In this article we will go into the Guadeloupe National Park, which is located in Basse-Terre (which is not low at all), on the left wing of the island.
We dedicated two generous half days to visiting this area, always indulging in an afternoon rest on the beach.
For this reason, we recommend climbing the volcano on the first day, and touching the points of greatest interest the following day.

The National Park has as its center the Soufrière volcano (the Old Lady), which with its 1467 meters is the highest point of the whole island (you will find a sign with the inscription "La Decouverte"). From its partially smoking top… you will hardly see anything because it is almost always surrounded by clouds that discharge rain, but this feature has allowed an incredible development of the tropical forest.

Walking in this environment full of trees, tangles of lianas, ferns and giant alocasias (see the photo of the hand to believe) surprises the visitor's eye, especially if until the day before he was enjoying a swim in the sunny white beaches of Grande-Terre.

The National Park has an intricate network of trails: to give you an idea, it would take weeks to walk them all!
We, having limited time available, decided to reach only the top of the volcano.
The starting point of this excursion, (recommended for fit people, about two hours one way), is the car park near Bains Jaunes, a small thermal pool where the water temperature reaches 30 degrees.

As the sign says, it is forbidden to dive with the head because there is the risk of developing fatal meningitis due to the possible proliferation of amoebas dangerous for humans!
Passing the tank, you take a partially paved path that enters the lush jungle and reaches the towers at the base of the volcano, where the vegetation gives way to muddy soil, mosses and lichens.

The last section is the hardest of the whole ascent, as the summit comes between strong winds, pouring rain and slippery rocks.
If you are luckier than us, you will have an unparalleled view of the whole island, but we want to warn you: the times when visibility is good in winter can be counted on the fingers of one hand.

From the summit it is possible to take other paths, but not knowing the area and given the adverse conditions we went back down for the lunch break.

As always in the afternoon, we refreshed ourselves on the beaches near our accommodation in Le Gosier.