A week from Pointe-à-Pitre: Marie-Galante, Dominica, Les Saintes
Three very different islands in a week: flat Marie-Galante with its sugar mills and rum distilleries, wild, mountainous Dominica, where rivers and waterfalls run straight down to the sea, and Les Saintes, an archipelago with one of the most beautiful bays in the Antilles. The route starts in Pointe-à-Pitre on Guadeloupe, heads south across the Dominica channel and comes back by way of Les Saintes. About 135 nm, with legs of three to seven hours over open trade-wind water and one change of flag — into Dominica and back into France.
Day by day
Marina Bas-du-Fort (Pointe-à-Pitre)
- Marina Bas-du-Fort16.219, -61.524
Take over the yacht after 17:00 at Marina Bas-du-Fort, one of the largest marinas in the Caribbean, 15 minutes from the airport. Supermarkets, chandleries and the Pointe-à-Pitre market are close by — provision here, as Dominica has far less choice. Ask the base where and when to clear out of France before Dominica.
Bas-du-Fort → Marie-Galante
- Saint-Louis, Marie-Galante15.956, -61.325
- Grand-Bourg, Marie-Galantetown quay15.879, -61.318
Out of the Petit Cul-de-Sac bay south-east to round, flat Marie-Galante — four hours hard on the trade wind. Anchor off Saint-Louis on the lee shore, along Anse Canot beach. Marie-Galante is called the island of a hundred windmills: old sugar mills, ox carts on the roads and three rum distilleries that welcome visitors.
Marie-Galante → Portsmouth, Dominica
- Portsmouth (Prince Rupert Bay)15.578, -61.465
About five hours south-west across the Dominica channel into Prince Rupert Bay. At the entrance you are met by boats from PAYS, the Portsmouth Association of Yacht Services: they provide a mooring, help with customs and run the river tours. In Dominica you can clear in and out in one visit if you stay no longer than two weeks. Fort Shirley in Cabrits National Park looks down on the bay.
Portsmouth → Roseau
- Roseau15.293, -61.392
In the morning, up the Indian River in a rowing boat with a guide: engines are banned on the river, tree roots hang over the water, and there is a jungle bar at the end. Then three to four hours south along the lee coast, where the wind dies in the shadow of the mountains and then gusts down the valleys. In Roseau you lie on moorings along the shore south of town.
Roseau → Champagne Reef → Soufrière → Roseau
- Champagne Reef15.246, -61.377
- Soufrière Bay (Scotts Head)15.222, -61.367
- Roseau15.293, -61.392
A day in the south of Dominica. Champagne Reef, where bubbles of volcanic gas rise from the seabed, and Soufrière Bay under Scotts Head — a marine reserve with an entry fee and moorings, with the Caribbean on one side of the headland and the Atlantic on the other. In the evening, a taxi up to the Trafalgar Falls in the mountains above Roseau.
Roseau → Les Saintes
- Les Saintes (Terre-de-Haut)15.871, -61.587
- Marina de Rivière-Sensmarina15.983, -61.716
The longest leg: six to seven hours north along Dominica and across the channel to Les Saintes, leaving at dawn. The bay off the village on Terre-de-Haut is one of the loveliest anchorages in the Antilles; anchoring is banned almost everywhere, and boats lie on paid moorings between the village, Îlet à Cabrit and the Pain de Sucre rock. You clear back into France in the village.
Les Saintes → Bas-du-Fort
- Marina Bas-du-Fort16.219, -61.524
A morning snorkelling at Pain de Sucre or climbing to Fort Napoléon above the bay. Then four hours north to Guadeloupe and Bas-du-Fort: fuel and handover. A night aboard in the marina, flight home the next day.
Coordinates are approximate, for the harbour or bay. Paste them into Google Maps or a chartplotter, and check the chart and pilot book before you moor or anchor.
Good to know
- Season: December to April, at its best from January to March. The trade wind blows from the east and north-east at 15–20 knots, up to 25 in December and January, and builds a big sea in the channels between the islands. June to November is hurricane season.
