Things to see and do Basse-Terre

Classified as a historical monument since 2007, the Habitation Bisdary has been owned by the City of Gourbeyre since 2015. Built at the beginning of the 18th century, it belonged to the Jesuits for more than half a century. It is one of the largest sugar houses, which covered several hundred hectares. More than 300 slaves worked there daily. During the English attack in 1759, the buildings were burned down. Faced with the expense of repairs, the Jesuits were forced to sell the property. In 1783, part of the buildings again fell prey to fire. The hurricanes of 1816 and 1825 further damaged the building. The remains of the five buildings (the mansion and its annex, the manager's house, the hut, the bonifier's house, the aqueduct and the oven), which bear witness to the island's industrial and colonial past, will soon be rehabilitated as part of the "Together, let's save our heritage" project, which aims to preserve important heritage sites. The first phase of the project will involve the restoration of several buildings (framework, roofing, woodwork), including the Bonifierie and the development of the Habitation park. The second phase will focus on the overall restoration of the main house and the development of a secondary building.

The site should become an interpretation centre for the history and heritage of South Basse-Terre, a place of remembrance which will also help to diversify the tourist offer of the area.

Located on the site of an old house, in the heart of the city of Basse-Terre, this beautiful botanical garden is spread over an area of 1.5 hectares. Tropical species perfectly complement the Asian arrangement of many rare species: 80 varieties of palm trees, fruit trees, medicinal and aromatic plants. At the bend in the path, you may have the opportunity to meet harmless iguanas, but also parrots in freedom. A picnic area is available on site. Make an appointment to visit during the weekend.

At the heart of a natural site protected by the Conservatoire du Littoral and the commune of Gourbeyre, these military remains date back to the early ^19th century. They are surrounded by a cursed fig tree (a species of ficus). The site was rediscovered a few years ago by a historian in charge of heritage at the Guadeloupe Regional Council. It bears witness to the rich military history of South Basse-Terre between the late ^18th and early ^19th centuries. The powder magazine is surrounded by remarkable trees, a vaulted ceiling and an uncovered room with a watering and feeding system for animals.

A first phase of site rehabilitation was completed in January 2019. First of all, a complete clean-up of the site was carried out by young RSMA recruits in 2017 (work that Gourbeyre's technical services had to repeat after Hurricane Maria struck in September 2017). Next came the pruning of the cursed fig tree that had imprisoned the structure for years. The primary objective was to maintain the balance between this majestic tree and this powder keg, which seems to have appeared out of nowhere. A second phase of work is planned to optimize the discovery of this monument and the biodiversity of the Caribbean Mountains, and to offer visitors a new element of historical knowledge and relaxation. Eventually, this site of heritage interest in the Bisdary district will be combined with outdoor sports trails, such as a mountain bike track.

Built at the end of the ^18th century opposite the port, the Maison Chapp is one of the oldest buildings in Basse-Terre. A great merchant, Charles Chapp, had it built to run his business. He could thus receive and store his merchandise, while living in it. The house has two ashlar facades, on Cour Nolivos and Rue du Docteur Cabre, one of which housed the stables and the other the warehouses. In addition to the ponds in the courtyard, the house also boasted a swimming pool, a rarity at the time. Charles Chapp also had a passion for painting. Paintings (family portraits, scenes from local life) were displayed on every floor. After the death of its owner, the house was passed on to his daughters, but eventually fell into neglect. Later, it became home to a bar (Cour Nolivos) and an ice-cream parlour (Rue du Docteur Cabre), at a time when refrigerators were still rare.

The Maison Chapp was listed as a historic monument in 1987. Renovation work (restoration, extension, seismic retrofitting) is currently underway on the interior, while work on the façade has been completed. Admire its elegance, with its finely wrought-iron balconies. The work undertaken by the Direction des Affaires Culturelles will give a new lease of life to the Chapp house, although at the time of writing it has not yet been determined how this will be achieved.

The house is only open for the Journées du Patrimoine and for special events (readings, screenings, concerts, artist residencies, exhibitions, literary encounters...) which take place once a month. It is not possible to visit outside these times. The association La Souvenance - Maison Schwarz-Bart manages the site and keeps you informed of events via its various social networks.

Conceived, imagined and built in the 1960s by the legendary writing couple André and Simone Schwarz-Bart, La Souvenance is a unique creative space in Guadeloupe, a meeting place open to Caribbean arts and culture. In 2012, the house was awarded the Maison des Illustres label by the French Ministry of Culture, which recognizes places dedicated to preserving the memory of people who have distinguished themselves in French history.

The building, steeped in memory, houses a large terrace for special events, a grand salon with superb furnishings and works of art, and the two writers' offices. Read the novel Un plat de porc aux bananes vertes, written by the couple, or La Mulâtresse Solitude by André Schwarz-Bart, who died in 2006. Simone Schwarz-Bart looks back on her life with her husband in Nous n'avons pas vu passer les jours, co-written with Yann Plougastel and published in 2020. Guadeloupean writer Ernest Pépin has written a novel entitled La souvenance telling the story of this writing couple.

Cyril is passionate about his fruit and landscape park of more than a hectare where all the local species are represented as well as more exotic fruits. He uses natural techniques that respect the environment without any pesticides. On the program: visit of the garden (300 fruit trees, 200 ornamental plants, 100 medicinal plants, beehives), discovery of the "Creole garden". Halfway through the visit, you will be offered a fresh juice with a panoramic view of the mountain, before going back down for new discoveries during mini-workshops.