Les Saintes — particularly Terre-de-Haut — are designed for soft mobility. Cars are forbidden or very restricted in the Terre-de-Haut village to preserve the island's authenticity.
For Terre-de-Haut, options: on foot for the essentials (the village is compact, Pompierre 15 min, Fort Napoléon 25 min uphill), by bike (€10-15/day, several rental shops in the village, practical but demanding due to relief), by scooter (€25-35/day, the most popular and comfortable option, ideal for reaching Anse Crawen or Le Marigot), by collective minibus ('taxi-bus', €3-5/journey to main beaches, departure from the landing square).
Distances in Terre-de-Haut are short: village-Pompierre 1.5 km (15 min on foot), village-Pain de Sucre 1.5 km (20 min), village-Anse Crawen 2 km (25-30 min), village-Fort Napoléon 1 km (25 min uphill), village-Le Chameau (highest point 309 m) 3 km (1h steep uphill).
For Terre-de-Bas, the car is allowed and rental is possible on site (€30-45/day). The island is more extensive (10 km²) with some carriageways. Small inter-island shuttle from Terre-de-Haut (15 min, €8-10 return, departure Anse Mire, several daily rotations).
For returning to Guadeloupe: maritime shuttle from Terre-de-Haut to Trois-Rivières (30 min, €30 return, several daily rotations via L'Express des Îles, Iguana Beach, Comatrile), Pointe-à-Pitre (1h, €35-45) or Saint-François (1h15, €40). Book in advance in peak season.
Read also
- Terre-de-Haut, Fort Napoléon and Sugarloaf — The main island of Les Saintes: Fort Napoléon, Pompierre beach, Pain de Sucre.
- Guadeloupe — Complete archipelago guide: entry rules, budget, when to visit, islands to discover.
- Marie-Galante, the round island — The other satellite island: AOC rum, deserted beaches and Creole authenticity.
- Basse-Terre, volcano and jungle — The volcanic wing of Guadeloupe: Soufrière, Carbet Falls, National Park.