A two-week loop from Pointe-à-Pitre around both wings of the butterfly: the beaches and limestone cliffs of Grande-Terre, from Sainte-Anne to Pointe des Châteaux and Pointe de la Grande Vigie, then volcanic Basse-Terre, via Deshaies, the Cousteau Reserve, the Route de la Traversée, the Carbet Falls and La Soufrière. The legs are short; the real obstacle is the only two bridges between the two islands, jammed at rush hour around Pointe-à-Pitre.
| Days | Stop | Drive |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Le Gosier | Start |
| Days 2 to 3 | Sainte-Anne | 15 km · 20 min |
| Days 4 to 5 | Saint-François | 16 km · 20 min |
| Day 6 | Anse-Bertrand | 43 km · 45 min |
| Days 7 to 8 | Deshaies | 70 km · 1h15 |
| Days 9 to 10 | Malendure (Bouillante) | 22 km · 30 min |
| Days 11 to 12 | Trois-Rivières | 80 km · 1h35 |
| Day 13 | Saint-Claude | 15 km · 20 min |
| Day 14 | Back to Le Gosier | 66 km · 1h05 |
Road route calculated from the stops (OpenStreetMap). Driving times assume no stops and no traffic: add time for photo breaks.
December to April, and above all during the carême (January to April), the dry season. From June to November, the hivernage brings showers and a cyclone risk: under a red alert, roads such as the Traversée are closed.
🚗 15 km · 20 min of driving from Le Gosier
RN4 east via Mare-Gaillard. The Morne Jacques beach car park is small: arrive early, especially at weekends.
🚗 16 km · 20 min of driving from Sainte-Anne
RN4 east. For Pointe des Châteaux, the D118 along an 11 km peninsula, a dead end.
🚗 43 km · 45 min of driving from Saint-François
RN5 via Le Moule, then D123, D120 and RN8 to the northern tip of Grande-Terre.
🚗 70 km · 1h15 of driving from Anse-Bertrand
Petit-Canal, Morne-à-l'Eau, Pont de l'Alliance (RN11), then RN2 via Sainte-Rose. Cross the bridge outside rush hour.
🚗 22 km · 30 min of driving from Deshaies
Coastal RN2 via Pointe-Noire, winding along the Côte sous le Vent.
🚗 80 km · 1h35 of driving from Malendure
Route de la Traversée (D23) through the national park, then the RN1 south and the D4 to the Carbet Falls (10 km).
🚗 15 km · 20 min of driving from Trois-Rivières
RN1 via Gourbeyre, then the climb to Saint-Claude. The D11 to the Bains Jaunes is narrow, with gradients of over 10%.
🚗 66 km · 1h05 of driving from Saint-Claude
Sleep in Saint-François (2 nights) for Sainte-Anne and Pointe des Châteaux, then in Deshaies (2) with Malendure as a day trip. Reach Trois-Rivières (1) via the Traversée and the Carbet Falls, then Saint-Claude (1) for La Soufrière before heading back.
| Small car, average | ≈ €27 a day |
|---|---|
| All categories, average | ≈ €29 a day |
| February, most expensive month | ≈ €44 a day |
| September, cheapest month | ≈ €14 a day (Kayak, Sept. 2026) |
| Vehicle | City car or compact: easier on the hairpins of Basse-Terre and for parking. |
|---|---|
| Where to pick it up | At Pointe-à-Pitre airport (PTP). It's a loop, so you return to the same desk. |
| Opening hours | Desks generally open from 07:00 to 21:00; out-of-hours returns charged €35 at Europcar. |
| Age and licence | 18 with a licence held for 1 year at Europcar Guadeloupe; older for some categories. |
| Deposit | Blocked on a credit card in the driver's name; Jumbo Car also accepts debit cards. |
| Cash | Not accepted: the law of 13 June 2025 bans cash payment for car rentals. |
⚠️ The hire car must never board a boat to Marie-Galante or Les Saintes: you would lose all the insurance cover in the contract.
A French department: same highway code, same penalty points and same fines as in mainland France. Other licences: check whether an International Driving Permit is required.
As in mainland France. No motorways: national roads, departmental roads and a few expressways.
50 in towns, 110 on the few expressways such as the Pont de l'Alliance, 90 on some signed sections.
