Yachting Monthly – May 2018

Kit Pascoe discovers Deshaies, Guadeloupe, is ideal for

exploring the wild side of this French Caribbean island

DESHAIES,

GUADELOUPE

right from the anchorage. On the village

side of the river, the trail begins. It’ll

take you two hours to follow the tiny

path or boulder-hop up the river to

get to the waterfall above. It’s not an

easy hike but it’s worth it, and I doubt

you’ll see a single person. The waterfall

is hidden behind a huge rock, but you

can shimmy your way around and cool

off in the heavy torrents. Descend via

the road just before the waterfall.

Entering the anchorage from the

sea is straightforward but best done

L

ike many islands in the

Lesser Antilles, sailing

along Guadeloupe’s western

coast is a frustrating mix

of calms and strong gusts.

Despite this, Deshaies is

a popular stop as it’s the

perfect jumping-off point

for Antigua and Montserrat.

It is also the ideal anchorage for other

reasons. The small village of Deshaies,

is nevertheless full of colourful cafés

and boutiques crammed with pretty

things and a magnifi cent

boulangerie opposite the

dinghy dock. To get to your

morning croissant, you’ll

fi rst have to tear yourself away

from watching the resident pelicans.

This anchorage is full of these

incredible birds and you’ll frequently

fi nd them fi shing from your dinghy

(or evidence that they have been).

This will not be your last foray into

Guadeloupe’s nature though, because

after you’ve bought your baguette

and fi lled up your water bottles,

the waterfall hike awaits.

Deshaies is one of the few places

where you can go and explore the jungle

in daylight, fi rstly because it can be

quite busy and secondly, there are lots

of fi shing pot markers in the approach

• the Caribbean sailor’s pet hate.
  They’re usually marked by small
  buoys but sometimes by empty bottles.
  There are plenty of free-to-use
  mooring buoys, but local boats take
  many up. It’s best to anchor away from
  the moorings, in around 9-12m. You
  may want to put a good heft of chain out
  as the wind funnels through ferociously.
  The northern side of the anchorage is
  shallower and rocky, so best avoided.
  With a full water bottle, walk up
  to the school playground next to the
  cemetery on the north side of the bay
  and follow a forest trail over the
  headland to the exquisite beach. Keep
  an eye out for Guadeloupe woodpeckers.
  A road will take you back quickly from
  the middle of the beach to Deshaies.
  Deshaies is a port of entry (and exit)
  and you clear in/out via DIY computer
  in Le Pelican (leave the dinghy dock
  and turn right). Provisioning is very
  limited, with a Spar and a tiny produce
  shop. There’s paid wifi across the bay
  and in several cafés, so you can upload
  photos for your friends back home.

Kit Pascoe

This is one of the few places

you can go and explore the

jungle right from the anchorage

ANCHORAGE

Deshaies

Rocks

Dinghy

Dock

Moorings

Fishing

Harbour

River

Walk

N2

N2

N2

+++++++

200m

River

Deshaies

N

Deshaies

Pointe-

à-Pitre

GUADELOUPE

GALANTEMARIE-

BASSETERRE-

GRANDETERRE-

It is best to anchor

away from the free-to-

use mooring buoys

Deshaies is a port of entry and exit,

making it a perfect jumping-off

point for Antigua and Montserrat