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Voykit pocket guide · Guadeloupe
Pointe-à-Pitre
Pointe-à-Pitre is a half-day-and-morning town: do the market before it gets hot, the memorial museum in the middle of the day, and sleep on the beaches or in the countryside if you want a beach holiday — the town itself is for arrivals, ferries and one good day.
Pointe-à-Pitre is the commercial centre of Guadeloupe and the airport town: it has the covered market, the cathedral, the Place de la Victoire and the Mémorial ACTe, and it is where ferries leave for the smaller islands. It is not a beach town, traffic on the ring roads is heavy at rush hour, and the centre is quiet on Sundays and after dark. Four small clusters cover a first visit; a car or taxi links them to the Grande-Terre beaches.
- Country
- Guadeloupe
- Best months
- Jan · Feb · Mar · Apr · May · Dec
- Time zone
- America/Guadeloupe
- Stay
- 1 days: Victoire and market in the morning, Mémorial ACTe after lunch
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- EUR
- Money
- Euros. Cards work in hotels, shops, restaurants and supermarkets; keep €30–50 in small notes and coins for market stalls, snack stands and taxis.
- Daily spend
- Budget €40–70 excl. bed · Mid €70–150 excl. bed · High €150+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Guadeloupe is part of France and the EU, so EU roaming applies for many European plans; others buy a French SIM (Orange, SFR or Digicel) at the airport or a shop with ID (check current offers).
- Emergency
- All emergencies 112 · Ambulance (SAMU) 15 · Police 17 · Fire 18
- Plugs
- 230 V, 50 Hz; European two-pin sockets (type C and E). No adapter needed for EU plugs.
- Tipping
- Service is included in restaurant and café prices. Round up a taxi fare or leave a euro or two for good table service.
- Water
- Tap water is treated and generally drinkable, but supply cuts and colour or taste problems occur across the island; many visitors drink bottled water. Ask your hotel.
- Toilets
- Cafés, the memorial, malls and the market (small fee possible). Public toilets are few.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee (café) | €1.50–3.50 |
| Creole lunch plate | €8–14 |
| Beer (Corsaire or Carib) | €3–5 |
| Short taxi ride | €8–15 |
| Airport taxi to the centre | €15–30 |
| Museum entry | €3–15 |
| Ferry to Marie-Galante, return | €30–50 (check) |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- Pointe-à-Pitre – Pôle Caraïbes Airport (PTP)
- PTP to the centre: one taxi, 15–35 minutes for about 5 km (3.1 mi) — the risk is a late landing with no ride arranged and traffic on the ring road at rush hour.PTP to the centre: one taxi, 15–35 minutes for about 3.1 mi (5 km) — the risk is a late landing with no ride arranged and traffic on the ring road at rush hour.
By rail and road
| Station | Serves | To the centre |
|---|---|---|
| Bergevin ferry terminal (Gare maritime) (Gare maritime de Bergevin) | Ferries to Marie-Galante and Les Saintes (check operators and days) | Car 5–10 min |
| Pointe-à-Pitre – Le Raizet airport (PTP) (Aéroport Pointe-à-Pitre – Le Raizet) | Flights to mainland France, other Caribbean islands and the Americas | Taxi 15–30 min |
| Interurban buses (Gare routière) | Routes to Le Gosier, Saint-François, Basse-Terre (check) | Walk or short taxi |
Typical fares
- Airport to the centre, taxi
- €15–30 by day, 15–30 min depending on traffic
- Short taxi ride in town
- €8–15
- Centre to Le Gosier, taxi
- €25–40, 20–30 min
Show 8 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Eat, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
Walk inside a cluster by day; use a taxi or a rental car between clusters and after dark. Buses exist but are irregular, and traffic on the ring roads is heavy at rush hour.
| How | Fare | Use for |
|---|---|---|
| Walking | Free | The centre by day |
| Taxi | €8–15 in town | Between clusters, the airport and after dark |
| Rental car | €40–80 a day | Beaches and Basse-Terre |
| Interurban bus | €1–4 | Long cheap routes |
| Ferry | €30–50 return | Marie-Galante and Les Saintes |
| Bike | n/a | Not recommended in town |
Fares are estimates; check before you ride.
