Basse Terre tours - you’ll never be bored
The big attraction of Basse-Terre is the famous sulfur-puffing La Soufriere volcano, which is currently dormant. Rising to a height of some 1,444m (4,736 ft.), it's flanked by banana plantations and lush foliage. After leaving the capital at Basse-Terre, you can drive to St-Claude, a suburb 6km (3 3/4 miles) up the mountainside at a height of 570m (1,870 ft.). It has a reputation for a perfect climate and various privately owned tropical gardens. From St-Claude, you can begin the climb up the narrow, winding road the Guadeloupeans say leads to hell -- that is, La Soufriere. The road ends at a parking area at La Savane a Mulets, at an altitude of 990m (3,247 ft.). At this point you have to leave your car and climb to the mouth of the volcano. Currently, the belching beast is quiet and it's presumed safe to climb to the summit at 1,444m (4,736 ft.), the tallest elevation in the Lesser Antilles. (Allow about 2 hr. for this climb.) In 1975, the appearance of ashes, mud, billowing smoke, and earthquakelike tremors proved that the old beast was still alive. In the resettlement process that followed the eruption, 75,000 inhabitants were relocated to safer terrain in Grande-Terre. No deaths were reported, but the inhabitants of Basse-Terre still keep a wary eye on this smoking giant. Even in the parking lot, you can feel the heat of the volcano merely by touching the ground. Steam emerges from fumaroles and sulfurous fumes from the volcano's "burps." Of course, fumes come from its pit and mud cauldrons as well. Esoteric and technical information is available only with advance reservations, Fridays between 4 and 5pm, at a government-funded laboratory, Observatoire Volcanologique le Houelmont, 97113 Gourbeyre. Conceived as an observation post for seismic and volcanic activities, and staffed with geologists and volcanologists from the French mainland, it can be toured without charge by anyone who's interested in the technical aspects of this science. From Basse-Terre to Pointe-a-Pitre, the road N1 follows the east coast, called the Windward Coast. The country here is richer and greener than elsewhere on the island. There's no major sight or stopover along the way, so if your time is limited, you can simply savor the views along the coastal road, with the sea to your right and scenic landscapes to your left. To reach the little town of Trois Rivieres you have a choice of two routes: One goes along the coastline, coming eventually to Vieux Fort, from which you can see Les Saintes archipelago. The other heads across the hills, Monts Caraibes.
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