Pointe des Châteaux, a protected natural and heritage site, is one of the most unusual landscapes in the Caribbean region. This rocky, craggy peninsula, which includes singular rock formations jutting out of the ocean, sits on the northeastern edge of Guadeloupe, facing a wide-open, turbulent Atlantic Ocean. Impressive waves crash on the limestone rocks and onto a gorgeous (but not swimmable) white-sand beach. On the end of the stretch is a trail leading you on a 20-minute hike to the top of the hill, where a 33-foot cross towers over Guadeloupe. The million-dollar panoramic view reveals nearly all of Guadeloupe’s archipelago, including Marie-Galante, Basse-Terre, and Les Saintes.
Lebawit Lily Girma
France, Guadeloupe French West Indies, Grande Terre, the castle point
GARDEL Bertrand/© GARDEL Bertrand
More Recommendations
Beautiful peninsula
La Pointe des Châteaux is a wind- and wave-battered peninsula that extends into the Atlantic off Guadeloupe’s east coast. A fragile strip of land with castlelike rock formations, it has been placed on the list of Grands Sites de France, which aims to protect France’s “natural monuments and sites of artistic, historic, legendary or picturesque character.” The dramatic site offers views of La Désirade, Petite Terre and Marie-Galante. While most travelers think of Guadeloupe as a single island, it’s actually an archipelago that includes these three islands.
