The island of Guadeloupe has countless beautiful waterfalls. Most of them are located in the western part of the island called ‘Basse Terre’. Centrally located in Basse Terre is the volcano ‘La Souffriere de la vieille dame’. It is surrounded by an enormous National Park that mainly consists of rainforest. If you are looking for beautiful waterfalls in Guadeloupe, I understand that amount of different waterfalls can be overwhelming . After a lot of research and consulting the locals, we have made an overview of the most beautiful waterfalls in Guadeloupe. The best of all? Apart from the Chute du Carbet (Carbet Falls), all the waterfalls are free!
Basse-Terre Guadeloupe, the Valhalla of Waterfalls
Are you looking for the most beautiful waterfalls in Guadeloupe? Then you’ve come to the right place! First of all, we have to make a distinction between some ‘touristy/famous waterfalls’ and ‘secret gems’. I can already hear you thinking, let’s go for the hidden gems! That’s what we thought too, but after a lot of research it turned out that several of these beautiful waterfalls have become inaccessible due to heavy rainfall, hurricanes or light earthquakes. Because of these events, some parts at and around the waterfall have become unstable and large rocks regularly fall down. This can be life-threatening, so use your common sense if you want to visit a ‘not recommended’ waterfall. Furthermore, you should NEVER visit a waterfall during heavy rainfall.
1. Matouba Saut d’eau/ Saut de Matouba
This waterfall was strongly recommended to us by a local lady who has been living in Guadeloupe for years and who is also from Brussels! First of all, we must say that this waterfall was officially closed in 2020. This waterfall is located near Saint-Claude (Basse-Terre), the southern part of the island. Google Maps will take you to the small parking lot where there is a huge sign that this waterfall is closed. We gave it a try though, as our local tip had been there the week before. First you walk through a banana plantation and then you start the descent. I have to say, those 5 minutes they told us were in reality more like 25 minutes. The initial path is still there, but you will notice that some parts have been destroyed by plantation and rocks. When you get to the bottom of the river, you have to turn right, upstream. After 60 metres of climbing small rocks, you will be able to see the Saut de Mabouba! As this waterfall is known by few people and officially closed, chances are you will be alone!
Location: Rte de Matouba, St Claude, Guadeloupe
Distance and duration of hike: 1 km – 30 min
Difficulty: medium
2. Les Chute du Carbet in Guadeloupe National Parc
We go from the most adventurous waterfall, to the most touristic ones. We visited La deuxième Chute du Carbet, which is part of a set of 3 waterfalls located in the tropical rainforest on the lower slope of the volcano La Grande Soufrière. Just about everyone who visits Guadeloupe pays a visit to one of these Chutes du Carbet or Carbet Falls. Now there are just a few things you have to go through before visiting these falls! By the way, these are the only falls where you will have to pay an entrance fee. In 2022 it was 5 euro for all the waterfalls. Everything was very well maintained so we thought the entry fee was worth the price!
Tip: take a raincoat with you. In the tropical rainforest you can sometimes be surprised by a strong monsoon! We speak from experience 😉
La première Chute du Carbet
Who is in for some hiking? This waterfall can only be reached after a tough hike through the jungle of about 3 hours (about 7 km there and back). The hike is recommended for people with a good basic physical condition, as you will have to climb a few metres in height (about 900 metres). During the hike, if circumstances permit, you can see the 1st and the 2nd waterfall one after the other! Once you have arrived, you will be able to enjoy this 115-metre high waterfall! What makes this waterfall also unique is the orange stones in the background, ideal for photos. It is the highest of the Chute du Carbet and is much less touristic in comparison with the 2nd waterfall, as it is more difficult to reach.
Location: 28WX+63W, Capesterre-Belle-Eau, Guadeloupe
Distance and duration of hike: 4,7 km – 90 min
Difficulty: Difficult
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La deuxième Chute du Carbet
Since we were going to visit these waterfalls on the last day of our stay, we decided to visit the one that was easiest to reach. The 2nd Carbet Fall can be reached via a beautiful landscaped path that leads you through the tropical jungle, which is also beautiful, to the waterfall. Personally, I found this hike worthwhile, the high trees, beautiful tropical vegetation is something I always appreciate. After a nice 20-minute walk, you arrive at the landscaped platform from where you can admire this majestic waterfall! With its 110 metres height, it is very impressive to see. As you can read, it is not possible to get close to the waterfall for safety reasons.
