La Desirade
A long dry island east of Guadeloupe with the oldest rocks in the Lesser Antilles and few visitors.
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La Désirade lies east of Grande-Terre, a narrow island around eleven kilometres long with a limestone plateau running its length and a single road along the southern shore where the villages are. Its rocks include some of the oldest in the Lesser Antilles, dating back well over a hundred million years, and a geological reserve protects them. The island is dry, quiet and little visited, with iguanas common and a former leper colony among the sites.
What you actually see
- The old rocks - among the oldest in the Lesser Antilles, protected as a reserve.
- The plateau - the limestone tableland running the length of the island.
- The southern villages - the settlements strung along the single road.
- The iguanas - common across the dry scrub of the island.
When to go
December to April is the driest and calmest for the ferry. Crossings are cancelled in swell. The island is very quiet in any season.
Honest expectations
The ferry is exposed and often rough; crossings are cancelled with little notice. Facilities are limited to a few guesthouses and restaurants. There is very little shade anywhere.
Nearby
Saint-Francois is west, and Petite Terre is south.
What to pack for La Desirade
Chosen from what this place is for. Tap a kit for the full checklist.
Opening times, ticket prices and seasonal closures change - check the official source before you go: official site.
