Terre-de-Haute Island

Terre-de-Haute is a small, Mediterranean-style island south of Basse-Terre. It has a French atmosphere and it is one of the most appealing islands in the Caribbean. The island boasts a beautiful landscape of volcanic hills and deep bays. Most of the islanders earn their income in the fishing industry, although tourism is on the rise and, especially on weekends and in the height of the season, Terre-de-Haute can be full with visitors. The locals who don't work in the tourism sector, can be seen mending nets along the waterfront, or fixing their colorfully painted boats, known as saintoises.

You might notice that most locals on Terre-de-Haute are white. Since the island was too hilly and dry to support sugar plantations, slavery never took hold on Terre-de-Haute and most inhabitants can trace their roots to early seafaring Norman and Breton colonists. Most people live in the picturesque town of Bourg des Saintes.