- Passes
- No pass. Buses are irregular and stop early; use taxis for short rides and a rental car for Grande-Terre.
- Late at night
- No rail. Buses thin out early in the evening and on Sundays: ask your hotel to book the ride back before you go out.
See and do
01Mémorial ACTe
The central museum of the memory of slavery in the Caribbean, in a striking building on the old sugar factory site.
Hours: best Mid-morning or midday · Price: About €15 (check) · Time: 2 h · 16.2378, -61.5407
02Marché Saint-Antoine
Spices, vanilla, madras cloth and lunch counters in one hall.
Hours: best Before 10:00 · Price: Free to browse · Time: 45–60 minHours: best Before 10:00 AM · Price: Free to browse · Time: 45–60 min · 16.2428, -61.5348
03A Creole lunch plate at the marketComptoirs du marché
Fish, accras and rice and beans where locals eat them.
Hours: best 12:00–13:30 · Price: €8–14 · Time: 45 minHours: best 12:00 PM–1:30 PM · Price: €8–14 · Time: 45 min · 16.2429, -61.5347
04Place de la Victoire
The town's main square with old trees and cafés.
Hours: best Morning · Price: Free · Time: 20 min · 16.2401, -61.5334
05The cathedralCathédrale Saint-Pierre-et-Saint-Paul
An iron-framed church built to survive quakes and storms.
Hours: best Morning, outside mass · Price: Free · Time: 20 min · 16.2404, -61.5327
06Musée Saint-John Perse
A small museum on the poet born in the town.
Hours: best Weekday morning · Price: €3–6 (check) · Time: 40 min · 16.2409, -61.5318
07Musée Schoelcher
A focused look at the abolition of slavery in the French colonies.
Hours: best Weekday morning · Price: €3–5 (check) · Time: 40 min · 16.2418, -61.5340
08A bokitBokit
The fried-bread sandwich of Guadeloupe.
Hours: best Lunch · Price: €6–9 · Time: 20 min · 16.2398, -61.5330
09A ti-punch at the marinaBars et terrasses du port de plaisance
Rum, lime and cane syrup at sunset.
Hours: best 16:30–19:00 · Price: €10–30 · Time: 45–60 minHours: best 4:30 PM–7:00 PM · Price: €10–30 · Time: 45–60 min · 16.2384, -61.5390
10Marie-Galante
Cane fields, distilleries and beaches a short ferry away.
Hours: best Weekday, dry season · Price: €30–50 ferry plus car hire · Time: Full day
Hours and prices are desk estimates (checked 2026-09); anything marked (check) is not confirmed. Coordinates open in any map app.
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Le Gosier and Sainte-Anne beaches | Car 15–30 min, bus (check) | Half or full day |
| Saint-François and Pointe des Châteaux | Car about 45–60 min | Full day |
| Les Saintes (Terre-de-Haut) | Ferry about 60–90 min from the mainland (check operator and departure port) | Full day or overnight |
| Marie-Galante | Ferry about 45–60 min from Pointe-à-Pitre | Full day or overnight |
| Basse-Terre: waterfalls and La Soufrière | Car about 1–1.5 h to the park | Full day |
Eat
| Where | What · area | Price | Tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Creole lunch counters at the market | Plate of the day with rice and beans · Marché Saint-Antoine | €8–14 | Budget |
| Boudin and accras stalls | Boudin créole and accras · Market entrance | €4–10 | Budget |
| Bokit stands | Bokit poulet or fromage · Near Place de la Victoire | €6–9 | Budget |
| Creole restaurants near the cathedral | Colombo, court-bouillon or lambi · Round the cathedral | €15–30 | Mid-range |
| Cafés on Place de la Victoire | Coffee, pastry and juice · Place de la Victoire | €3–10 | Mid-range |
| Rum bars and terraces at the marina | Ti-punch and a light plate · Marina | €10–30 | Mid-range |
| Seafood and Creole restaurants in Le Gosier | Lobster or grilled fish (when in season) · Le Gosier | €40–80 | Splurge |
Per person, one dish or one meal, 2026 estimate. Hours change: check the day before.
