Diving in the French West Indies

Where to dive in Guadeloupe and Martinique?

Guadeloupe and Martinique are mostly dived on their Caribbean coast, to the west, sheltered from the trade winds. In Guadeloupe, the Cousteau Reserve surrounds the Pigeon Islands, facing Malendure beach in Bouillante. Part of the national park's marine core since 2009, it is the most dived site in France, with about fifteen sites between Bouillante, the islets and Pointe-Noire, from try dives at 6 meters to walls at 40 meters. Les Saintes add the Sec Pâté, a rock that starts at 18 meters, and Petite-Terre and Marie-Galante complete the archipelago. In Martinique, Diamond Rock, a 175-meter volcanic neck 2 kilometers off the south coast, offers a crack at 20 meters and walls down to 60 meters in the current of the Saint Lucia Channel. At Les Anses-d'Arlet, Pointe Burgos and Anse Dufour are calm dives, as is the Nahoon, a three-masted ship scuttled in 1993 at 33 to 36 meters off Cap Salomon. In the north, Îlet la Perle and its pinnacles down to 60 meters have been protected by the Prêcheur marine reserve since 2014. The bay of Saint-Pierre holds the ships sunk on May 8, 1902, by the eruption of Mount Pelée, from the Amélie in less than 10 meters to the Roraima, a steamer over 100 meters long lying beyond 50 meters.

When is the best time to dive the French West Indies?

The water stays warm all year: 26.5 to 27°C in February, 29°C in September. The dry season, from December to April or May, brings the flattest sea and the clearest water. It is also whale and dolphin season offshore, and you hear humpback whales singing underwater in January and February. Hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30: dive centers keep going out, but September brings strong winds, currents and reduced visibility.

How much does diving in Guadeloupe and Martinique cost?

In Guadeloupe, a guided dive with full gear costs €50 at Atlantis Plongée and €53 at Les Heures Saines, €45 for unguided divers, €264 to €300 for six dives and €470 for ten. In Martinique, a fun dive costs €50 at Nautitan and €58 at Alpha Plongée, and €49 from the tenth dive. The Diamond Rock trip costs €64 or €70, and a try dive €55 to €70. Divers pay no entry fee in the national park.

How do you get to Guadeloupe and Martinique?

Air France, Air Caraïbes and Corsair fly nonstop from Paris-Orly to Pointe-à-Pitre and Fort-de-France in 8 hours 30 minutes to 9 hours. A rental car is essential to reach Malendure. In Martinique, a ferry shuttle links Fort-de-France to Les Trois-Îlets. French and European Union citizens need no visa, and a valid ID is enough. Both islands are outside the Schengen area, so other nationalities should check their entry requirements. Allow 18 to 24 hours without diving before your flight home.

What are the diving rules in Guadeloupe and Martinique?

Fun dives require a French Level 1, a PE12 or an Open Water. Dive centers issue FFESSM, ANMP, SSI and PADI certifications and ask for a medical certificate less than a year old. In the marine core of Guadeloupe National Park, anchoring, recreational fishing and any contact with sessile fauna and flora are banned, and the Malendure dive centers ban sunscreen. Diamond Rock is protected by a biotope order: landing is banned, and boats moor on the buoys only.