Guadeloupe has given us some of our favorite moments yet. We sailed into Deshaies and wandered its black sand beaches and Jardin Botanique, where a French-speaking ara named Roger stole the show. From there we moved on to Pigeon Island and the Réserve Cousteau, snorkeling in some of the clearest water in the Caribbean. A family day trip to Parc des Mamelles brought us face-to-face with the island’s wildlife, and we anchored for a stretch at Bouillante and Malendure along the leeward coast.

 

Then we traded the boat for four wheels and made a full loop around the island — climbing hairpin mountain roads through Guadeloupe National Park’s rainforest, standing in the mist of Chutes du Carbet’s 375-foot falls, and cooling off in the crystal-clear pool at Cascade aux Écrevisses.

 

By sea and by land, Guadeloupe has been full of surprises. Every stop has felt like its own small adventure.