Best Anchorages in Guadeloupe

The eastern wing of Guadeloupe's butterfly — flat limestone terrain, white sand beaches, and the main sailing hub at Marina Bas-du-Fort (800 berths, the largest marina in the French Antilles). Pointe-à-Pitre city has excellent provisioning (Marché Saint-John Perse, Carrefour hypermarket) and is the primary customs clearance port for non-EU vessels arriving in the French Caribbean. South coast anchorages at Gosier, Sainte-Anne, and Saint-François provide comfortable overnight stops in the NE trade winds. La Désirade (7nm east of Saint-François) is one of the most remote and authentic islands in the French Antilles — an extended limestone plateau rising from the Atlantic with a tiny fishing community and extraordinary langouste (Caribbean lobster).

Clearance for all yachts online (demarches-simplifiees.fr) or on a clearance computer at a port of entry, €3–5 admin fee, no customs charges; clear out before another French island. Rivière Salée bridges have not lifted since Jan 2013 — no shortcut for masted yachts. No anchoring on coral or seagrass throughout Guadeloupe waters — enforced.

The volcanic western wing of Guadeloupe — dominated by La Soufrière (1,467m, active volcano, ongoing degassing), the Parc National de la Guadeloupe (rainforest, waterfalls, hot springs), and the world-famous Cousteau Reserve at Bouillante/Malendure. CRITICAL: Cousteau Reserve is NO ANCHORING — mooring buoys only; violations result in heavy fines. The west coast between Bouillante and Deshaies offers a succession of beautiful, lightly-visited bays in the shadow of the volcanic mountains. Deshaies (north coast) is the finest anchorage on the west coast — deeply sheltered, excellent restaurants, and Jardins de Deshaies botanical garden. Basse-Terre town is the administrative capital with Fort Delgrès and ferry access to Les Saintes.

COUSTEAU RESERVE (PIGEON): NO ANCHORING — National Park buoys only, boats to 8 m, day use, no overnight; larger yachts anchor at Malendure outside the core. Deshaies: 32 buoys €20–25, no anchoring inside the entrance buoys. VOLCANIC RISK ZONE: Follow PPRN and local authority guidance near La Soufrière. No anchoring on coral or seagrass throughout Basse-Terre waters.

The southern island group of Guadeloupe's territory — including the Îles des Saintes (often called the most beautiful anchorage in the Caribbean) and Marie-Galante (the 'Grande Galette', 16 windmills, artisanal rum). Les Saintes: Pain de Sucre Bay is the crown jewel — turquoise water, the dramatic 160m Sugarloaf pinnacle, and excellent sand holding. Bourg des Saintes village offers the famous tourment d'amour pastry, Fort Napoléon, and the most authentic French Caribbean village atmosphere in the Antilles. Marie-Galante is 22nm from Pointe-à-Pitre — a beam sea crossing that can be rough; the rewards are three world-class rum distilleries (Bielle, Père Labat, Capesterre), beautiful uncrowded beaches, and 16 working windmills. All islands are French DOM territory — same regulations as metropolitan France.

Les Saintes: organised mooring field (~82 buoys, Bourg / Îlet à Cabrit / Pain de Sucre) — anchoring prohibited in the zones, pay per night by length to the LSM boat, 7-day maximum. Marie-Galante crossing (22nm from Pointe-à-Pitre): check swell and trade wind conditions; morning departure recommended. No anchoring on coral or seagrass throughout the islands.