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Toronto to the French Caribbean: Basse-Terre and Les Saintes

Toronto → Basse-Terre → Les Saintes

Basse-Terre
"Carnaval de Basse-Terre 2024.jpg" by Enrevseluj, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons· licence

A volcanic rainforest island & a bay of small islands Best season (general guide): Dec–Apr

Guadeloupe, in the Lesser Antilles, is part of France, with a volcanic, rain-forested island and quiet satellite islands. This route spends four nights on Basse-Terre and two on Les Saintes. From Toronto you'll fly to Pointe-à-Pitre, sometimes direct and sometimes via Montreal or Paris. It consists of six inhabited islands, including Basse-Terre, Grande-Terre, Marie-Galante, La Désirade and two of the Îles des Saintes.

How to pace it: Spend days one to four in Basse-Terre: day one, drive to the west coast; day two, Cousteau reserve snorkelling; day three, La Soufrière hike; day four, Carbet Falls. Then spend days five and six in Les Saintes: day five, ferry to Terre-de-Haut; day six, Fort Napoléon and the beaches.

Guadeloupe's capital, also called Basse-Terre, is on the south-west coast of Basse-Terre island, while the main business centre is Pointe-à-Pitre on Grande-Terre. Much of the island's mountainous interior is protected by Guadeloupe National Park.

The Carbet Falls, on the volcano's slopes, are among the most visited sites on the island. The Îles des Saintes are a group of small islands in the archipelago, divided into two communes, Terre-de-Haut and Terre-de-Bas.

Ti' punch, made with white rum, lime and cane sugar, is the classic drink of the French Antilles.

Guadeloupe uses the euro, and French is the official language. Guadeloupe lies south of Antigua and Barbuda and Montserrat, and north of Dominica. Its most populous commune is Les Abymes, on Grande-Terre. Ferries to Les Saintes leave from Trois-Rivières on Basse-Terre.

Practical notes: Off the west coast, the Jacques Cousteau Underwater Reserve around the Pigeon Islands is a popular area for snorkelling and diving. The dry season, from December to April, is the main tourist season; hurricanes are a risk from June to November.

Safety: Canada's advice for Guadeloupe is to take normal security precautions (updated 26 May 2026), and the US rates Guadeloupe Level 1 (20 Aug 2026).

Suggested outline

  1. Toronto

    Start

  2. Basse-Terre

    By air · 4 nights suggested

    Guadeloupe's volcanic western wing.

  3. Les Saintes

    By ferry · 2 nights suggested

    Small islands around one of the Caribbean's finest bays.

    Les Saintes
    "Les Saintes - Archipel de Guadeloupe.jpg" by Jonathan SALAÜN, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons· licence

Day by day

  1. Day 1 · Basse-Terre — Arrive; drive to the west coast· Toronto → Basse-Terre (by air)
  2. Day 2 · Basse-Terre — Cousteau reserve snorkelling
  3. Day 3 · Basse-Terre — La Soufrière hike
  4. Day 4 · Basse-Terre — Carbet Falls
  5. Day 5 · Les Saintes — Ferry to Terre-de-Haut· Basse-Terre → Les Saintes (by ferry)
  6. Day 6 · Les Saintes — Fort Napoléon and the beaches
  7. Day 7 · Les Saintes — Travel home from Les Saintes· Les Saintes → Pointe-à-Pitre (by ferry), then Pointe-à-Pitre → Toronto (by air)

A suggested pace only; expedition days are set by the operator.

Flights, leg by leg

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Basse-Terre

Nearest airport: Pointe-a-pitre Search fares · Pointe-a-pitre ↗

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