FG4KH-Guadeloupe

Philippe, F1DUZ will be active again as FG4KH from IOTA NA-102, Guadeloupe, from October 22 to November 6, 2024.
He will be operating on the HF bands, including participating in the CQ WW DX SSB competition.
Nearest DX Point FWf
QSL is conducted via direct call back, LOTW, eQSL.
Direct QSL advertising:
Philippe LEVRON, Malveaux, 49570 Montjean-sur-Loire, France.

Guadeloupe: the world above and below the water is more beautiful than ever!

Between the Lesser Antilles (Dominica and Antigua) lies a beautiful archipelago called Guadeloupe, which consists of five atolls, Grand Terre, Basse-Terre, Marie-Garant, Les Saintes and Desirades, which are well connected by a ferry system. Today, Guadeloupe is a French overseas territory in the Caribbean, combining a developed European infrastructure with an original Caribbean cultural heritage.

Colonization and sugar cane plantations in Guadeloupe

Before Columbus discovered the island, the atolls were inhabited by Carib Indians who drove out the peaceful indigenous fishing tribe, the Arawak. They called their lovely new home “The Island of Beautiful Waters.” During his second voyage across the Atlantic, the Spanish Columbus was the first European to enter the Caribbean Sea, and in 1493 he discovered a group of five atolls that he named after the revered Catholic monastery Santa María de Guadalupe de Extremadura (Maria of Guadalupe in Esmadura). The Spanish colonists never had an economic or political impact on the islands they discovered in this part of the Atlantic.

In 1635, the French landed on the atolls and called these shores “Guadalupe”. With the help of the Compagnie des Îles de l’Amérique, a French company founded by royalists for exploration, trade and colonization, the settlers managed to reach a peace agreement with the Caribs. Sugar plantations became the starting point for decades of slave labor documented on the largest atolls, Bas Ter and Grand Ter. French farmers imported slaves from West Africa to cultivate the fertile land and satisfy the insatiable appetite of the Europeans. Soon, the number of “black” residents exceeded the combined number of Indians and white colonists on the islands.

It was not until 1794, after armed slaves killed more than 1,000 colonists and plantation owners, that slave labor was abolished in Guadeloupe. After the abolition of slavery, the island became the most economically prosperous colony in the entire West Indies. In 1946, Guadeloupe became a French overseas department and the islanders were granted full political rights. Today, in memory of that difficult period in Guadeloupe’s history, a tourist route has been created, including 18 sites on five atolls, through which you can see and feel the terrible legacy of the slave trade. Visitors are encouraged to visit former plantations and homes of black workers, such as Nero, Balmont and its slave dungeons, and Murat on the Marie Galante atoll.

Guadeloupe. Author – Luca Morea.

Major atoll tourist routes

Most of Guadeloupe’s most developed resorts are located on the south coast of Grand Terre Atoll between St. François and Gosier. Grand Terre has a national park called Pointe des Châteaux (“Castle Hill”). The park’s highlight is the hill overhanging a beautiful, rugged lagoon, known as the “Land’s Edge,” with a wooden cross on the top. Grand Terre’s limestone cliffs slope gently into the Atlantic Ocean, making the atoll’s beaches a surfer’s paradise.

Guadeloupe. Author – .Choco.

Pointe-à-Pitre is a quintessential French Riviera-style port town on Grand Tur Atoll. Yet the city is awash with contrasts, with quaint wooden buildings with wrought-iron balconies, brightly painted fishing boats and gleaming harbor boats, private luxury yachts, and swarthy tourists dressed in the latest business fashions. The rich, salty air mixes with the aroma of ferns, mossy trees, and spices, which islanders trade in open-air markets. On the streets, you can see vendors selling souvenirs, brightly colored cotton dresses, and fruits. Grand Tur Atoll is separated from neighboring Bastet Atoll by a narrow salt river channel, crossed by several bridges.

Sunset, Guadeloupe. Author – Laetitia Lecointe.

Unlike its neighboring islands, Basse-Terre is mountainous, with a higher elevation and an active Soufriere stratovolcano. Soufriere is covered in tropical forests that have been devastated by volcanic eruptions. The stratovolcano in Basse-Terre Atoll is the highest point in the Lesser Antilles. During its dormant period, its 1,467-meter peak is shrouded in clouds and mist, attracting tourists to Guadeloupe to explore this majestic land. The volcano, like much of Basse-Terre Atoll, is protected by the Guadeloupe National Park, which contains miles of lush tropical vegetation.

On the southwestern side of the island is the capital of Guadeloupe, the town of Basse-Tour. It is the main commercial and administrative centre of the state. The wealthiest islanders live in the capital or in the nearby town of Saint-Cloud. North of the capital are the pleasant beaches and marine reserve of Côte-Sous-le-Vent, where the world-famous French director, photographer and oceanographer Jacques Yves Cousteau filmed many of his scenes for The Odyssey.

FG4KH. Where is Guadeloupe located. Map.