Green Nature Trail

Basse-Terre, with its lush forest and cool rivers, awaits you for a day immersed in nature. Visit a zoo, a botanical garden or swing from branch to branch on a jungle adventure trail. Enjoy a local lunch and soak up the good humour of your guide, a native of the island who epitomises the Caribbean welcome. Timetables tailored for cruise passengers. Your tour centres on the north of Basse-Terre, following a loop that takes you back, via the ferry road, to your starting point (cruise terminal, Gosier, Sainte-Anne or Saint-François). Particularly recommended for cruise passengers as it minimises the distance travelled, this tour is also ideal for visitors staying in the towns of Gosier, Sainte-Anne and Saint-François. All you need to do is choose between visiting one of Guadeloupe’s two most beautiful parks (the Botanical Gardens or Mamelles Park) or tackling a treetop adventure course in the tropical forest. The tour, which offers a well-balanced mix of activities, will then take you on a tour of some of the most beautiful beaches in northern Basse-Terre (Cluny Beach and Grande Anse) before dropping you off at the entrance to the park you have selected. Botanical Garden: formerly owned by Coluche, this 5-hectare park, home to flora and fauna, welcomes over 120,000 visitors a year. It took 40 staff and 14 months of work, nearly 20 years ago, to create one of the most diverse botanical gardens in the Caribbean region, showcasing an impressive array of tropical flowers and plants. There are over 1,000 species in this park, including bougainvilleas, hibiscus and porcelain roses, as well as a rich variety of trees such as the kapok tree, baobab, mapou, sausage trees and breadfruit trees, not to mention the talipot, a palm tree unique to Guadeloupe. Children will particularly enjoy the aviary, where they can feed the lorikeets. Parc des Mamelles: this park, also known as the Guadeloupe Zoo, offers you the chance to observe protected species of birds, land and aquatic mammals, reptiles and even fish in the heart of the tropical forest, and sometimes even from gondolas perched on an aerial walkway amongst the treetops. You’ll be able to admire an abundance of animal and plant species in this exceptional setting. This park is part of a new generation of zoos committed to the protection and conservation of wildlife: it has been awarded the EAZA Quality Label, which only 15 per cent of European zoos hold. Tree-top adventure: 5 different courses for all levels, suitable from age 3. After an introductory session and a short warm-up course, you can set off on the full course, comprising a kilometre of consecutive zip lines. A minimum height of 1.20 metres (age 8) is required to enjoy the activity to the full. This activity is not recommended for pregnant women, people with heart conditions, those prone to vertigo or anyone weighing over 100 kg. After a meal (at the Mamelles restaurant, not included, or your own packed lunch), you’ll continue along the crossing route to the ‘Cascade aux Écrevisses’, where you can have a dip in the river before heading back to your boat or holiday accommodation. In short, a busy yet stress-free day in the company of your bilingual guide Ruddy, a man of both wisdom and good humour. He’ll enliven your journey with explanations and anecdotes about his island, which he knows so well. As a true foodie, he’ll also be sure to treat you to some local fruit, which he makes a point of bringing along on every tour.