Explore: Deshaies
General Info
COVID-19: OPEN
- See Biosecurity for details.
Description:
This sheltered bay is at the northern end of Basse-Terre Island. The popular UK television series “Death in Paradise” is filmed here.
Position:
16° 18.40′ N, 61° 47.79′ W (anchorage)
Clearance
- It is possible to use the computer at Le Pelican for clearance – photo (c) Arnd of SV Zanshin.
For full details on clearing into and out of Guadeloupe, see the main Formalities section.
Anchoring close to shore here is more difficult now that new mooring buoys have been laid. The majority of these moorings are used by local boats. The safest option is to anchor further out, away from the mooring field in approx. 30-40ft.
Once secure, dinghy ashore for clearance.
The dinghy dock is in the middle of the main town strip. Much more convenient than the old location up the small river.
There are now two choices for clearance.
The Police Municipale (turn left from the dinghy dock located in the building across from Le Mairie) have a computer for free clearance. Opening hours are more or less the same as the Pelican below.
The store “Le Pelican” has a computer at the back of their store where you can check in/out for €4. It is a brightly coloured building located on the ocean side of the main street south of the dinghy dock (picture above due to be updated as colours have changed). Open Monday to Saturday 0900-1200 and 1600-1900, closed Sundays.
Last updated: February 2022
Related Businesses
Customs – Deshaies
Address: (office up the hill, on the S side of the town),
It is not always possible to find them as they are not often in the office.... Read More
Pelican Internet and Souvenir shop
Address: Guadeloupe,
The store "Le Pelican" has a computer at the back of their store where you can check in/out for €4. It is a brightly coloured... Read More
Docking
The breakwater here is 90m long, and T-shaped. The maximum draught is 1.5m.
More and more of the French Caribbean islands are trying to provide moorings to start preserving the sea bed for turtles and other marine life. Lots of new mooring buoys have been laid in Deshaies by the EU, which now means there is very little space left for anchoring.
Whilst the buoys are available to use for free, the vast majority are now occupied by local craft. The moorings close to the shore are meant for smaller boats, those further out for larger vessels. Moorings are white with a large metal ring on top, making pick up easy but the ring can cause problems if the wind drops by banging against your hull.
The safest option in this anchorage is to anchor further offshore, away from the mooring field, in approx. 30-40ft. The anchorage can get crowded and very often boats collide with each other, so anchoring off with some space around you is probably the better option.
Take care as the dinghy dock is damaged towards the end where there are no wooden slats to walk on. Rubbish bins are down the street to the left of the dinghy dock, or to the right are recycling bins for plastic and glass.
There is reported to be excellent WiFi out in the mooring field from Le Pelican and HotHotHot.
Talk to the dive shop on the dock if you need to take on water. There is also reported to be a tap near the tennis courts (see comment below by SY Calico Jack).
At Anse Deshayes, there is a useful mooring for boats continuing North.
Last updated: April 2018.
Courtesy Flag

YachtFlags.com offers a discount to Noonsite members.
YachtFlags.com provides high quality courtesy flags that are manufactured in durable Knitted Polyester fabric. Knitted so that the fabric itself does not deteriorate in the constant movement that marine flags are usually exposed to, and polyester so that the flag does not weaken in the strong UV-light usually found in the main sailing areas of the world.
Use the coupon code NOONSITE_5A2B when checking out to get 10% off today.
Buy Now On YachtFlags.com