The Bay of Les Saintes, Seen From a Catamaran That Stays the Night

The Bay of Les Saintes, south of Guadeloupe between Terre-de-Haut and Terre-de-Bas, is usually visited in three hours, squeezed between two shuttle crossings. Seen from a catamaran that stays overnight, it looks different: the village empty at daybreak, Îlet à Cabrit with no excursion boats, Terre-de-Bas barely served by day-trip boats at all. Sailoé has been bringing clients into this bay for over 20 years.

One clarification before going further: this article is about Les Saintes, Guadeloupe, the archipelago south of mainland Guadeloupe between Terre-de-Haut and Terre-de-Bas, not the town of Saintes in Charente-Maritime, France.

Why Does the Bay of Les Saintes Feel Different When You Stay Overnight?

Shuttles reach Terre-de-Haut roughly between 9am and 5pm; before and after that window, the village, the anchorage and the bay itself return to their local rhythm, an experience that only a boat staying overnight can really offer.

At daybreak, before the first arrivals, the village of Terre-de-Haut is still quiet: fishermen head out to sea, the streets are empty, and the bay holds only the boats that anchored there the night before. By late afternoon, once the last shuttle has left for Guadeloupe, the lanes settle into a more local, less hurried pace. It is this window, roughly before 9am and after 5pm, that day-trip visits never see.

Choosing where to anchor, between the village of Terre-de-Haut and Pain de Sucre, is covered in detail in our article on best anchorages in Guadeloupe by catamaran: mooring buoys, fees and seabed conditions are described spot by spot.

How Do You Reach the Bay of Les Saintes From Guadeloupe, Across the Saintes Channel?

The Saintes Channel separates the archipelago from the south coast of Basse-Terre; scheduled fast shuttles quote crossing times from 20 minutes out of Trois-Rivières to around one hour from Pointe-à-Pitre, and Sailoé’s catamarans generally set off from the Bas-du-Fort base, Guadeloupe.

Departure point	Crossing time quoted by shuttles
Trois-Rivières (Basse-Terre)	About 20 minutes
Basse-Terre (town)	About 30 minutes
Pointe-à-Pitre	About 50 minutes to 1 hour

These are scheduled fast-shuttle times, and they do not transfer to a sailing boat: a cruising catamaran, being slower, takes noticeably longer over the same distances. By catamaran, the crossing happens outside shuttle hours anyway: you choose your own window, generally early morning while the trade winds are still moderate. The channel can build a short, choppy sea between the Basse-Terre coast and the archipelago, driven by the easterly trade winds, nothing unusual for a catamaran but a passage to plan seriously rather than improvise at the last minute.

This stop fits naturally into an itinerary that continues on to Marie-Galante, detailed in our Guadeloupe, Les Saintes and Marie-Galante itinerary.

Terre-de-Haut: the Village and Fort Napoléon Seen From the Bay

The village of Terre-de-Haut, home to around 1,460 year-round residents (INSEE, 2023 census), is explored on foot from the anchorage; Fort Napoléon, up on the heights, opens in the morning and offers the most complete view over the bay, the same one shown on postcards.

The village lanes wind between brightly coloured Creole cottages and a handful of craft workshops. The Saintoises, the traditional fishing boats with their slender hulls, stay moored along the quay between trips out to sea. From the cockpit, the silhouette of Fort Napoléon dominates the whole bay, a landmark visible from any anchoring spot.

Fort Napoléon: the View No Shuttle Photo Shows

Fort Napoléon is open from 9am to 12.30pm every day, last entry at 11am, except on certain public holidays (verified 5 August 2026 with the Fort Napoléon website and the Îles de Guadeloupe tourist office). Admission costs 7 euros for an adult, 4 euros for a student aged 11 to 18 and 3 euros for a child aged 6 to 10, free under 6. The site combines a history museum devoted to the Battle of the Saintes with a dry garden planted with cacti, home to free-roaming Lesser Antillean iguanas.

Climbing up to the fort early, right when it opens, means catching the view over the bay before the bulk of day visitors arrive: it is the best moment to make out the full sweep of the anchorage, from Terre-de-Haut to Pain de Sucre.

Beaches Not to Miss Once Ashore: Pompierre and Anse Crawen

Pompierre, about a 15-minute walk from the village, is the archipelago’s family beach; Anse Crawen, wilder, is reached on foot along a trail and suits those looking for quiet.

Pompierre Beach

Lined with fine sand and sheltered by a double rocky barrier, Pompierre is the most accessible beach from the village, on foot or by dinghy along the coast. Shallow water and a sandy bottom make it a popular swimming spot for families, with shade under the trees along the shore.

Anse Crawen

Further south, Anse Crawen is reached by a trail past Pompierre. The sand is coarser, fewer people come, and the mood is noticeably wilder: fewer crowds, fewer facilities, more nature. For what happens underwater around these beaches, our article on snorkelling in Guadeloupe by catamaran details the spots and conditions.

