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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 beach, Guadeloupe snorkeling
Petite Anse beach.

How to get to Petite Anse snorkeling spot?

Petite Anse is located on the northwestern coast of Guadeloupe, 7km south of Deshaies and 20km north of Bouillante and Malendure. Driving time from Pointe-à-Pitre is approximately 40 minutes (45km) 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.

Petite Anse snorkeling map, Guadeloupe

Entering the water for snorkeling Petite Anse

Enter the water from the beach, made of sand and pebbles.

Reef fish at Petite Anse, Guadeloupe
A bluehead wrasse (in the foreground), with a group of sergeant majors in the distance.

Petite Anse snorkeling tips and recommendations

The whole cove can be snorkeled, but we advise you to focus on these two areas, extending very close to the beach:

  1. The two rocky areas enclosing the left and right sides of 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, where green sea turtles are sometimes reported. Come in the morning, when there are very few people on the beach, to get the best chances to see them.

Petite Anse snorkeling, Guadeloupe

Restaurants and accommodation nearby

A restaurant and a snack are set on the beach. Petite Anse is also a great picnic spot.

 

  • Level required Beginner
  • Maximum depth15ft/5m
  • Water entranceEasy, from a beach
  • LifeguardNo
  • Visitor numbersLow
  • Access costsFree
  • Restaurants nearbyYes

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.