Beginner Guadeloupe
Guadeloupe
A small reserve off two islets where almost every dive is shallow, with an enormous mangrove right next door
Off two islets on the west coast lies a small marine reserve where almost everything happens at shallow depths, above twenty meters: turtles, coral, schools of fish, and a calm that makes it one of the best spots in the Caribbean for your first dives.
In this profile you'll find how diving works in that reserve, what else the archipelago offers (from the largest mangrove in the Lesser Antilles to a deep offshore seamount) when to go, and what level you need.
It's proof that a destination can be easy without being poor in what it offers: a small, well-protected reserve with decades of accumulated life delivers more than many large, unprotected reefs.
Geography and access
Guadeloupe is an archipelago in the Lesser Antilles made up of two main islands joined by a narrow channel, plus several smaller islands.
The western half is volcanic and mountainous, with an active volcano; the eastern half is low-lying and limestone, with beaches and fringing reefs.
Off the west coast of the volcanic half, two islets shelter a shallow reef area that forms the destination's main marine reserve.
Between the two halves, an enclosed bay holds the largest mangrove system in the Lesser Antilles, declared a biosphere reserve.
In open water off the coast of the archipelago, an underwater seamount rises from deep water and offers the area's most demanding dive.
Access is by international flight to the island, with connections from Europe, and transfers by road or ferry between islands.
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