Town centre
Beach, marketThe bourg and town beach.
Town guide
Things to do in Sainte-Anne
Grande-Terre's favourite beach town: calm, reef-sheltered water, white sand and palms, a lively beachfront market, kitesurfing and snorkelling, and some of the best-value food on the island.
30 min
From the airport
3–4
Days
Lagoon beaches on Grande-Terre
Sainte-Anne is a small town on the south coast of Grande-Terre, the flat, dry eastern wing of Guadeloupe, about 30 minutes from Pointe-à-Pitre. A reef offshore keeps the water calm and shallow, and the town beach, with its palms and white sand, is right by the main square and market.
A short drive west is the Plage de la Caravelle, one of the best-known beaches in Guadeloupe, and east are the quieter coves of Bois Jolan, where the water is waist-deep a long way out. Kitesurfing, paddleboarding, snorkelling and glass-bottom boat trips are all easy here.
Sainte-Anne has a lively Creole character, with a market of spices and rum by the beach, roadside lolos and a strong drumming tradition. It makes a good base for Grande-Terre, with Saint-François and Pointe des Châteaux further east. Give it three or four days.
Where to base yourself
The town centre for the beach and market, or the coast east and west for quieter stays.
La Caravelle
Famous beachWest of the centre.
Bois Jolan
Quiet lagoonEast of the centre.
Map data from OpenStreetMap contributors.
Things to do
Things to do in Sainte-Anne
Swim at the town beach and at the Plage de la Caravelle, and wade out into the shallow lagoon at Bois Jolan. Snorkel on the reef, try kitesurfing or paddleboarding, or take a glass-bottom boat.
Browse the beachfront market for spices, rum and madras cloth, and eat at the lolos and food stalls.
Drive east to Saint-François and Pointe des Châteaux, or west to Le Gosier, and take a boat to the Petite-Terre nature reserve for iguanas and turtles.
Free things
And what it costs nothing to do
All beaches in Guadeloupe are public, so the town beach, the Caravelle and Bois Jolan are free.
The market and the beachfront are free to wander, and sunsets cost nothing.
Watersports, boat trips and rentals are the main costs.
Food and drink
Eating and drinking
Sainte-Anne has good-value food: bokits for €5 to €9, accras and Creole plates from lolos on the beach for €12 to €18, and fresh fish grilled at beach restaurants.
The market sells fruit juices, sorbets and coconut sweets.
Service is included in restaurant prices, as in France; leaving a little extra for good service is appreciated but not expected.
Nightlife
Going out
Evenings are relaxed, with beach bars and restaurants around the town centre and live music some nights.
The gwoka festival, usually in July, brings drumming and dancing.
Ti-punch is the drink; beer costs €3 to €5.
Getting around
Getting around
Sainte-Anne is about 30 minutes from the airport and Pointe-à-Pitre. Buses run along the coast to Pointe-à-Pitre and Saint-François by day.
A hire car is close to essential, as buses are infrequent and stop early.
The town is walkable, and bikes are a good way to reach the nearby beaches.
Costs
What Sainte-Anne costs
Gîtes and guesthouses start at around €30 to €60 a night. Bokits cost €5 to €9.
Kitesurf lessons cost about €60 to €100, paddleboard rental about €15 to €25 an hour, and boat trips to Petite-Terre about €80 to €110.
Cards work almost everywhere.
Safety
Safety and scams
Sainte-Anne is relaxed and safe. Do not leave belongings unattended on the beach, and leave nothing visible in parked cars.
The lagoon is calm, but stay inside the reef and watch for sea urchins. Sargassum seaweed can arrive on some beaches in season.
Tap water is treated, but supply cuts and quality notices are common, so many people drink bottled water. In an emergency, call 112.
Worth the trip
Beaches, islands and points.
Pointe des Châteaux
Cliffs at the eastern tip.
What's on
What is on while you are there
Drums, Carnival and holidays.
Usually July
Gwoka festival
Sainte-Anne
Drumming and dance.
January to Ash Wednesday
Carnival
Sainte-Anne
Parades and drums.
When to go
December to April is the dry season and the busiest time. Grande-Terre is drier than Basse-Terre all year. June to November is the wet season, with hurricane risk.
Jan
Dry, Carnival
Feb
Carnival
Mar
Dry
Apr
Dry
May
Transitional
Jun
Hurricane season opens
Jul
Gwoka festival
Aug
Holidays
Sep
Peak hurricane risk
Oct
Wet
Nov
Rain easing
Dec
Dry season returns
Bar height is temperature. Colour is how busy it gets:
quiet
busy
peak
Average highs, rounded. Warm and sunny.
What your trip will cost
Per night, for one person, based on Sainte-Anne prices.
Treat these as a guide. Watersports cost extra.
—
- Beds—
- Food and drink—
- Getting around—
- Doing things—
Sainte-Anne questions
The ones we get asked most.
Is Sainte-Anne good for swimming?
Yes. A reef keeps the water calm and shallow.
Which is the best beach in Sainte-Anne?
The Plage de la Caravelle, or Bois Jolan for quiet.
Do I need a car in Sainte-Anne?
It helps for exploring, though buses run by day.
Can I learn to kitesurf in Sainte-Anne?
Yes, with schools on the lagoon.
Is Sainte-Anne good for families?
Yes, the calm, shallow water suits children.
Sainte-Anne or Saint-François?
Sainte-Anne for beaches and market; Saint-François for the marina and ferries.
When is the best time to visit?
December to April.
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