Water Activities in Bouillante: Diving, Snorkelling and Kayaking from Malendure

Bouillante is one of the most sea-focused towns in Guadeloupe. On the Côte-sous-le-Vent, the leeward coast sheltered from the trade winds, the Caribbean Sea is usually calm and the water stays between 26 and 29 °C all year round. In the middle of this coast, Malendure beach faces the Pigeon Islands (îlets Pigeon) and the Cousteau Reserve, protected by the Guadeloupe National Park.

Most of the area’s water activities start from this grey-sand beach. Here are the ones we recommend to our guests, with the rules to know so you can enjoy the site without damaging it.

The Pigeon Islands are among the best-known dive sites in the Caribbean. Around the two islets, drop-offs, corals, sponges and reef fish appeal to beginners and experienced divers alike.

Try dive or exploration dive

Several dive centres are based at Malendure and take their groups out by boat to the islets, a few minutes from the beach. They offer try dives for a first experience, exploration dives for certified divers, and training courses. Book ahead in high season, and bring your logbook if you are already certified.

On your own or with a guide

You can set off on your own from the beach, or join a guided snorkelling trip by boat to the Pigeon Islands, with a guide who introduces you to the marine life. During your stay with us, masks, fins and snorkels are lent free of charge, so there is nothing to rent.

Watching turtles without disturbing them

Touching, feeding or chasing the turtles is forbidden. Keep your distance, don’t block their way when they come up to breathe, and avoid standing on the seagrass.

The glass-bottom boat

This is the ideal option with children or for non-swimmers. From Malendure, glass-bottom boat trips go around the Pigeon Islands and show corals and fish through the hull.

Sea kayaking

Sea kayaks can be rented on Malendure beach. On a calm day, you can paddle along the coast at your own pace, a lovely way to discover Bouillante’s shoreline from the water. Ask the rental company about the day’s conditions and where you are allowed to paddle.

The deep waters off the Côte-sous-le-Vent are home to many cetaceans all year round: sperm whales, pantropical spotted dolphins, bottlenose dolphins, Fraser’s dolphins, short-finned pilot whales and false killer whales. From January to April, humpback whales come here to breed.

The Agoa sanctuary

Since 2010, the waters of the French Antilles have formed the Agoa sanctuary, which protects more than 20 cetacean species. A ministerial order sets out how they may be approached. To see them, choose a boat trip with an operator who follows these rules: keeping a distance, slowing down and limiting the time spent near the animals.

The Pigeon Islands and the waters around them form a marine core area of the Guadeloupe National Park, with its own regulations:

• anchoring is forbidden: boats may only moor on the designated buoys;
• the pink buoys are reserved for professionals, and the other buoys take boats of up to 8 m;
• recreational fishing is forbidden;
• any contact with marine wildlife and plants, including touching a coral or a turtle, counts as damage to the environment.

A few simple habits help too: reef-safe sunscreen, or better still a rash vest, and fins that stay clear of the bottom.

Practical information: Malendure beach

The beach has public showers and toilets, paid parking, Creole restaurants and snack bars. In high season, arrive early to find a parking space.

Our estate is in Bouillante, 3 km from Malendure beach and the Cousteau Reserve. You can be in the water early in the morning, before the crowds, then come back to rinse off in the estate’s pool. Studio Marlin and the Kaz’Basse and Foufou bungalows welcome couples and families for stays of 5 nights minimum. To check availability for your dates, send us a message: we reply personally.