Marie Galante

Located on the east side of Marie-Galante, with long beaches protected from Atlantic waves by coral reefs, the commune of Capesterre-de-Marie-Galante offers visitors an idyllic setting for your dream holiday!

The island was initially the home of an indigenous population and, later, English and Dutch planters who grew indigo and cotton there. It was only in the second half of the 1700s that sugar cane was introduced on the island with the arrival of mills powered by wind or animals.

Visit the restored mill at Bézard, the famous Moysan sugar cane juice factory and the no less famous Bellevue distillery – and relax, you’re on Capesterre-de-Marie-Galante!

This district on the southwest coast of Marie-Galante is the island’s largest and comprises the Canton of Grand-Bourg. From its freshwater reserve to its fishing port, Grand-Bourg offers an array of assets.

The Carib population chose Grand-Bourg for its extensive supply of freshwater from the Marais Folle-Anse. Ever since the first colonists arrived in 1648, followed by a Carmelite religious community that established its convent there in 1660, the island has had an especially dramatic history.

Sacked by the Dutch and then pillaged and burned by the English, Grand-Bourg didn’t re-emerge until the eve of the French Revolution, when a port was constructed there. The island proclaimed its independence from Guadeloupe in 1792 and Grand-Bourg served as its capital, under the name Réunion, until 1794.

The community was confronted with numerous crises during the 1800s, including hurricanes, earthquakes, fire and cholera epidemics. But these days, peaceful and mild Grand-Bourg will win you over with its undeniable, authentic charm.

Located in the northern part of Marie-Galante and called “Aulinagan” by the Native Americans who first lived there, Saint-Louis today offers a truly peaceful haven, far from its tumultuous past.

From the massacre of French colonists in reprisal for rapes committed on nearby Dominica, to the various pillages, massacres and fires prompted by the English and Dutch, the village of Saint-Louis has seen a variety of events in its history.

Now a peaceful, welcoming town, Saint-Louis is unmatched as a lovable tourist destination! As you travel from the natural arch of the Grand Gouffre looking out towards the ocean to the community’s age-old mills, with stops at the Vieux-Fort river and the honey house along the way, close your eyes and breathe in the Saint-Louis air on Marie-Galante!