0.2 g/l for probationary licence holders. Alcohol is among the leading factors in the island's serious accidents in 2026.
La Gabarre (RN1) and L'Alliance (RN11) link the two islands. An incident at La Jaille blocks the RN1 as far as Petit-Bourg.
Nine new tower speed cameras announced in May 2026. Exceeding the limit by more than 50 km/h has been a criminal offence since December 2025.
D11 to the Bains Jaunes is narrow, gradients of over 10%. Slippery surface in showers.
In October 2023, the Traversée (D23) and the Vieux-Fort road (RD6) were closed. Follow Météo-France.
Unattended car parks on the Traversée; beaches and tourist sites are targeted by thieves.
≈ €1.92 per litre of unleaded, €2.09 diesel (1 September 2026)
Price recorded in September 2026: it changes every week, sometimes by 10 to 20 cents in a month. Check it before you go.
⛽ 327 km at 7 l per 100 km: about €40 at September 2026 prices, to share between passengers.
Maximum prices set each month by the prefect. Diesel rose by 16 cents in September: a petrol car works out cheaper.
| Roads | No tolls in the archipelago |
|---|---|
| Carbet Falls (parking and toilets) | €6 per adult, €4 per child, €14.50 per family |
| Pointe des Châteaux, Cascade aux Écrevisses | Free access and parking |
| Plage de Morne Jacques | Small public car park, arrive early |
| Shuttle from Trois-Rivières to Terre-de-Haut | Foot passengers only, car left at the port |
| Route de la Traversée (D23) | Closed under red alert; night closures for roadworks |
|---|---|
| D23 during the Tour cycliste de la Guadeloupe | Restrictions as the peloton passes, early August |
| Trail to the 3rd Carbet fall | Direct access forbidden; trail closed from 29 June to 3 July 2026 |
| Pointe des Châteaux | Closed from 1 to 7 June 2026 for safety works |
| Pont de la Gabarre (RN1) | Rehabilitation until 2027; delays during roadworks |
| Karu'Ferry | All sailings suspended since 11 September 2026 |
| All roads | Closures possible under red alert, especially from June to November |
Allow 10 to 14 days for this loop of 8 stages and 13 nights: Sainte-Anne, Saint-François, northern Grande-Terre, Deshaies, Malendure, the Traversée, Trois-Rivières and La Soufrière. The drives are short, but beaches, hikes and a day in Les Saintes fill the days. In 7 days, keep Saint-François, Deshaies, Trois-Rivières and Saint-Claude.
Car only: about €350 of rental over 13 days for a small car (€27 a day, Kayak average), €570 in February, €180 in September. No tolls. About €40 of petrol at September 2026 prices for around 350 km. Add €6 per adult at the Carbet Falls.
Only two bridges cross the Rivière Salée between Grande-Terre and Basse-Terre: La Gabarre (RN1) and L'Alliance (RN11), carrying an estimated 140,000 vehicles a day in 2011. A single incident at La Jaille blocks the RN1 as far as Petit-Bourg. Cross outside the morning and evening rush hours, with a real-time traffic app.
No. Europcar Guadeloupe's terms forbid taking the vehicle out of the rental territory, even to an outlying island, and carrying it by boat: the insurance no longer applies. Leave the car in Trois-Rivières, where the CTM Deher shuttles leave for Terre-de-Haut, and rent a scooter, bike or electric car there.
No. A city car is enough on this route and is easier to park; an SUV only adds comfort on the hairpins of Basse-Terre. The Bains Jaunes road (D11), which leads to the start of the Soufrière trail, is narrow and uneven, with gradients of over 10%: drive slowly, especially in the rain.
The carême, from January to April, is the dry season according to Météo-France, with 28 to 31°C in the afternoon. The hivernage, from June to November, is hotter and more humid, with showers and a cyclone risk: under a red alert, roads such as the Traversée are closed. December and May are the transition months.
Driving rules, prices and closures checked in September 2026; hotels checked on OpenStreetMap and then on Booking. Rules change: read the official source before you leave, and check your own government's travel advice for the country. Stop photos: Wikimedia Commons, authors and licences under each image.
Off We Gooo road trip guide · offwegooo.com/en/road-trips/guadeloupe · by Pierrick, updated 1 October 2026
