Marie-Galante travel guide

Marie-Galante, a small pancake-round, mostly flat island of 158 sq km, 22 km south of Grande-Terre, is simple and old- fashioned but surprisingly sophisticated when it comes to food and drink. It was named by Christopher Columbus after his own ship, the Santa María La Galante, and has three settlements. The largest is Grand-Bourg in the southwest with a population of around 8,000; Capesterre is in the southeast and Saint-Louis (sugar factory) in the northwest. By Grand-Bourg plage try the batterie de sirop, selling a treacle-like sugar cane syrup mixed with rum and lime or with water.

The Trou à Diable (off the D202) is a massive cave which runs deep into the earth. To visit it, it is essential to have strong shoes, a torch, and a guide. The descent requires ropes and should not be unassisted. The D202 road meets the D201 at La Grande Barre, from where there are views of the north end of the island and to Guadeloupe. On the coast there are limestone cliffs which have been eroded in places to form arches. One is at Gueule Grand Gouffre and another is further east at Caye Plate.