we feel threatened. No one harassed us or treated us rudely. DH happily snapped pictures at along the way and no one bothered us. Buying the painting was a pleasant experience as well despite the fact that we do not speak french and the vendor did not speak english(except to say the price in euros but she accepted the equivalent in USD pleasantly). We just regret that we did not have more cash on us. Not many places there accepted amex. We would be happy to return there in the future. :)

We just returned from the February 9 RCCL Brilliance of the Seas. We waited till the morning we arrived in Guadaloupe to book an excursion. We chose the ship excursion to St Anne's Beach. It was $28 for 4 hours including travel time. We were loaded onto a tour bus holding about 65 people and traveled bout 25 minutes to St Anne's. he parked at the market where we unloaded and were given the time to meet the bus in the same spot. The market was clean and well organized with clean toilets. There was a broad brick boardwalk along the beach to a nice sandy beach for swimming and lounging where there was another outdoor market with lots of spces and colorful wraps. Prices were in USD and Euros. Very pleasant beach.

At the pier where the ship docked there are several vendors selling spices and souvenirs. Prices are USD and Euros. Looking forward to going back again.

I also just returned from the Feb 9th sailing on the Brilliance. We had a great time in Guadeloupe. It took a few minutes to find an English speaking taxi driver but we did then took a cab with 6 others to St. Annes beach to head to Club Med for the day.

It was $15 US money for each one way. Kind of high but he didn't speak English that well so no wheeling and dealing.

Once we arrived, we walked the public beach to the end where Club Med was. It's a beautiful stretch of beach with lots of palm trees for shade. The water was calm in front of Club Med. We were going to do the day pass but they ended up wanting $110 per person and we would only be there a few hours. We opted to just use the public beach in front of Club Med and found a few local vendors for drinks and food.

There was a small food cart where they made the best chicken sandwich on one of the best french bread loaves I have ever tasted. I could have eaten the whole loaf just plain! Also, try the Red Desperado's beer (has tequila and berries in it) so good! You can also walk up to where you entered the beach. There is a little restaurant there and the woman running it speaks some English and she was very nice to us. You can use the bathroom facilities there, get drinks or have some lunch. We really didn't even need Club Med after all.

Our taxi returned as promised and we then paid the $15 to return. Great day!

Overall, Guadeloupe was one of my favorite stops! That beach was heavenly!

Just returned from Guadeloupe while on the Brilliance this past week and thanks to WASSUP, we had a great day. We found a map and just walked the city. We never had any problem using American money. We found friendly people and my kids enjoyed seeing the city and its people. The considered it a cultural learning experience. We found our way around without any problem. The streets are well marked, as stated before in this thread. I encourage you. Do not be afraid to leave the ship. Enjoy a different culture. Your day will be what you make of it. We stopped at one of the market and the first lady who greeted us did not speak English, so she called someone over who did. Everyone we came across was very friendly.

Hi

We're looking for a reasonable snorkeling tour out of Pointe-a-Pitre. Sounds like Pigeon Island is a good place to go but I'm having trouble finding tour operators. Le Gosier also sounds great.

If anyone has any information I'll be grateful if you share it with me.

Annie

Anything new here, as I will be there with Costa Fortuna this december ?

I wonder if the local tourist people are only distributing the maps or if there is an accual stand or office, where they can help us with booking a tour.

Or are there local people who will be happy to take you on an accual tour or

are there "only" taxi driver around?

Thanks for some answer.

(by the way my mother speaks some French!)

I now just returned from Gouadeloupe.

I finally booked beforehand a tour with a German speaking guide, but there were several local people at the pier, were I'm sure one or the other would have spoken english...

We went to see a Waterfall (Chute du Crévisse) and a rum distillery on the "Basse-Terre"-part of the Island But then we went also to the other part of the island and drove to St.Anne and the Castle Point. It took us 7 hours and the cost was 195 Euro for the three of us (to give you a price to expect). You should have Euros with you (the might except US, but they will be much happier with Euros).

For more informations (or if you speak german, I could even give to the

homepage and e-mail of our guide) just write me.

Gouadeloupe is probably one of the safest, richest and cleanest islands in the caribbean.

GO OUT AND EXPLORE this beautiful Island.

I just returned from Guadeloupe.

I finally booked a tour before leaving with a German speaking guide. There were also several local people at the pier. I'm sure one would have spoken English...

 

We went to see the Chute du Crévisse waterfall and a rum distillery on "Basse-Terre". Then we also went to the other part of the island and drove to St. Anne and the Castle Point. It took us 7 hours and the cost was 195 Euro for three of us ($230 or $77 USD each) to give you a price to expect. You should have Euros with you (they may except USD, but they'll be much happier with Euros).

 

For more information (or if you speak German, I could give the homepage and e-mail of our guide) just write me.

Guadeloupe is probably one of the safest, richest and cleanest islands in the Caribbean.

GO OUT AND EXPLORE this beautiful Island.

Thank you for the great information onyx007!

Good to know there are tour vendors outside the pier.

Sounds like you picked a great tour ... 7 hours, WOW!!

:cool::cool::cool:

Hopefully there will be some posts. Also loking for info. Would rather not do a ship tour.

just rent a car, Hertz is right near the cruise dock.

just rent a car, Hertz is right near the cruise dock.

