Iles Des Saints, Guadalupe

Emmy and I felt a little regret at leaving Deshaies, Guadeloupe, as we liked it and felt there was a lot more exploring we‘d like to do…but the island-wide strike meant that rental cars were nearly impossible to come by, and local buses weren’t on schedule - so after a few days we decided to move on to our next port o’ call, Terre De Haut, in the tiny group of islands between Guadeloupe and Dominica called “The Saintes,” about 30 miles away.

We started out motorsailing again, close to shore and in the lee of Guadeloupe, a very mountainous island, which blocks much of the tradewinds for miles to the west of the island. It was easy going in flat seas and gentle breezes, and we again had a great time watching the villages pass by along the way.

As we neared the southern tip of Guadeloupe we talked through the special situation just ahead. The tradewinds funnel between the big islands of Guadeloupe and Dominica, resulting in a sharply defined and sudden change in wind speed and seas once you leave the protection of Guadeloupe. Wow! The wind went straight from 5 knots to 25 knots, and stayed there for the entire 7 miles crossing! And the seas went from zero to about 8 feet at the same time - luckily all this is well documented in the cruising guides, and I’d experienced the same thing, when sailing here years ago, so we were well prepared, and actually had a rollicking good sail across to The Saintes.

The main harbor is pretty well protected, and although there were quite a few boats already anchored, we were able to find a great spot quite close to shore. It’s always nice to relax once the sails are secured, the anchor’s down and engine is off, and just let the quiet stillness sink in…ahhhh! Before long I jumped into the crystal clear, perfect temp water with my mask, to check the anchor set and just paddle around a little, enjoying the views and the small feelings of accomplishment that every safe arrival brings.

I had really fallen in love with the Saintes when I last visited here in 1979, and was greatly looking forward to returning. Emmy had never been here, and after my big buildup I hoped it hadn’t been turned into another cookie cutter cruise ship stop. There are a lot more cruising boats here now than “back in the day,” ferries to Pointe Pitre on Guadeloupe now run several times a day, and there seem to be quite a few new homes dotting the hillsides…but…we didn’t see any imposing mansions or mega-yachts…yay!

Emmy went ashore to explore, while I cleaned up a little and took a snooze? She returned with goodies and some soaps she had helped cut, stamp and package at a little shop in town. Bruno, the owner of the Atelier de Savone was really friendly and quite helpful during our stay. The tiny streets and buildings in “Le Bourg” were little changed and people were still quite warm.

Over the next several days we hiked to different parts of the island, enjoying unbelievable views of the island and the sea, stopping for lunch, and buying “torment d’amour,” tarts that, according to lore, the local women have baked for many years to help keep themselves happy while their men went to sea. Fresh French bread…nothing like it, Emmy figured out we could get hot bread in the afternoons so we got it right out of the oven!

Terre de Haut is Guadalupe’s best kept secret happy and friendly people, good food, fun shopping and lots of exercise walking up and down the hills. No need to rent a car you can walk the length and breath of the island.

We had a really enjoyable time, and we could have easily stayed much longer, but…well, lots more islands to see out here. On our way back north we’ll likely stop at Marie-Gallant, a much less visited island, so we may not be back this way. C’est la vie! On to Dominica!