- Weather: the Dominica and Les Saintes channels are open water, so go on the morning forecast. In 25 knots, cut Dominica short at Portsmouth — Les Saintes is about 20 nm from there and the loop shrinks to about 90 nm. Under Dominica's mountains don't trust a calm close inshore: squalls come down the valleys.
- Formalities: Dominica is another country. Clear out of France before crossing to Dominica, clear in and out of Dominica in one visit in Portsmouth (yourself or through PAYS), and clear back in at Les Saintes. The fleet must allow you to leave Guadeloupe waters — ask when booking. PAYS moorings are paid; in early 2025 sailors reported moorings in Portsmouth breaking, so dive on yours to check it, or anchor.
- Logistics: Guadeloupe airport (PTP) is 9 km away, about 15 minutes by taxi to Bas-du-Fort, with direct flights from Paris. Guadeloupe and Les Saintes use the euro, Dominica the Eastern Caribbean dollar, and US dollars are accepted too. Do the big shop on Guadeloupe.
How to get to the marina
- Marina Bas-du-Fort, Pointe-à-Pitre, Guadeloupe
- Guadeloupe (Pointe-à-Pitre, Maryse Condé) (PTP) — 9 km, 15 min by car
15–25 min · €30–45 per car
A taxi from the rank outside arrivals along the expressway round Pointe-à-Pitre to the marina; fares are higher at night, on Sundays and holidays.
15–25 min · €40–60 per car
A pre-booked transfer: a driver with a sign in arrivals and a fixed price per car. Handy for a group with a week's luggage.
15–30 min · €35–60 per day
Rental desks at the airport. Driving is on the right; the road round Pointe-à-Pitre jams at rush hour, and parking at the marina is paid.
Direct flights from Paris to Pointe-à-Pitre take about eight and a half hours; flights from the neighbouring islands land at the same airport.
Prices are autumn 2026 estimates in euros; times are without traffic. Bus and ferry timetables change with the season, so check them before you travel.
When to go and what it costs in the Caribbean
Median € per berth per week from the agent's latest check, monohulls; each month's page has both boat types, a chart and boats departing that month.
Discounted boats in the Caribbean
All boats in the Caribbean
How long is the Guadeloupe — Dominica route and where do you stay overnight?
7 days and about 136 nautical miles in a loop, starting and finishing in Guadeloupe. Overnight stops in order: Marina Bas-du-Fort, Saint-Louis, Marie-Galante, Portsmouth (Prince Rupert Bay), Roseau, Roseau, Les Saintes (Terre-de-Haut). The longest leg is day 6, 37 nm.
How do I get to the marina for the Guadeloupe — Dominica route?
The route starts and finishes at Marina Bas-du-Fort, Pointe-à-Pitre, Guadeloupe. The nearest airport is Guadeloupe (Pointe-à-Pitre, Maryse Condé) (PTP), 9 km away. Fastest: taxi, 15–25 min, €30–45 per car.
When is the best time to sail the Guadeloupe — Dominica route?
The Caribbean season runs December to April: dry, with a steady 15–20-knot trade wind. The most expensive weeks are Christmas, New Year and February–March. June to November is hurricane season: boats are cheaper, the weather riskier; May is a transition month. The fleet is mostly catamarans, booked 4–8 months ahead. By the agent's latest checks (monohulls), the cheapest month is October: a median of €510 per berth per week. The most expensive is February, at €787. The most boats with 20% off or more are in November: 11%. The agent checks the current month and the next five; each month has its own page with the numbers.
How much does a yacht for this route cost?
A whole boat in the Caribbean for a week starts from €1,790 in the agent's current selection: the cheapest discounted week departing in the next three months. Prices per berth by month are higher up the page; the boats are under “All boats in the Caribbean”.
Do I need a licence to charter a yacht?
For a bareboat charter (no skipper or crew provided), yes: a skipper's licence and, as a rule, a VHF radio certificate. Without a licence, we add a skipper, paid separately from the boat price.
What's included in the boat price?
Just the boat, for a week. Usually paid separately: transit log and final cleaning, fuel, marina fees, the security deposit (or deposit insurance), a skipper, cook and hostess if you need them, and extras (SUP board, on-board Wi-Fi, coffee machine, child safety netting).
