Explore: Guadeloupe - General Info
Time Zone
UTC (-4)


Yachting Essentials
Electricity:
- Voltage: 230 V
- Frequency: 50 Hz
Fuel and Water:
Fuel berths and available water at Basse Terre, Pointe-a-Petre and Saint Francois.
Tap on shore at Deshaies and Port Louis.
A floating water buoy at Iles des Saintes YC.
Repairs:
Point-a- Pitre Boat Yard is a French Government owned and run facility with very reasonable prices.
Opening Hours
- Banks: 08:00-12:00, 14:30-16:30. Some banks also open on Saturday mornings.
- Shops: 08:00-12:00, 14:00-18:00 Monday to Friday, morning only on Saturday.
- Government offices: 07:30-13:00, 15:00-16:30 Monday and Friday. 07:30-13:00 Tuesday to Thursday.
- Business: 08:00-12:00, 14:30-17:00 Monday to Friday, 08:00-12:00 Saturday.
Money
The currency is the Euro.
Most banks and bank machines accept most international credit cards. These are welcomed almost everywhere, the best known is Visa.
There are many banks and cash machines in Guadeloupe. Foreign cheques are not generally accepted.
Effective 1 July 2015, the I cent and 2 cents EC coins will be withdrawn from circulation. The coins will no longer be valid either as consumers will not be able to conduct transactions using these coins. Persons can present the coins at any of the commercial banks which operate within the Eastern Caribbean Currency Union (ECCU) to receive face value.
A price rounding system will be implemented within the ECCU countries for the settlement of cash transactions only, whereby the total payment, inclusive of duties, fees and taxes, will be rounded symmetrically to the nearest five cents. Non-cash payments using cheques, debit and credit cards will not be impacted and therefore will not be rounded.
Communications
International Dialing Code for Guadeloupe is +590.
Internet service is available through a local server, Caribsurf, run by the phone company. Internet Access is available at all hotels on Guadeloupe, and at several other locations:
Cell phone coverage is available everywhere on Guadeloupe, but check with your cellular service provider to be sure they offer international coverage and that your cell phone supports service from the Caribbean – you’ll also want to be aware of your carrier’s rates as calls from Guadeloupe (or to you while you are on Guadeloupe) may very likely be at a higher rate. Alternatively Guadeloupe GSM prepaid international cell phone service; prepaid phone cards; cell phone calling cards; low cost, high-quality special dialling services such as toll free dial around to Guadeloupe with free minutes and no fees.
Digicel update December 2014:
Anyone cruising using Digicel should be aware that if you purchase a SIM card in one country, it cannot be topped up in a different one, as previously possible. So if you wish to use the sim bought here while cruising in other countries, you should either put on a large enough sum to cover your needs, or set up an account and do it online.
You can top-up Digicel at https://online-top-up.digicelgroup.com/
Diplomatic Missions
Events
- January: Festival of Music, both jazz and classical, in the churches.
- February: A carnival with the climax on Ash Wednesday, when Vaval, the Carnival King, is symbolically burnt on the stake.
- Second week of July: fête des Gwo Ka.
- First Saturday after 10th August: Fête des Cuisinières à Pointe à Pître.
- November: Le jour de la Sainte Cécile. A festival of Music on all the beaches and also concerts in the churches.
Rallye des Iles du Soleil: A French-run transatlantic rally open to boats over 10m LOA with a minimum of two crew. Starts in November from Las Palmas, Canaries to Cape Verde, finishing in Marie-Galante, Guadaloupe.
Related Businesses
Rallye des Iles du Soleil
A French-run transatlantic rally open to boats over 10m LOA with a minimum of two crew. Starts in November from Las Palmas, Canaries to Cape Verde,... Read More
Emergencies
- Police: 17 (or 05 90 82 00 59 Pointe-Ã -Pitre)
- Fire department: 18 (or 05 90 89 77 17 Pointe-Ã -Pitre)
- Ambulance: 15 (or 05 90 87.65.43)
- Medical Emergency: 0590 91 39 39 (Pointe-Ã -Pitre)
- Centre Hospitalier Regional Universitaire (CHRU), Pointe a Pitre Tel: (590-590) 89-10-79; Fax: (590-590) 89-10-29. This hospital is the major medical facility in Guadeloupe.
To initiate a rescue at sea call MRCC Fort-de-France (Martinique).
They will hear you on VHF Ch 16 anywhere from Northern St Vincent to half way between Guadeloupe and Antigua via several sensitive radio repeaters.
