Les Saintes Archipelago

Les Saintes Archipelago : 7 Islets and 2 Islands

Les Saintes Archipelago is a dependency of Guadeloupe Archipelago. This small archipelago is composed of 2 main islands: Terre-de-Haut and Terre-de-Bas which are the only ones inhabited.

There are also 7 volcanic islets: L’îlet à Cabrit, le Grand-Îlet, la Coche, les Augustins, la Redonde, le Pâté, les Roches percées. Terre-de-Haut and Terre-de-Bas are connected to each other by a ferry service that takes about 15 minutes to cross.

 

Economy and Tourism

Regarding the climate, Les Saintes Archipelago has a tropical and relatively dry one. The inhospitable relief and low precipitation do not allow the agriculture industry development.

Fishing and tourism are the key economic drivers of Les Saintes Archipelago. As a matter of fact, one of the most beautiful bays in the world: Les Saintes Bay is located in Terre-de-Haut. This bay attracts luxury yachts, pleasure boats, cruise ships and big sail boats that cross through the Antilles. 

The most common means of transports are walking and scooters. It is mainly because Terre-de-Haut and Terre-de-Bas are quite small.

 

 Population

The majority of the population has European origins, which explain why many people are mixed-race. In fact, people from Brittany, Normandy and Poitou-Charentes have been the first inhabitants. They settled down in the islands and started fishing activities.

 

The Tourment d’amour: Emblematic food

The Tourment d’amour is the famous and traditional small tart from Les Saintes Archipelago. This delicious treat consists in a small crust pastry tart filled with jam and wholly covered with a sponge cake. There are multiple jams’ flavours available such as coconut, guava, banana or pineapple. When visiting the islands, the Tourment d’amour is the must-try food to buy before leaving. Don’t worry, there will be plenty of sellers waiting for you at the port for that.

If you love water-sports, Les Saintes Archipelago is the place to go. You will be able to practice multiple sports including surface water sports, scuba diving or kayaking. Also, there are some items exclusive to the archipelago such as the Salako, which is fishermen’ traditional hat.

To sum up, Les Saintes Archipelago is a lovely and peaceful place you will love. With its colourful streets, multicoloured fishing boats, and painted wood houses the scenery is stunning.

 

Unforgettable places to discover when visiting  Les Saintes Archipelago:

Terre-de-Haut:

• Fort Napoléon a museum dedicated to the history and traditions of Les Saintes Archipelago
• Pompierre, a white sandy beach bordered by palm trees and sea grape trees
• The French navy cemetery of Terre-de-Haut
• The little mountain Pain de Sucre with its basalt organ pipes
• The Bateau des îles, or the house in the shape of bow of ship

Terre-de-Bas:

• The diving site of Sec Pâté
• Grand-Anse, the unique beach in Terre-de-Bas
• The ruins of the old pottery factory of Grand Baie
• The watchtower and ponds of Abymes hill
• Hiking trails: Trace du Dessus de l’Etang and Trace des Falaises