Two-Wheel Territory: The Tops in Mountain Biking
Biking Guadeloupe
By Karl Luntta
Guadeloupe, a French oasis with a Creole sensibility, lies halfway
down the Eastern Caribbean chain. The butterfly-shaped country is dotted
with fishing villages and red-tile-roofed country homes. On Basse-Terre,
the western side, jagged mountains and the cool canopy of the rainforest
represent some of the best of the 74,000-acre reserve system, the lush
Parc National de la Guadeloupe. This is the spot for a challenging, and
rewarding, biking experience. The park, open since 1989, is
unique—there are no gates and no admission fees, although visitor and
nature centers are open to aid travelers. Roads through the park are in
good shape, and park authorities maintain some 200 miles of well-marked
hiking trails. The Route de la Traversie is the main biking road, a
sometimes hilly 16-mile thoroughfare that crosses the park and midpoint
of Basse-Terre from east to west. From it you’ll have access to all
roads and park facilities. Take a break and cool off at the Cascade aux
Ecrevisses (Crayfish Falls), or explore ripe rainforest flora in the
Parc Zoologique et Botanique. (Not to mention the fauna: brilliant
parrots, the occasional raccoon, the agouti (small rodent resembling an
overgrown gerbil with glandular distress.) Or, drop off the bike and
hike up the island's active volcano, La Soufrihre, where
you'll see whirling fumaroles and pungent steam escaping cracks in
the earth as if from the vent of a pressure cooker. On Basse-Terre
you'll be huffing up steep hills and the roads have no shoulders,
but biking is well-regarded, drivers are accommodating, and you’re
likely to encounter other riders along the way—the French have the
biking fever.
Practically Speaking:
The first and best contact for bikers is the Association
Guadelopeene de VTT, tel. (590) 82-82-67. (The "VTT" is
vilo tout
terrain, or "all-terrain bike.") They can arrange guided tours of
the park and other parts of the island, and can help with
accommodations. They’ll also have information on the annual "Tour
de la Guadeloupe" a popular island-wide race held every August.
Accommodations on Basse-Terre are mostly small inns, and, if
you’ve got the means to carry your gear, biking from one to the
next is a great way to see the park over a few days. Or, stay at one of
the Gmtes de France. Gmtes are defined as small inns, apartments, or
rooms in private homes, and are creative alternative accommodations as
well as good ways to get to know people. On Guadeloupe and its smaller
islands, more than 500 accommodations are designated as Gites de France,
and they can be inexpensive. Unit rates average $180-$360 per week. For
additional information, contact Gmtes de France, BP 759, 97171
Pointe-`-Pitre, Guadeloupe, French West Indies, phone 590-91-64-33; fax
590-91-45-40, or the Office Dipartmental du Tourisme, phone
590-82-09-30; fax 590-83-89-22.
