Pointe a Pitre is a town of surprising and stunning Graffiti.
Language:
Pointe a Pitre is in Guadeloupe, one of the Caribbean Islands and a department of France. French is the spoken language and very few residents will use any other language.
If you’re not fluent in French, a phrase book or a good translator app on your smartphone can be very useful.
Deshais to Pointe A Pitre
We sailed from Deshais to Anse A LA Baroque and stayed for the night in the bay. The small town looked very nice. We didn’t go ashore unfortunately. This was followed by a 1-night stay, in a very quiet and beautiful anchorage. This was Baie du Marigot on the island of Terre de Hutt, again we didn’t go ashore.
Mooring in Guadeloupe:
Ocean Strider anchored in Pointe a Pitre. There were always dinghies on the water.
After a night on Terre de Hutt, we decided to sail to Pointe a Pitre Marina as we needed gas. We arrive late afternoon on Ocean Strider, to anchor on the right-hand side of the channel, outside Pointe a Pitre Marina, in 15m/50ft depth of water. In this area, the depth varied considerably. It ranged from 4.5m/15ft to15m50ft. It is advisable to pick your spot well. Ensure your boat does not drift near the channel as large container ships require access 24/7 and the coast guard will move errant boats. You will find that most of the mooring balls are privately owned. We would advise not using them.
There is also ample space to anchor in a quieter area. This is on the opposite side of the channel. Near Ilet a Cochons, you will see yachts and other boats anchored there.
The bay is busy with anchored boats and commercial shipping. The water is probably not the best for swimming. Our dinghy was in the water for 8 days and the bottom was very grimy.
Dinghy Dock:
The long dinghy dock is located outside the Marina office. From our anchorage we followed the channel into the marina, the Marina office is the low building on the left with a white roof. You may struggle to see the dinghy dock from the anchorage. Look for the fuel dock, it’s on the left as you draw level.
Water and Fuel
To purchase water, ask at the Marina office. The staff speak good English and will direct you to a pontoon in order to fill up. The price was, 1 Euro for 100ltrs; in short seemed very reasonable.
The fuel dock is across the channel from Marina office.
Waste and Rubbish:
The Marina has an area set aside for not only general rubbish, but also recyclables. It’s located just a short distance away from the office, found on the R/H side as you walk towards the supermarket. One section had an oil dump and in addition, people leave serviceable things they no longer wanted too.
Shopping:
As you walk from the marina office towards the supermarket, not only are there are Chandleries and but other handy boat supply shops. There’s a good Carrefore supermarket at the entrance to the Marina on the left. Moreover, prices are reasonable, and in general, they have a decent variety.
If you turn left out of the Marina, then directly after the supermarket, you’ll find a good pharmacy.
Keep on going left, until eventually, you will find the town. The walk into town is approximately 20-30 minutes.
For a different supermarket, alternatively, turn right out of the Marina, by Carrefore. Firstly, follow the road for about 20-30 minutes. Secondly, part of the road is a dirt track. Thirdly, take a right-angle turn, past a sports field. Finally, around a right-hand bend, there’s an undercover shopping area next to a roundabout. Located inside is Leclerc and several smaller shops selling a variety of goods from clothes, Digicell and tourist trinkets. In conclusion, shopping here would include a good walk or a taxi. Or easier yet, hire a car.
Camping Gas:
The Carrefore supermarket at the Marina sells 3kg Camping Gas bottles. Simply exchange your empty bottles at a resalable price or buy a refilled bottle at a much higher cost.
Town of Pointe a Pitre.
Pointe a Pitre is an amazing place. Bottom right is one of the talented artists.
Turn left out of the Marina by the supermarket. From here and take a walk into town in order to get a feel for the culture and the people. If you time it right, haggle at the town’s fish market just as the fishing boats bring in their catch.
Very worthy of a look as your stroll around town is all the street art. Make sure you discover the canvas of these fabulous murals, which can be found on almost anything. Such as a rundown shack to a tall office building.
In the event you are hungry, there’s a diversity of places to eat in Pointe a Pitre with a variety of choice, these can fit any pocket. Moreover, you can choose from a roadside shack grilling up tasty BBQ food and restaurants serving a variety of mouth-watering local cuisine. Or visit a well-known fast-food chain, such as, good old MacDonalds.
The Airport:
The international airport is also based, close by, in Pointe a Pitre.
Churches:
The stunning Cathedral St Piere Saint Paul, located in the center of Pointe a Pitra. That’s Les on the steps.
Several of the old churches in the town are free to enter and walk around. Unfortunately, they were closed at the time of our visit. We looked from the outside at the beautiful historic façades of Cathedral St Piere Saint Paul above. Futher over town was the English de Massabielle church.
Museums:
A museum dedicated to the history of slavery.
Memorial Acte is a modern museum visible from the anchorage, depicting its modern silver metalic architecture. The building is dedicated to the history of slavery in colonial times and moreover, reputed as one of the best museums on the island. Check the entrance fee and opening times on their website.
Conversely, there are several other museums in the vicinity. A Google search is a good starting point.
Plage de Bas Fort Beach:
It was a good 45-minute walk from the marina in order to find the only decent public beach in the area. This is Plage de Bas Fort, where Hotel Fleur D’Epee holiday resort is also located on the same beach.
The beach is situated in a man-made cove and we found it really nice area for a bit of R&R. We were unclear if we’d be allowed access into the cove with the dinghy, therefore, we walked.
A Google search will show you the way to the beach (Plage de Bas Fort).
A Google search will show you the way on foot. You have to negotiate your way right around the Marina, an industrial area and the suburbs. As you get near the beach, it is not apparent where the entrance is. As you pass the hotel on your left, follow the road down to some tennis courts. Then pass through a car park. From here turn left between the courts bottom fence and what looks like holiday lets. At the end of this road, you’ll see a full body turn stile (yes I said turn stile). It makes you think the beach is private, but fortunately no one stopped us. By the time we were through the turnstile, we were on the quaint crescent shaped beach.
The top part of the beach is explicitly dedicated to the hotel and its guest’s, with activities. By and large, the remainder of the beach was enjoyed by the general public. The cove itself is protected by the man-made walls. They extended out into the sea, like two arms reaching around for a hug. There was a concrete causeway in the water running parallel to the beach. It was a conduit for very excited children to run along its length, in order to jump off the end. We could see it was evident every time, it produced gleeful squeals, coupled with a huge splash.
After a chill on the beach, take a swim and then maybe a snooze. The last part is to recharge the batteries, in order to take a leisurely walk back! Don’t forget to take a drink and some snacks. There were no vendors on the beach to purchase any from, Enjoy!
There is a carpark near the beach if you’ve hired a car, or you could take a taxi.
