Wildlife· Basse-Terre· Leeward Islands
Grand Cul-de-Sac Marin Nature Reserve
16° 17.2′ N · 61° 35.4′ W
The great reef-enclosed bay between Basse-Terre and Grande-Terre: 24,500 ha of seagrass, mangrove islets and coral behind a 39 km barrier reef - described by the national park as the longest in the Lesser Antilles - home to nesting terns, hawksbill turtles and most of the region's coral species.
Practical
Position: Grand Cul-de-Sac Marin bay node in OpenStreetMap (node 1886062874). Park core zone and adjacent marine area rules (park website): anchoring is prohibited - use the white park buoys (pink buoys are for professionals), or if you truly must anchor, do so on sand with the chain on sand outside protected zones; fishing, hunting and jet skis banned; no night lighting; diving only at the Passe a Colas site, one boat at a time on the park buoy. Landing on Tete a l'Anglais is banned; Ilet Blanc is closed to landing 15 April-30 September with a 100 m buffer marked by buoys; year-round buffer zones restrict navigation and stopping around the Carenage, Christophe and Fajou islets. Navigation and mooring zones are set by arrete 2021-552 - load the park's Nav&Co app before entering. Shallow, coral-studded water: navigate in good light only.
Best for
Exploring reef islets and mangroves under park rules
Place data includes © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).