Pointe-a-Pitre, Guadeloupe Cruise Port

Pointe-a-Pitre is the capital city of Guadeloupe, a French island in the Caribbean located near Dominica and Antigua. This is the southernmost island in the Leeward Islands. Over the years, this island has had an interesting history. It was originally named Karukera, which means the island of beautiful waters. Columbus named it Guadeloupe after the Virgin Mary image that was praised in Spain. Since the arrival of Europeans in the Caribbean, the island has been British, French and Swedish. Now the island is French and relies on tourism as its main economic industry. Featured below are some of the best ways to spend your time touring Pointe-a-Pitre, Guadeloupe:

• Visit one of the city’s outdoor markets to get some local flavor along with a great souvenir. There’s even a flower market that will surely brighten your day.
   
• Explore an old sugar plantation and rum distillery on the island of Marie-Galante, which is only a short ferry ride from Pointe-a-Pitre.  
   
• Learn about Guadeloupe’s literary culture when you visit the Saint-John Perse Museum. Perse is actually the pseudonym for Alexis Leger, who won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1960.
   
• Snorkel off the coast or spend a day on the beach. There are lots of great beaches in Guadeloupe, so take advantage.