Level: Free shore access This spot have a free shore access: you can go snorkeling there freely and without having to book a tour or pay an entrance fee.
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Last updated on May 2, 2024
The 100-meter-long beach of Petite Anse, lined on either side by rocks and shaded by lush vegetation, opens on to a small cove with calm, turquoise waters. It has one of the best shore snorkeling in Basse Terre, the western part of the butterfly-shaped island of Guadeloupe. A wide variety of fish inhabit the cove, as well as sea turtles, sometimes spotted feeding on the seagrass bed.
Petite Anse is located on the northwestern coast of Guadeloupe, 4 miles/7 km south of the village of Deshaies and 12 miles/20 km north of Bouillante and Malendure. Driving time from Pointe-à-Pitre is approximately 40 minutes when the traffic is light.
Be careful when approaching the site by car, as the access road to the beach is in a large bend. There is a parking behind the beach.
Enter the water from the beach, made of sand and pebbles.
The whole cove can be snorkeled, but we advise you to focus on two main areas, extending very close to the beach.
Here you will find the most interesting seabed, made of rocks covered in colored seaweed and small coral.
In this area, you can expect to see many of the most common sea life of the Caribbean reefs, including parrotfish, sergeant major, bluehead wrasse, blue tang, and reef squid.
2. The central part of the cove, made of seagrass beds
The central part of the bay is where green sea turtles are frequently reported.
Come in the morning, when there are very few people on the beach, to get the best chances to see them.
A restaurant and a snack are set on the beach. Petite Anse is also a great picnic spot.
These snorkeling spots are accessible to beginners and kids. You will enter the water gradually from a beach, or in a less than 3ft. deep area. The sea is generally calm, shallow, with almost no waves or currents. These spots are usually located in marked and/or monitored swimming areas. It is not necessary to swim long distances to discover the sea life. This level only apply when the spot experiences optimal sea and/or weather conditions. It is not applicable if the sea and/or weather conditions deteriorate, in particular in the presence of rough sea, rain, strong wind, unusual current, large tides, waves and/or swell. You can find more details about the definition of our snorkeling levels on our snorkeling safety page.
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Snorkeling spots are part of a wild environment and their aspect can be significantly altered by weather, seasons, sea conditions, human impact and climate events (storms, hurricanes, seawater-warming episodes…). The consequences can be an alteration of the seabed (coral bleaching, coral destruction, and invasive seagrass), a poor underwater visibility, or a decrease of the sea life present in the area. Snorkeling Report makes every effort to ensure that all the information displayed on this website is accurate and up-to-date, but no guarantee is given that the underwater visibility and seabed aspect will be exactly as described on this page the day you will snorkel the spot. If you recently snorkeled this area and noticed some changes compared to the information contained on this page, please contact us.
The data contained in this website is for general information purposes only, and is not legal advice. It is intended to provide snorkelers with the information that will enable them to engage in safe and enjoyable snorkeling, and it is not meant as a substitute for swim level, physical condition, experience, or local knowledge. Remember that all marine activities, including snorkeling, are potentially dangerous, and that you enter the water at your own risk. You must take an individual weather, sea conditions and hazards assessment before entering the water. If snorkeling conditions are degraded, postpone your snorkeling or select an alternate site. Know and obey local laws and regulations, including regulated areas, protected species, wildlife interaction and dive flag laws.
