Language:
French is the national language of Guadeloupe and Marie Galant, but some locals speak English. If you’re not fluent in French, polish off you school French, get a guide-phrase book or a good translator app, available for most smart phones.
Customs and Immigration:
Please check this for clarification! We cleared into customs in Guadeloupe. So, we didn’t need to clear into Mary Galant as its part of Guadeloupe. We cleared out of Customs from Grand Bourg on the Southwest of Mary Galant.
Mooring:
Having sailed from Point a Pitre on Guadalupe to Marie Galante, we anchored under sail in the bay of Anse Canot. Adjacent to the town of Saint Louis on the Northwest side of the Island. The bay is huge, we counted at least 50 plus boats anchored, with room for plenty more. The swell can be uncomfortable on occasions, but nothing too dramatic. The beautiful white, sandy beach runs along the length of the bay. Towards the south end of the beach is a mangrove forest, which leads toward Grand Bourg.
Jeanette on the beach at Saint Louis, Marie Galant. Hector, a Spanish Flamenco guitarist on the only Cobra 1050 we’ve come across. Not counting Ocean Strider. Looking out to sea from the woods, at Saint Louis.
Whilst in the bay we encounter our first and only Cobra 1050 sailing boat. The same make and model as Ocean Strider. The yacht was moored not too far from us. A lovely Spanish couple with a baby owned it, Hector the husband made a point of talking to us on the beach, as he’d noticed our boat. They’d been in the Caribbean for four years. He was a working musician.
Dinghy Dock:
The well-kept dock leads directly to the pier and onto the town. Be cautious of commercial boats, also using the dock.
Water and Fuel:
We were informed water and fuel could be obtained from the town. As we didn’t require any during our stay, we are unclear where the supply was, or the cost.
Rubbish:
There was not specific area for yachties to place their rubbish. However, there were bins located not far away. From the end of the pier, head over the crossroads. About 20 meters on the left-hand side of the road, we found some large skip bins that appeared to be for public use.
Shopping:
We found one grocery shop in town. Turn left off the pier and then (I think) first right. Located halfway down on the left is a small grocery shop. It stocked a restricted variety of goods. Prices seemed a bit high, but you could purchase your basics and it was handy.
The town of Grand Bourg lies about 7 miles to the south. Most yachties do their main food shop from there. It’s a short and enjoyable journey by water, with a good wind for a sail, or a motor down the coast.
Camping Gas:
We weren’t looking for gas so unsure if anywhere supplied it, seemed unlikely. Maybe try Grand Bourg.
Things To Do:
Note we didn’t hire a car to explore inner Marie Galant, so our sightseeing was restricted to walks. Saint Louis was a wonderful place, I highly recommend.
The Town of St Louis:
The coastal town of Saint Louis on Marie Galant was stunning.
Off the pier, you can take a walk around the small town and get a feel for the culture and people of Marie Galant. The police station is at the end of the pier on the left-hand side. From there head over the crossroads, which appears to be the main high street. There’s a variety of small shops lining the street, selling clothes and other household goods. In addition, several places to get a bite to eat were available. These range from cafes and patisseries in town, to the various restaurants that are plentiful along the beach front.
Walks out of St Louis:
We went for a walk taking us left out of town. You walk past mainly the suburbs, some local eating places, a few roadside shacks selling fruit and the odd business. We did see the town church which looked pretty. After 20mins heading North, we encountered nothing else of interest and turned back.
We then decided to try the South side of town. We were certainly getting in our steps with a good bit of exercise under our belt. The mangrove forest is located on the south of Saint Louis. It’s easy to follow a path weaves its way through the trees, mainly staying in sight of the beach.
It was an interesting walk through the mangrove, at Saint Louis.
Part way in we come across a large mangrove tree with masks and face effigy’s hanging from it, with bones (presumably animal) lying on the ground. There was a sign in French explaining their significance. From the recesses of my school French, I believe they are part of an annual festival. If you continued along the path, I believe you could walk all the way to Grand Bourg. After 40mins a good scenic spot was spied to take some photos. Then for a change and to feel the sand in our toes we followed the beach, paddling around the trees, back to town and our awaiting dinghy.
Beaches:
The coastline of the bay was all beaches. Some parts were fairly narrow and constantly wet where the beach met the mangrove forest. But closer towards St Louis, there was plenty of larger areas to come ashore in our dinghy and relax. The only thing to spoil the view from was a utility plant. Its large tanks are very visible. It’s a pity a few trees could not have been planted along the front of the plant to help blend it into the natural surroundings.
However, there was one particular tree next to the plant that was just full of hummingbirds. A beautiful sight to see.
The water was clear and warm and easy to walk straight into. Sea grasses grew in abundance. I, Jeanette, didn’t like it underfoot, but there were plenty of areas to enjoy just sand. The beach had a boat-free zone, located behind a line of floating buoys. The speeding commercial and pleasure boats kept outside the