Location: Route de l’Habituée, 97130, Guadeloupe
Distance and duration of hike: 800 meter – 20 min
Difficult: Easy
La troisième Chute du Carbet
Last but not least, the 3rd waterfall. This one is free and has a different starting point than the 1st and 2nd waterfall. You can easily find it on Google Maps (type in: Troisième chute du Carbet) where you will see that the starting point is 15 minutes more to the east. The hike to this waterfall is much less difficult compared to the hike to the first waterfall and is about 4 km long.
La troisième Chute du Carbet has a height of 20 metres and contains the largest volume of water. This flow ends in a beautiful circular pool where you can and may swim. So this is the only waterfall of the Chute du Carbet where you can swim!
Tip: Good walking shoes, rainwear and swimming gear
Location: 29WF+3HV, Capesterre-Belle-Eau, Guadeloupe
Distance and duration of hike: 3,7 km – 90 min
Difficulty: medium
3. Bassin Paradis
This waterfall is located near the car park of the Première et Deuxième Chute du Carbet. So you can safely park on this car park and walk to the starting point. On the route to Chutes du Carbet you will take a small bridge over the Grosse Corde River and 200 metres further you will see a yellow sign on your right side. Next to it is a wooden staircase that will bring you down. In 2020, unfortunately, this waterfall was also (temporarily) closed because safety could no longer be guaranteed after the passage of several tropical streams. A few years later, the path has still not been repaired and the waterfall remains officially closed. You will see that to the right of the yellow sign, a whole path has been made by the people who continue to visit the waterfall. We also made the decision and went to have a look. The descent is about 20 minutes and quite easy to do. Note that some of the wooden stairs are broken so be wary!
The waterfall is intimate but beautiful! You can feel free to take a splash here or just enjoy the peace and quiet!
Location: 29R6+8XH, Capesterre-Belle-Eau, Guadeloupe
Distance and duration of hike: 25 min afdaling
Difficulty: medium
4. Saut d’eau D’Acomat/ Saut de l’Acomat
This waterfall is one of the better known waterfalls and is perfect to combine with a visit to the famous beach of Plage de Malendure. This beach is known for spotting turtles. Furthermore, the Cocoa Museum is only 5 minutes away (2.7 km). Located in Les Plaines, this beach is also very popular with the locals, so it can get quite busy in the weekends. There is a possibility to park your car, but the end of the road has a lot of potholes. The waterfall can be reached on foot after a short descent of 20 minutes. Be prepared for a fairly steep descent, which is not recommended in rainy weather. This waterfall is still open for the public, although I found the descent no easier than at Bassin Paradis, which was closed.
Location: Pointe-Noire, Guadeloupe
Distance and duration of hike: 460 m – 15 min
Difficulty: Average (quite steep descent)
5. Bassin Blue Guadeloupe
Also located in the National Park of Guadeloupe is Bassin Blue. This waterfall is easily accessible, requiring a short walk of about 2 km. Even with small children, this is a good and feasible option. In the middle of the greenery, this 2 metre high waterfall is quite a sight. Those who can and want to should walk up a little more, because there is another beautiful waterfall. Even more beautiful than the one you just saw!
Location: Bassin Blue Guadeloupe
Distance and duration of hike: 2 km – 30 min
Difficulty: easy
6. Cascade aux Ecrevisses
Located on the route through Basse-Terre, near la Maison de la Forêt is Cascade aux Ecrevisses. A very easy to reach waterfall with the necessary parking facilities. These practical matters are also important ;). With its 10 metre height and well laid-out road, this waterfall is also ideal for children. During the short walk, you will be immersed in the tropical vegetation.
Location: Cascade aux Ecrevisses, Petit-Bourg, Guadeloupe
Distance and duration of hike: 400 m – 20 min
Difficulty: easy
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7. Chute Moreau Guadeloupe = Closed
Probably one of the most beautiful waterfalls in Guadeloupe, but unfortunately this one was also closed. Located between Goyave and Basse-Terre, it is a real gem. You have to be prepared, as the 8.2 km hike is quite tough. The locals still visit this waterfall but after some research, it turned out that rocks regularly fall down, so this was a no-go for us. For this reason, we would also not recommend Chute Moreau. Hopefully, they will work on the safety and reconstruction of this beautiful waterfall.
Location: 484W+HM8, Goyave, Guadeloupe
Distance and duration of hike: 6,5 km – 2u45
Difficulty: difficulty (+ currently dangerous)
Need some peace and quiet after all that natural beauty? In this article you will find all the information about the most beautiful beaches in Guadeloupe.
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