Deshaies

Deshaies is a fishing village in a bay on the northwestern coast of Basse-Terre, with boats on moorings, a church on the front and restaurants along the water, and it has become better known abroad than most Guadeloupean villages because a long-running British television series was filmed here. Above the village the Jardin Botanique occupies the former estate of a French entertainer, planted with tropical species on terraces.

History

Colonists landed at Pointe Allègre at the north end of the island in 1635, and the deep, sheltered bay served pirates and corsairs as a refuge. The Potherie plantation on the site of the present village was one of the island's greatest fortunes in 1686, ten years before English corsairs ruined the sugar estates in 1696; the village received two cannons on 1 April 1730, became a community in 1732, and its church, dedicated to Saints Peter and Paul, was consecrated on 29 June 1733. After the naval battle in the bay between the French and British on 5 September 1803, the British laid waste to the village and the coastal estates (Wikipedia, Deshaies).

Highlights

• The bay and harbour - fishing boats on moorings in front of the village.
• The botanical garden - tropical planting on terraces above the village.
• The waterfront restaurants - the eating places along the front.
• The nearby beaches - Grande Anse and La Perle within a short drive.

When to go

December to April is the dry season. The village is busiest at lunchtime. September and October are the hurricane peak.

Things to know

The television association brings coach parties and the village is crowded at midday. Parking on the front is very limited. Prices in the restaurants reflect the traffic.

Nearby

Grande Anse is north, and Plage de la Perle is further north.

Key facts