Yeah, you always can do that, but you need to know beforehand where to go and which way you have to go to reach your target. It's no use to have a rental car, if you don't know what there is to see...!

Yeah, you always can do that, but you need to know beforehand where to go and which way you have to go to reach your target. It's no use to have a rental car, if you don't know what there is to see...!

For a start, I can recommend Fodor's 'Caribbean Ports of Call' for a reasonable overview of most of the cruise ship ports. Then you can research in depth those places or activities which interest you, try Trip Advisor. Cruise Critic has some very good info as well. We try to rent a car whenever possible, and have done so on six islands recently, without major problems. On several others we have hired a van and driver, for about the same price as a rental car and gasoline. Other times we have taken the local minibuses, or on some islands like Aruba and Barbados, big 'city' busses. Your credit card will change Euros into your local currency when renting. For a better exchange rate we use our Wells Fargo debit card, linked to our checking. There is a 3% foreign transaction fee, but if you look around you can find cards which do not charge a foreign transaction fee, but maybe not as good an exchange rate.

Update on our Guadeloupe adventure...

We did the Jacques Cousteau Marine Reserve snorkeling tour and we were quite dissapointed with the lack of good coral and marine life.

Our tour went from the cruise ship pier by bus into Basse-Terre's National Park. We stopped at Cascade Ecrévisses, a pretty waterfall set in the lush jungle... then onto Jacques Cousteau Marine Reserve.

We did have fun on the glass bottom boat -- it was by far the best of its kind I've ever been on!!

The view from the glass bottom was great... it was like being in a submarine. Very cool!

It's really too bad where we snorkeled was so horrible...:mad:

The tour operators were great... & they kept that Rum Punch flowing on the way back to the pier -- yikes!!.. :p

It was also nice to see some of the island from the bus with our tour guide giving information.

I would still recommend this tour -- but just know it may not be the best snorkeling you've ever done.

I hope this helps others when researching what to do on Guadeloupe.

xo

Annie

Pointe-A-Pitre (sometimes Guadeloupe in general) can be a little misunderstood. people are not falling over themselves to help you as this is France and although this island is actually rather poor, people do receive welfare, and also as France is run through a centralised political structure, there is not a very natural entrepreneurial attitude. Locals sometimes are wary of foreigners, as 90 per cent of tourists are French, their one time coloniser turned post colonial governors. Add to this the fact that English is not widely spoken and you will see how a quick pit stop off a cruise ship may not be everything you imagined it would be from the glossy brochures. However, you can meet some lovely people and if I was stopping briefly this is what I would recommend for Pointe A Pitre:

La Darse - the fish market on the edge of the Place de La Victoire where you'll see amazing fish and busy chatty fishermen. You can walk through to the covered market next door, and further into La Place de La Marche for other goods like hand decorated bottle of rhum agricole, schrubb, and punch (spice, fruit, coffee etc too).

PAP also has a lot to offer in terms of architecture. With the help of this book (in French but even non french speakers may find the maps, walk, pictures helpful) 'Pointe-A-Pitre: Musees, Monuments, Promenades' you can take an interesting walk around the historic centre taking in some beautiful examples of creole architecture. Many of these buildings are in a state of degradation but are still interesting to look at. I notice there is a clean up project in the Rue de Vatable part. The art deco cinema in the Place de La Victoire is of interest too. Notice the mural to the left of the Darse - it represents a famous demonstration in the 70s when locals were demonstrating for better pay and the French police shot a number of unarmed people dead. Carry on further along the road and see the gleaming brand new Acte Memorial - the slave museum. It's huge and impressive and seems to be France's way of finding some connection to the history of this island. Some locals think the money would have been better spent elsewhere and when you look around the nearby district of ramshackle houses and streets lined with prostitutes from the Dominican Republic you may see why. Around here you can catch a local bus from the bus station and take the 15 minute ride for 2 euros to Gosier where you will find a nice beach in front of the town. It's generally pretty lively and there are a few beachside restaurants. You can swim or boat over to the tiny little island opposite. Back in Pointe-A-Pitre every Saturday, you can enjoy Gwoka music in a little pedestrianised road. This music, which has its roots in the african heritage of Guadeloupe, was in 2014 placed on the UNESCO list of immaterial heritage, meaning that this is a unique and special cultural form. The singing is often very intense and earthy and can move you to tears or joy in moments. Passers by sometimes feel the rhthym and jump into the circle to dance because as well as singing, and drumming. Gwo Ka also incorporates dance. Finally, over in La Place de La Victoire, is the Comite du Tourisme, a large neo-classical style building once the Chamber of Commerce, where you can pick up some maps, and you can get some advice, probably in English. If you email in advance of your trip you can receive a programme of cultural heritage events and you may be lucky enough to arrive on a day when a guided walk is taking place.

This is France, and this is the Eurozone so paying in dollars would be an odd thing to do! I can't imagine going to Paris and insisting on paying in dollars and would not do that here either.

I hope you can see that there are many things to do without setting foot out of Pointe A Pitre. I recommend the Jardin Secret for lunch in a nice courtyard. PAP can be hot, smelly, busy etc so take it easy, take a walk, notice a few things and try to learn a few things on the way. Enjoy.