Sleep
| Band | Price a night | Where | What |
|---|---|---|---|
| budget | €60–100 | Centre and Les Abymes | Guesthouses and small hotels |
| mid | €100–180 | Victoire, Darboussier, Le Gosier | 3–4 star hotels |
| splurge | €200–400+ | Le Gosier and the coast | Beach resorts |
Per room per night in EUR, 2026 estimate.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello (day) | Bonjourbon-zhoor |
| Hello, Creole | Bonjoubon-zhoo |
| Thank you | Mercimehr-see |
| How much is this? | C'est combien?say kom-byan |
| Chilli on the side, please | Le piment à part, s'il vous plaîtluh pee-mon ah par seel voo play |
| No pork, please | Sans porc, s'il vous plaîtson por seel voo play |
| Please take me to this address | Emmenez-moi à cette adresse, s'il vous plaîtahm-nay mwah ah set ah-dress seel voo play |
| How much to the airport? | C'est combien pour l'aéroport?say kom-byan poor la-ay-ro-por |
| No problem | Pas de problèmepah duh pro-blem |
| Help, call the police | Au secours, appelez la policeoh suh-koor ah-play lah po-lees |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greetings: Say bonjour when you enter a shop, café or taxi; skipping it reads as rude.
- Dress: Beachwear stays on the beach; cover shoulders and knees in the cathedral and in town.
- Photos: Ask before photographing people, especially sellers and children.
- Meals: Lunch is a proper meal, often 12:00–14:00; service can be slow, and the bill is requested, not brought.
- Tipping: Service is included; a euro or two for good service is welcome.
- Memorial sites: Quiet and respectful behaviour at the memorial; ask before taking photographs of displays.
- Smoking: Smoking is banned in enclosed public places; follow the signs.
Red lines
- Mémorial ACTe: quiet and respectful behaviour; ask before photographing displays.
- Cover up in the cathedral and in town: beachwear is for the beach.
- Ask before photographing market sellers.
Scams and watch-outs
- Unofficial taxi drivers offering a 'special price' at the airport: use the official taxi rank or book through your hotel, and ask for the meter or a fixed fare.
- Bag snatching and theft from parked cars, especially rental cars left with visible bags: leave nothing in the car and use secure parking.
- Unlicensed 'guides' at the market or ferry terminal: buy ferry tickets only at the terminal counter or the operator's site.
- Rental-car damage claims: photograph the car, note every scratch and read the contract before you drive away.
- Card skimmers at street ATMs: use machines inside banks in daylight.
One and two days
1 day
A stopover between flights. Skip: The ferries and beaches: they need their own day.
- 08:008:00 AMPlace de la Victoire and the cathedral
- 09:309:30 AMMarché Saint-Antoine
- 12:0012:00 PMCreole plate at the counters
- 13:301:30 PMMémorial ACTe (two hours, air-conditioned)
- 16:304:30 PMTi-punch at the marina, then a taxi
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Guadeloupe Islands Tourist Board (official): www.lesilesdeguadeloupe.com/
- Wikivoyage — Pointe-à-Pitre: en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Pointe-%C3%A0-Pitre
- Mémorial ACTe: memorial-acte.fr/
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Pointe-à-Pitre
Emmenez-moi à cette adresse, s'il vous plaît
Please take me to this address
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
Take me to
- Comptoirs du marchéCreole lunch counters at the market
- Cathédrale Saint-Pierre-et-Saint-PaulCathedral of Saint-Pierre-et-Saint-Paul
- BokitBokit stands
- Bars et terrasses du port de plaisanceRum bars and terraces at the marina
Most embassies are in Paris; write your own embassy's 24-hour line below.
Give the driver a street and a landmark; confirm the fare or the meter before you set off.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/pointe-a-pitre). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.