With only 1620 inhabitants on 2 200 ha, Désirade is 10km from Saint-François.
It’s a high tableland, subjected to winds, its highest mountains join 272 m. This island with its dry climate is considered one of the oldest of Caribbean Islands.

Isolated land, it’s the best choice for people looking for originality and calm. Petite Terre Islands belong to its town and form an impressing reef archipelago. They are a Natural Reserve and preserve rare species as iguanas.

You can reach Désirade daily by plane or ferry.

It’s only 11km long, and less than 2km large. You can distinguish two parts :
- la "côte au vent"-windward, on southern side, which slowly goes down to sea. It’s the land of fishermen, hugged by the only road of the island.
- la "côte sous le vent" –leeward, on northern side, inhabited and wild with its spectacular sea cliffs, falling down in the sea. It’s a beautiful sea birds reserve.
La Grande Montagne (the Big Mountain) is the highest point of the island (276 meters).

Desirade was discovered by Christopher Columbus. His sailors named her with the spanish word « Désirada », because they saw her while looking desperately for some sweet water. From 3rd to 16th century, the island was occupied by Amerindians. She was officially attached to Guadeloupe Government in 1648. In 1728, the leper hospital of Baie-Mahault is moved to the eastern part of the island. After the passage of terrible hurricane Hugo in 1989, only its ruins are visible.
Today there is a new energies laboratory with many Aeolian harps for electricity production.

Because of its geographic situation, Désirade most beautiful sites are linked to ocean.
First of all ‘la Pointe du Grand Abaque’, accessible by Baie-Mahault beach with a small path.

Temperatures go from 27° C to 32° C, rarely less than
20° C. Trade winds contribute to moderate these high temperatures to make climate very pleasant.

Sea temperature goes from 20 and 25 ° C , the sea is calmer by Caribbean Sea side and rougher by Atlantic one.