Plage de la Caravelle

Plage de la Caravelle is supposedly one of the most beautiful beaches in Guadeloupe. Its hard to say, since I think most beaches in Guadeloupe are pretty amazing.

La Caravelle falls within the commune of Sainte-Anne, which lies on the southern coast of Grande Terre (the eastern 'wing' of the Guadeloupe butterfly), facing a turquoise blue Atlantic Ocean.

There is public parking along the road leading to the beach. Its never been so crowded that there weren't any parking spaces left, but you can always park in the small private lots along the same road for a few euros. Signs posted can direct you.
(Left: The road leading to the beach. On the left, private houses. On the right, free parking!)



After you've parked the car, walk south along the dirt road. You may find the right side of the road littered with wood, corrugated metal, garbage. Not exactly promising for Guadeloupe's most beautiful beach. The road used to be lined with merchants selling beach garb, local crafts. There were even a few food stalls, and a place that rented windsurfing material at the end of the road, facing the water. But all of these merchants were asked to leave by the government in order to enforce French law (1) which prohibits any establishment within 50 meters of the coast.
(Above: The road lined with broken down stalls; in the foreground, the last remaining stall selling pareos, rasta-inspired clothing.)

The beach is public, even though it may not appear that way. At the end of the road you must pass through a little gate, somewhat resembling the HEET turnstiles in NYC subways. I suspect that the gates may be chained in the evening. Then, you walk by armed guards with german shepherds. They are somewhat less intimidating than it sounds, since both men and guards are usually lying about underneath an open tent. There will be a narrow path - dirt, then sand - with a low fence running along it. Behind the fence is the Club Med complex (and, the reason for the guards and dogs). Walk along the path until you find a nice spot.
(Above, the narrow path. That sideways palm tree is great for posing)

It can be a bit of a hike, depending on what part of the road you parked. So you may be tempted to spread out your towel at the first empty spot on the beach. But, the first section of the beach is rather windy. The breeze may seem nice after all the walking, but it will get tiresome. If you continue walking along the path until the path completes a full right turn - or, alternatively, until you pass the jolly roger - you'll come to the section that is best suited for lying about, windlessly.
(Above: Windy part of the beach, perfect for windsurfing.)

There is an invisible border marked by the small concrete pier. After this pier, most of the people on the beach will be Club Med guests, since the main entrance to the hotel lies further down along the low fence. Here, the beach chairs are for Club Med guests. The photographers are for Club Med guests. And, most painfully, the man wandering about with little cubes of watermelon on a platter, are also for Club Med guests. This, of course, does not prevent you in any way from choosing any spot beyond said pier. You will not be bothered. You simply won't get any watermelon.

If you get hungry, you have two options: You can either walk back to the dirt road where you parked your car. You probably already saw the small restaurants amongst the houses that serve sandwiches, and also full meals. Or, for those who are too lazy to make the trek, merchants wander up and down along the beach selling various and variously tasty things: crepes, sandwiches, cakes, donuts, pineapple, coconut. There is also a man, set up not far from the jolly roger, that sells fresh coconut juice. He hacks off a piece with his machete and pops in a straw. You can also buy non-food items, such as pareos, seashell necklaces, etc.
(Above: A wandering merchant showing a sunbather children's clothes made from madras and folk print cloth.)

















Plage de la Caravelle
A white sand beach facing turquoise waters, in front of Club Med, populated mostly by tourists from Club Med, with a mixture of couples and families. The beach and water are kept extremely clean. First section of the beach is ideal for windsurfing; entire beach has strong currents at times.
Location: Ste. Anne (Grand Terre)
Parking: Public parking along the road; private parking in small lots.
Food: Restaurants along the road to the beach; wandering food merchants.
Public Showers: None
Public Restrooms: None

(1) Loi Littoral