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Anse Mire is a small cove snuggled in the Baie des Saintes, in Guadeloupe, one of the most beautiful bays of the Caribbean. There you will snorkel a shallow coral reef inhabited by bluehead wrasse, moray eels and trunkfish, as well as the Lynndy, a shipwreck lying some 100m from the beach.

View on Anse Mire beach snorkeling area, Guadeloupe
View of Anse Mire beach snorkeling area.

How to get to Anse Mire snorkeling spot?

Les Saintes archipelago is situated some 10 miles/15km south of Guadeloupe main island. It is within easy reach from Trois-Rivières, the starting point for a number of boats each day. Anse Mire is a 10 minutes’ walk from the pier of Terre de Haut, the island’s main village, following the Fort Napoleon direction.

Anse Mire snorkeling map, Guadeloupe

Entering the water to snorkel Anse Mire

Enter the water from the tiny Anse Mire Beach, inhabited by iguanas. The beach is planted with poisonous manchineel trees: do not touch the trees or their fruits, and avoid sitting on the beach after rain.

Anse Mire snorkeling tips and recommendations

The area to explore comprises the Lynndy shipwreck and the fringing reef running along the shoreline between Anse Mire Beach and the Boat House (a house looking like a ship’s prow, easy to spot from the pier).

Smooth trunkfish at Anse Mire, Guadeloupe snorkeling
The smooth trunkfish is pretty common at this location.

When on the beach facing the sea, the reef is located on your left. On the reef, you will find beautiful hard coral, including elkhorn coral, brain coral riddled with colorful Christmas tree worms, and fire coral (↕1-3ft/0.5-1m).

Sea fans, sponges, and different species of sea urchins are also common in the area. It is easy to spot smooth trunkfish, grunt, squirrelfish, bluehead wrasse and brown chromis in Anse Mire, particularly around and under the coral bommies.

Lynndy shipwreck at Anse Mire
The Lynndy shipwreck seen from the surface.

After exploring the fringing reef, you can have a look at the Lynndy shipwreck, lying some 100 meters away from the shore. The position of the wreck is marked with two “cross” yellow buoys, making it easy to localize.

Immersed in 2006 after a tropical storm, the wreck is not yet covered by a lot of coral and sponges, but countless reef fish are already calling the Lynndy home. Sitting 50ft/15m deep under the surface of the sea, you can see it from the surface, but only freedivers will really enjoy the sight.

Elkhorn coral at Anse Mire, Guadeloupe snorkeling
Elkhorn coral can be found in some areas of Anse Mire reef.

Watch for boats when snorkeling the wreck, which is located outside the swimming area.

Restaurants and accommodation nearby

There are no facilities on the beach, but you will find a large choice of restaurants and accommodation in Terre de Haut village, a 10 minutes’ walk from Anse Mire.

 

  • Level required Beginner
  • Maximum depth15ft/5m
  • Water entranceEasy, from a sandy beach
  • Potential DangersManchineel trees (poisonous) on the beach
  • LifeguardNo
  • Visitor numbersMedium
  • Access costsFree
  • Restaurants nearbyYes
  • Public toilets & showersNo

MAP 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.