Guadeloupe: Paradise Found

Cost of Living

We find the cost of living less than where we lived in the U.S.

Transportation

We purchased a new Ford Ranger (4×4 pickup) from the local Ford dealer and we love it. The roads are windy, but are well maintained.

Food

Fresh fish, fruit and vegetable markets are in close proximity and provide our daily staples. We have small and large grocery stores at our disposal for the rest of what we need.

Safety/Security

Other than in certain areas of the largest city (Point-a-Pitre), Guadeloupe is reportedly one of the safest islands in the Caribbean. People still leave their homes unlocked and their windows open.

Quality of Life

We read that the French islands in the Caribbean have the highest quality of life of all the islands in the Caribbean and we believe it. The streets are great, the food is outstanding and the people are kind, warm and welcoming.

Weather

Well, it’s the tropics. Warmest in May and June, windier during “hurricane” season in September and October, and cooler in the high season (November through April).

Things to Do

Guadeloupe offers a wide range of activities from boating, scuba diving, snorkeling, beaches, restaurants, hiking around the volcano, island hopping, shopping, and relaxing.

People

The people of Guadeloupe are warm and friendly. We were welcomed with open arms and have formed lasting friendships.

Guadeloupe has exceeded all of our expectations and we hope more travelers consider the island for vacation or retirement.

Page: 1 2

Bobby J

After retiring from a long career in medical sales, my wife, our youngest daughter, and our island dingo relocated to the French Caribbean island of Basse-Terre, Guadeloupe. Please check out our Guadeloupe blog. You can also contact us via email.

View Comments

  • thanks for the nice blog. I speak French and I'm single and have thought of retiring in the Caribbean on a French Island I have been considering this island and also Martinique but I am somewhat worried of feeling like the only American or Westerner around amongst natives . how does that play out?

  • Hi Daniel, There will be no issues here. The locals and expats (mostly from mainland France) are warm and welcoming. We have been treated with nothing but kindness.

  • Great information! There’s just one thing I’m a little bit concerned about since it seems like a very remotely situated island. Is that be a safe place for a single lady to live in as a retiree? Also, even though I’m active and healthy, I still want to be assured that there are good medical providers I could go to when I need it. Are there?

  • My Wife and I only speak English, will that be a problem? We would like to buy a home and retire there how is the pricing for real estate

  • Hello, to Marisa’s comment, the islands here are very safe other than certain areas in Les Abymes and we have many friends living here who are single women. Healthcare is amazing here and relatively inexpensive (coming from the states). To Curt, the home prices in Guadeloupe are surprisingly more affordable than many other islands especially in light of the benefits provided here - safe, great healthcare, some of the best roads in all of the Caribbean, friendly people and great food. We looked at homes on a number of other islands (including St Martin, St Thomas, St John and Tortola) and nothing like our home even existed - the prices were double for homes without character or sea views and in need of repairs. I believe it will be a problem if neither of you speak French, so I would learn some. My husband didn’t speak French when we arrived, but I did. The notaire hired an interpreter for the signing of the home contract. We are happy to talk more about it if you want to contact us. Our email and tel can be found at http://www.jambopress.com. Thx!

  • Good afternoon,
    I hope you guys and your daughter had a wonderful Christmas. My husband and I are researching Guadeloupe for relocating with our eight year son. However we have questions regarding the school system for Autistic children? We would be most grateful for helpful insight regarding the situation. Thanks in advance for assistance in the matter. Have an amazingly productive day.
    Warmest regards,
    Pamala
    pc@pamalacharles.com

  • I am looking for a nice peaceful place to retire. Love to move here to Guadeloupe. Can you tell me what is the prices of 2-3 bedrooms home costs? Do they let us citizens buy a home there?
    Thank you so much
    Benja

  • You stated above: "We have a global insurance policy for our family. The annual premium is less than the premium we were paying for U.S. health insurance for one month. " I am single male 53 and when I priced global insurance one of the lowest rates I received was $891 USD per month. That is so many times more than I pay now for health insurance with $0 deductible and $1250 USD max out of pocket annually. I pay little to nothing for scripts. Also the price quoted to me for global health was before any medical questions or exams. No disclosure of pre-existing conditions either at this point. I would love to know who you get your global coverage from please.

Share
Published by
Bobby J

Recent Posts

Learning Skills

I recently learned there is such a thing as “Anti-Skills”; you know personality traits you…

3 years ago

The Right To Be Sad

I have always believed that if you’re sad you must allow yourself to express those…

3 years ago

Where’s My Shot?

My head was spinning with information—and misinformation—about Covid-19 vaccinations coming by way of emails, media…

3 years ago

Virtual Supportive Cancer Care: A Silver Lining for Cancer Care in the COVID Pandemic?

Cancer care today is markedly different than what it was before the COVID pandemic. Some…

3 years ago

Revisiting Mount Saint Helens 56 years later

Thousands of us boomers were fortunate enough to grow up in the Pacific Northwest. We…

4 years ago

Fitness – Fabulous in Your Fifties and Beyond!

You know, life is a funny thing. The younger version of myself would never have…

4 years ago

This website uses cookies.