I am only able to book my holiday from work in August this year, which is a shame as we wanted to go away this April. We are planning a two week stay in Guandeloupe. I've found a gorgeous little villa with a pool. Has anyone visitied in August? What is it like? Is everywhere still open for business, or have places closed for the quiet period? I will also need to rent a car, any advice here too?
Thanks guys,
Louise
It is quite hot in August so I would make sure your villa has AC. Not all of the restaurants are open and some activities are suspended but it’s still a great place to visit. Car rentals are significantly cheaper in low season. The Hertz in Deshaies last year during low season got down to 10€/day.
Thanks for your reply, I really appreciate it.
That's fine, I'm not put-off at all. Would it be wise to rent a car for a large portion of our stay during the height of hurricane season? (I wondered what the cost would be if we were caught in a hurricane whilst hiring a car! i.e. if the car is damaged). I'm now planning on splitting our stay into two halves, the first to stay somewhere near the airport and then the other half in Le Moule. The reason why is so we can explore each side of the island and use public transport as much as possible. What do you think?
Is it true that French regulations dictate that the buildings need to be constructed strictly to withstand hurricane weather?
Thanks, Louise
haha *Guadeloupe... ;)
I would rent a car the entire time as public transport is quite limited. Liability insurance is always included in the car rentals here and you can ask for a zero deductible (zero franchise) as well. I would stay 1/2 in Saint-Francois and half in Deshaies.
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109 helpful votes Hi Louise,
Hurricanes hitting any particular island are rare so I wouldn't worry too much about one while you are there, but I would keep an eye on the weather reports just in case. Either way, rent a car. I suppose you could return it early if a storm were actually on its way.
Others might disagree, but I'm not a fan of Moule. It feels to me like a non-tourist town surrounded by lots of unused French vacation condos. Very strange vibe. If others disagree then let us know. I do like St Francois and Deshaies as a good pair of towns to use to see everything. Both are touristy enough to have restaurants and shops appropriate for visitors but are not overwhelmed by tourists. In August you won't feel crowded at all.
I agree with a electrical engineer. Our family adores Deshaies and it’s close to an awesome strip of restaurants, several beaches and you can easily access hiking/zoo/etc on that side of the island. I also think if you’re wanting to stay near the airport or on the other side of the island, Le Gosier is much nicer a spot than Pointe Pitre and isn’t much of a drive east. I would avoid staying in PP, if possible.
A rental car is a must- in our three trips to Guadeloupe (all in high season) we may have seen a bus or taxi two or three times combined!
Close to Deshaies is the house of a french humorist turned into a zoo/park. Splendid. We stayed nearly half a day.
Humorist was called Coluche one of the most famous french of his time - founded les restos du cœur - meals for the poors
