Pointe-a-Pitre

About Pointe-a-Pitre

Pointe-à-Pitre is the largest city of Guadeloupe and the French Caribbean's main cruise call. Ships dock at the Centre St-John Perse terminal on the edge of downtown. Guadeloupe's butterfly shape splits into Grande-Terre (beaches, rum) and Basse-Terre (rainforest, volcano, waterfalls); most excursions pick a lobe. The Memorial ACTe museum on the waterfront addresses the slave trade in striking contemporary architecture.

• Although Pointe-à-Pitre is Guadeloupe's largest city and economic capital, the administrative capital is actually Basse-Terre — a distinction that surprises many visitors.
• Guadeloupe is an overseas region and department of France, meaning Pointe-à-Pitre is legally part of the European Union and uses the euro as its currency.
• The city's name in Guadeloupean Creole is simply 'Lapwent', reflecting the deep Creole linguistic culture of the island.
• Pointe-à-Pitre was devastated by a major earthquake in 1843 and twice by hurricanes (1865 and 1928), giving the city a layered history of rebuilding.
• The Memorial ACTe, a striking waterfront museum dedicated to the history of slavery, opened in 2015 and is one of the largest memorials on the theme in the world.