They monitor comms 24/7 and can speak both French and English.
https://www.facebook.com/MRCCFortdeFrance
Publications
Atlantic, Caribbean, Mediterranean: Atlantic Pilot Atlas
A book anyone planning an Atlantic crossing, cruising the Caribbean or the Mediterranean should not be without. By: James Clarke Published by: Adlard Coles Nautical (5th Edn, Feb 2011) See review here. ... Read MoreAtlantic, Caribbean: A Thousand Miles From Anywhere
Following Dolphins Under My Bed and Turtles in Our Wake comes the third leg of the Claytons' voyage, two early retirees who decided to live life sailing from place to place to fulfil their dream. This book covers their Atlantic crossing and cruising the Caribbean on the third leg of... Read MoreAtlantic: The RCC Pilotage Foundation Atlantic Crossing Guide
The Atlantic Crossing Guide is a complete reference for anyone planning an Atlantic passage in their own boat. By Jane Russell Published by Adlard Coles Nautical (6th Edition August 2010)... Read MoreAtlantic: Your First Atlantic Crossing- A Planning Guide for Passagemakers
An essential read for ocean novices and dreamers. An excellent guide to the planning of your Atlantic crossing. By Les Weatherett Published by Adlard Coles Nautical (3rd edition Jan 2008)... Read MoreCaribbean: A Cruising Guide to the Lesser Antilles 2.0 (Volume II: Leeward Islands)
This guide was produced by Frank Virgintino in 2014 and originally was available to download for free from the freecruisingguide.com website. This website is no longer in operation and all Virgintino's guides must now be purchased through Amazon. The SSCA [www.ssca.org] have all guides on their website - available to members.... Read MoreCaribbean: Cruising Guide to the Caribbean
By William T. Stone and Anne M. Hayes Publisher Sheridan House. Rev Rep edition (August 21, 1998) ISBN-13: 978-0924486579... Read MoreCaribbean: Cruising Guide to The Leeward Islands
By Stephen J Pavlidis Published by Seaworthy Publications (2nd Edition 2012) ISBN: 9781892399366... Read MoreCaribbean: Cruising Guide to the Leeward Islands
This thirteenth edition covers the islands from Anguilla to Dominica and is an essential tool for all cruisers sailing this region. See more here. By: Chris Doyle Publisher Cruising Guides Publications - 13th Edition ISBN 13: 13: 978-0944428979... Read MoreCaribbean: Cruising Guide To The Leeward Islands: Anguilla Through Dominica
Covers the islands from Anguilla to Dominica, and is an essential tool for all cruisers sailing this region. Chris Doyle, the author, spends months sailing these islands to update each edition. This book includes over a hundred up-to-date color sketch charts, full-color aerial photos of most anchorages, island pictures, and... Read MoreCaribbean: Cruising Life – The Best Stories from Caribbean Compass
A collection of 49 stories by sailors cruising the Caribbean Sea, selected from the popular Caribbean Compass monthly magazine. These are first-hand tales of experiences ranging from hurricane survival to hilarious shoreside happenings, ranging throughout the Caribbean while giving glimpses of seldom-visited anchorages as well as unique perspectives on the... Read MoreCaribbean: Leeward Anchorages
Depicts 43 anchorages and harbors throughout the islands of Anguilla, Sint Maarten/Saint Martin, Saint Barts, Saba, Statia, Saint Kitts, Nevis, Barbuda, Antigua, Guadeloupe, Marie Galante, Iles des Saintes and Dominica from Road Bay, Anguilla to Roseau, Dominica. The book is to be used in conjunction with navigational charts and is... Read MoreCaribbean: Marina Melee
How hard can it be to run a marina in the tropics? Freshly divorced for the third time and fired from his "allowance"-paying job in the family oil business by his father as a result, George Marshall is invited by his friends Ricky and Katie May to join them on... Read MoreCaribbean: Street’s Cruising Guide- Anguilla to Dominica
By Donald Street Publisher: W W Norton & Co Ltd (Revised edition (January 17, 1994) ISBN-13: 978-0393035254... Read MoreFlorida, Caribbean: The Reef Set (Reef Fish, Reef Creature and Reef Coral)
3 books in slipcase. Copies of: Reef Fish Identification: Florida, Caribbean & Bahamas ; (4th Edition); Reef Creature Identification: Florida, Caribbean & Bahamas (3rd Edition) and Reef Coral Identification: Florida, Caribbean & Bahamas (3rd Edition) packaged in a beautifully printed shelf case. All 3 books are Flexibinding - pages are stitched in... Read MoreReeds 9-Language Handbook
The pocket dictionary is centered around clear, color, annotated diagrams, such as parts of the rig and engine, in each nautical subject area, and makes it very easy and convenient to translate between nine languages (English, French, German, Dutch, Spanish, Italian, Danish, Portuguese and Greek). The diagrams can easily be... Read More
Links
Ti’Ponton Boating Directory (updated annually)
Covering Guadeloupe, Martinique, St. Martin/Sint Maarten, St. Lucia, Carriacou.
You can pick up your free copy of Ti’Ponton at boating businesses in Gosier, Pointe-à -Pitre, Baie-Mahault, Gourbeyre, Saint-François and also on Marie-Galante and Les Saintes or, find out information online at www.tiponton.com.
Doyle cruising guides/Guadeloupe
http://www.doyleguides.com/gps-waypoints/
Doyle’s Guide to Sailors’ hikes