Hotel La Sucrerie du Comte – Guadeloupe
The La Sucrerie du Comte is a charming little holiday village with historic flair – a few touch-ups in the rooms and bathrooms would be in order at the moment – but otherwise it's wonderful. It's situated on a centuries-old sugar plantation. The antique sugar warehouse, built from volcanic stone, houses the reception and bar. Huge cogwheels, barrels and other old equipment serve as decoration in the 5-hectare tropical park, which contains 26 Creole bungalows. The grounds are located outside the fishing village of St. Rose in the north of Basse Terre. The nearest beach is about a 3-minute walk away (approx. 300 m, across a road), and the capital Pointe-à-Pitre and the airport can normally be reached by car in about 20 minutes. Many attractions and historically interesting buildings, including the Musée du Rhum and the De Severin distillery, are in the surrounding area. Both St. Rose and a diving centre can be reached within about 1 km. A rental car is recommended. Facilities include a TV room, billiards, a terrace, restaurant, bar, boutique, and a fitness room. The swimming pool with sun deck and loungers is perfect for relaxing. The restaurant offers many local specialities. However, here too we were the only guests, so the facilities were only available on a very limited basis.
We set off right after breakfast and drive into Guadeloupe's national park on Basse Terre. The road leads via the D24 into the interior. We visit the Parc des Mamelles zoo just before the area of the same name, from where several hiking trails lead down into the gorge and up into the rainforest. The park is beautifully laid out and also features a canopy trail – walkways in the form of suspension bridges between the treetops. Secured by ropes, you can look down on the park from above and, with a bit of luck, spot wild animals in the trees. Unfortunately, due to the off-season, a large part of the facility was under maintenance, but it's still absolutely worth a visit.
Maison de la Forêt
Afterwards, we visit the Maison de la Forêt, which offers a free introduction to the geology, flora and fauna of the national park. Several beautiful hiking trails can be explored from here. We opt for a one-hour rainforest loop with interesting information panels.
Cascade aux Écrevisses
At the next car park, a few hundred metres further on, a short wheelchair-accessible path leads to the small and beautiful Crayfish Waterfall – the Cascade aux Écrevisses. A wonderful refreshment on such a hot and humid day. If you brought a picnic, there's a lovely picnic area near the waterfall. If you're up for yet another waterfall, the next one is just 15 minutes further east. Turn off towards Vernou. The Saut de la Lézarde waterfall is well signposted and accessible via a restaurant car park. However, the one-hour round trip was too much for us today, so we headed back to the Caribbean side of the island.
Grande Anse – Guadeloupe
In the north-east, we go swimming at the picture-perfect beach of Grande Anse. We share the roughly 3 km long, stunning sandy beach with just a handful of other bathers and enjoy a wonderful afternoon until sunset, which can be experienced here in equally impressive fashion.
continue reading the Guadeloupe travel report: The Botanical Garden in Deshaies – Guadeloupe