Îlet à Cabrit: the Stop Day Shuttles Almost Never Make

Facing Terre-de-Haut, Îlet à Cabrit has no regular ferry service: you reach it by dinghy from your own boat, which makes it one of the few corners of the archipelago where you meet more sea turtles than visitors.

The islet still holds the remains of an old fort and a lazaretto, now overgrown by the dry vegetation typical of the archipelago. With no shops or facilities, it takes a good hour to walk, with an open view over the whole Bay of Les Saintes and Terre-de-Haut. It is a short stop, almost always reserved for those arriving by their own boat.

Terre-de-Bas: the Island Day Trips Leave Out

Terre-de-Bas, home to around 870 people (INSEE, 2023 census), receives far fewer scheduled boats than its neighbour and keeps a village pace, between wild coves and the local craft of the salako, the traditional straw hat of Les Saintes.

The island still lives largely off fishing and a handful of craft workshops, far from the bustle of Terre-de-Haut’s village. Hikers can push on to the Boucle de l’Étang trail up in the hills, but from a catamaran, the main appeal of Terre-de-Bas stays at sea level, among coves and small, deserted beaches.

The Tourment d’Amour is just a taste of the Caribbean cooking to discover on a cruise; our article on Caribbean food in Guadeloupe goes further.

How Many Nights Should You Spend at Les Saintes by Catamaran?

One night is enough to see Terre-de-Haut and Fort Napoléon in the calm of morning and evening; two nights let you add Terre-de-Bas and Îlet à Cabrit without rushing.

Sailoé’s fleet in Guadeloupe comprises 11 catamarans based at Bas-du-Fort marina, from 3,000 to 5,000 euros a week as an indicative low-season rate. A two-night stop at Les Saintes fits easily into a week that also takes in Marie-Galante, a few hours’ sailing further south: our article on Marie-Galante and the Grand Gouffre continues this route.

To build a complete programme around this stop, our Caribbean itineraries offer a starting point. For those with more time, the route can continue on to Dominica by catamaran, a few hours further south.

Is the Bay of Les Saintes Really the World’s 3rd Most Beautiful Bay?

The Bay of Les Saintes is indeed a member of the Most Beautiful Bays in the World Club, an international association bringing together around forty bays in about 25 countries, but the club does not rank its members numerically: the “3rd rank” repeated on many websites has no identifiable official source.

The Most Beautiful Bays in the World Club was founded on 10 March 1997 in Berlin; its worldwide headquarters is in Vannes, in the Morbihan region of France. Admission of a bay into the club rests on criteria of exceptional character and environmental protection, not on a comparative ranking between members.

The Bay of Les Saintes, covering 5.2 km² between Terre-de-Haut and Terre-de-Bas, meets these criteria through the quality of its natural shelter and the preservation of its setting. It is a genuine recognition, one that does not need dressing up with a numbered rank that no official source confirms.

To arrange a stop at Les Saintes aboard a catamaran based in Guadeloupe, the Sailoé team responds within 24 hours to requests submitted on our Caribbean catamaran charter page.

Frequently Asked Questions About the Bay of Les Saintes

What Is the Most Beautiful Bay in the World in Guadeloupe?

The Bay of Les Saintes, in Guadeloupe, belongs to the Most Beautiful Bays in the World Club, an association bringing together around forty bays in about 25 countries without ranking them numerically. The claim of a “3rd” world rank, repeated on many websites, rests on no official source from the club. The bay’s recognition is based on its exceptional natural shelter and the preservation of its setting, not on a numbered ranking.

What Are the Must-Do Things on the Island of Les Saintes?

The village of Terre-de-Haut, Fort Napoléon with its view over the bay, and Pompierre beach for family swimming form the essential trio of a visit to Les Saintes. Spending a night or two aboard a catamaran, Îlet à Cabrit and Terre-de-Bas, less visited by day trips, naturally join the programme.

How Do You Get to the Bay of Les Saintes by Boat?

You reach the Bay of Les Saintes by crossing the Saintes Channel from Guadeloupe: about 20 minutes quoted by fast shuttles from Trois-Rivières, 30 minutes from Basse-Terre, and 50 minutes to an hour from Pointe-à-Pitre. Sailoé’s catamarans generally set off from the Bas-du-Fort base, outside scheduled shuttle hours.

Can You Sleep in the Bay of Les Saintes on a Catamaran?

Yes, it is common practice for sailors cruising the archipelago. Choosing where to anchor, between the village of Terre-de-Haut and Pain de Sucre, along with local regulations, is covered in our article on best anchorages in Guadeloupe by catamaran. The exact terms of a booking depend on the quote drawn up with the Sailoé team.

What Is the Culinary Speciality of Les Saintes?

The Tourment d’Amour is the sweet speciality of Les Saintes: a local tartlet filled with coconut, banana or guava. It is found in the bakeries of both Terre-de-Haut and Terre-de-Bas. To broaden the picture of Caribbean cooking to discover on a cruise, our article on Caribbean food in Guadeloupe details other specialities.