Les Saintes

Les Saintes — 'Lézan' in Guadeloupean Creole — form a mini-archipelago of 9 islets nestled 15 km south of the southern coast of Basse-Terre. Discovered by Christopher Columbus on 4 November 1493 (All Saints' Day, hence their name), these islands of spectacular landscapes were long a strategic French outpost for controlling Caribbean maritime routes — hence the presence of Fort Napoléon (built in the 19th century on the remains of an earlier fort) that still dominates the bay from its 114 metres altitude.

Only two islands are inhabited: Terre-de-Haut (5 km², about 1,500 inhabitants, the most visited) and Terre-de-Bas (10 km², about 1,000 inhabitants, more authentic and confidential). The 7 remaining islets (Grand îlet, La Coche, Les Augustins, Le Pâté, La Redonde, le Cabrit, Caye Plate) are uninhabited, refuges for pelicans, frigatebirds and iguanas. The Saintes Bay that shelters them has been classified by UNESCO among the world's most beautiful bays since 1998 — alongside the bays of Rio de Janeiro, Halong or San Francisco. Seen from the Chameau (highest point at 309 m) or from Fort Napoléon, this spectacle of rocky peaks emerging from a turquoise sea is one of the most striking postcards of the Lesser Antilles.

The Saintois identity is singular in the Guadeloupean archipelago. The population descends mainly from Breton and Norman sailors settled from the 17th century — poorly adapted to cane cultivation, they turned to fishing, which remains an essential activity today (the pirogue fishing and the famous saintois straw hat are the island's emblems). This European origin also explains the prevalence of French and a certain cultural mixing different from that of 'large' Guadeloupe. The main village of Terre-de-Haut — a small village of white-walled houses with blue shutters and red roofs — has a deliberate Mediterranean charm that pleasantly surprises visitors.