You are deciding to go on a trip to the Caribbean. However, you hesitate between Guadeloupe and Martinique. The two islands are very attractive, but it all depends on your desires, if you are with friends, as a couple or as a family, if you prefer to indulge in sports activities or put yourself in idleness mode to spend the winter and do nothing. . To help you make your choice, here are some indications that may be useful to you.
Martinique and Guadeloupe have several points in common. Namely:
If these three points are essential for you, then each island has its strengths and you can go to one or the other as you wish. On the other hand, whether you choose one or the other, be aware that Martinique and Guadeloupe are crossed by cyclones and tropical storms between July and October. It is therefore best to go there between November and April.
Whether Martinique or Guadeloupe, the story also has similarities with their colonial past and the history of slavery. If you want to know more history, Martinique is quite rich on this theme? In Trois-Îlets, an Amerindian village has been rebuilt identically to the originals and you can take a guided tour of the "Savannah of Slaves". On site, there are:
400 years of history are reckoned to you. You can also go to the Martinique Ecomuseum at Anse Figuier, housed in an old distillery. Many exhibitions take place there as well as reconstructions on the slave, Amerindian and colonial period. You can still visit many farms founded by the settlers as well as distilleries and a sugar factory. In Guadeloupe, you will see fewer remnants of the colonial past apart from a few colonial houses in Basse-Terre and cane mills. There are also a few old distilleries as well as the Saint John Perse and Schoeler museums in Pointe-à-Pitre dedicated to these personalities, and above all, since 2015, the Memorial ACTe or "Caribbean Center for Expressions and Memory of Trafficking and Slavery" stands on the site of a former sugar factory.
Martinique is endowed with many rather steep hills, fine and very white sand beaches, tropical forests and coasts with steep cliffs. There is an extremely important flora since there are no less than more than 1,700 species. The nickname of Martinique is also "The island of flowers" rightly. You can discover a number of botanical gardens, each more beautiful than the other, but also magnificent wild flowers during a walk. On the wildlife side, you will not be outdone with:
Guadeloupe has nothing to envy to Martinique, because it is nicknamed "Karukera" which means "island of beautiful waters". You will discover very beautiful beaches, lagoons with clear and turquoise waters, forests sheltering magnificent waterfalls. Five islets make up Guadeloupe and they make it wilder than Martinique. You will see:
The main island, on the other hand, is more concrete than Martinique.
Whether you go to Guadeloupe or Martinique, water sports are the main sporting activity. You can enjoy yourself if you go diving, but also paddle, board or sail. While diving, you can see a multitude of colorful fish, corals, dolphins and turtles, and even sometimes humpback whales impressive in size, but gentle as lambs. In Martinique, the most remarkable sea beds are next to the Rocher du Diamant, at the beach of Anse Dufour or Anse Figuier. In the bay of Saint-Pierre, you can visit shipwrecks, but you will find paradise at Pointe du Bout at the protected marine sanctuary of Agoa and can rub shoulders with dolphins, sperm whales and humpback whales.
In Guadeloupe, in Basse-Terre opposite Bouillante, you can go for a ride in the waters of the Cousteau nature reserve. If you prefer to paddle, go to Grand-Cul-De-Sac-Marin and its coral reef. While diving, you can also discover several very interesting shipwrecks.
Whether in Martinique or Guadeloupe, the beaches are among the most beautiful in the world. The sand is clear, fine and the waters clear and turquoise while being lined with coconut palms. Some say that the beaches of Martinique are the most beautiful in the Caribbean, others prefer those of Guadeloupe which all compete in their beauty thanks to the lagoons. If you are looking for tranquility, you may be more sure to find some in Guadeloupe, such as Grande Anse d'Arlet, Anse Dufour or Pointe Faula, because in Martinique there are many of them with a festive atmosphere or reserved for families. many.
On both islands, tourist accommodation is very varied. You can choose:
Just be aware that accommodation is a little cheaper in Martinique than in Guadeloupe.
Armed with this information, it's up to you to make your choice and treat yourself to the best holidays in one of these paradise islands.
