Guadeloupe's premier resort area, LE GOSIER , lies 7km east of Pointe-à-Pitre, its proximity to the city spurring major resort development that has given the small town a dual personality. The area known as Pointe de la Verdure resembles a gated community, with slick resort hotels enclosed by electric gates, and has private, man-made white-sand beaches dotted with canopied chairs and watersports huts that rent snorkelling gear, windsurfers and body-boards . Further east along the main road, boulevard Général-de-Gaulle , you'll find an authentic Caribbean village of rustic colonial houses and tight-knit streets perched above a small public beach .

Le Gosier's best beach is actually 100m offshore, on the sweet Îlet du Gosier , a minuscule, undeveloped isle. There's good snorkelling to be had in its surrounding waters, as a capsized tug lies near the landing dock and there's an active coral reef to the rear - bring a mask and flippers with you, as you won't be able to rent them on site. Most resort hotels will ferry you over by speedboat for a hefty ¬7.62; local fishermen at a pier east of the town beach will go the five-minute distance by outboard for ¬2.29. Be sure, in both cases, to arrange a return time before disembarking. Bring a picnic lunch, or grab a bite from the dockside snack shacks.