A little history
Marie-Galante is the first island in the archipelago reached by Christopher Columbus during his second voyage. The explorer landed at a place called "Anse Ballet" on November 3, 1493. He gave the island, then called Aîchi by the Caribbean and Touloukaéra by the Arawaks, the name of his flagship "Maria-Galanda". Land of sugar history, it has been renowned since the 18th century for its rum, and maintains its reputation since it is here that we still find an agricultural rum at 59°.
Geography
With its surface area of 158 km², 30 kilometers from the coast of Guadeloupe, it is the 3rd island of the French West Indies, rather round and flat in shape, some call it La Galette.
A land planted with sugar cane, bordered by white sand beaches and a sea of turquoise waters. The island lends itself to beautiful walks, hiking and horse riding in a countryside which has retained all its authenticity.It responds to our dreams of a bucolic vacation, lying on deserted beaches, gently lulled by a sea breeze and ready to dive into transparent waters. Of course you can also practice other activities such as diving or discover Creole cuisine.
45 minutes by boat or 15 minutes by plane from Pointe à Pitre, don't hesitate to take this little hop... It's worth it.
The climat
The island's climate is described as maritime tropical. The island is supplied with winds from the East (the trade winds) and is under the influence of the Azores Anticyclone for a large part of the year.
The dry period which corresponds to the winter period in mainland France (roughly between December and May) is the period conducive to tourism, long walks on white sand beaches, relaxing in the sun, unforgettable moments to share with family or in a relationship with. A vacation to be experienced only in Marie-Galante!
The average temperature over the year is between 25 and 26°C. The average rainfall is around 1300mm with a minimum in February and a maximum in October.
The cyclone season appears around July. Coming from the Atlantic, these climatic events of rare intensity generally strike the north of the Antilles archipelago and more rarely Marie-Galante, which is located in the middle of the Antilles arc.
The beaches
The beaches of Marie-Galante are among the most beautiful in the Antilles
South of Capesterre:
- Petite Anse
- La Feuillère
- Anse Feuillard
North of Saint-Louis:
- Anse Canot
- Folle Anse
- Anse de Mays / Anse Moustique
- Vieux Fort
West of Grand-Bourg:
- Aux 3 ponts