Petite Terre: The Iguana Kingdom

      After bracing the rough waters on a two-hour catamaran ride, you arrive to this beautiful natural reserve, ruled by the 10,000+ iguanas on land, surrounded by turquoise waters, home to sea turtles and baby sharks. This little corner of paradise is known as Petite Terre ("Small land") - Two small, uninhabited islands that are part of Guadeloupe, but are dependent of the commune of La Désirade. This is one of the only places in the world where you can find this protected and endangered species of iguanas (Iguana delicatissima or Antilles Iguana). Imagine - 1/3 of all these iguanas in the world are found on this tiny island of 0.6 square miles.  On the other hand, the green iguanas found on the main island of Guadeloupe aren't a part of their kingdom!

Antilles Iguana

Guadeloupe's first lighthouse

On Petite Terre, you will also find the first Guadeloupean lighthouse, which was built in 1840, after the rise in importance of fishing and trading between islands and France.

Green Sea Turtle

                                                   Diving below the waters of the lagoon, you will swim among a variety of tropical fish, crabs, lobsters, sea urchins, green sea turtles, and may even spot some baby lemon sharks if you're lucky. This area is commonly known as one of the best snorkeling spots in Guadeloupe.

After touring the island on foot and cautiously jumping across iguanas blocking the pathways, we were served a barbecue lunch on the beach with a T-punch (their typical rum punch). Life here sometimes feels like a never-ending summer vacation, but I'm not complaining!   

Experience the wildlife and views for yourself by watching my video below: 

VIDEO: Petite Terre