Marie-Galante covers 61 sq mi (158 km²) and has three towns: Grand-Bourg in the southwest, Capesterre in the southeast and Saint-Louis in the northwest. None is far from the others: it is about a 20-minute drive from Grand-Bourg to either Capesterre or Saint-Louis. But each has its own character.
Here is what sets them apart, to help you pick your base. Marie and Sylvain chose the hills above Capesterre to build Villa Coco Câline.
Capesterre-de-Marie-Galante: beaches and the lagoon
In the southeast of the island, facing the Atlantic, Capesterre has about 3,100 inhabitants. This is where the long beaches are, sheltered from the swell by the coral reef: La Feuillère, more than half a mile of white sand and coconut palms along the lagoon, Petite Anse and its shallow water, Plage des Galets, or Anse Feuillard, reached on foot by a trail.
The village has the essentials: a pharmacy, a doctor, a small supermarket, a gas station, a fish market. Nearby, the Bellevue distillery is open to visitors, the Bézard windmill recalls the island’s nickname, the island of a hundred windmills, and several marked hiking trails start here.
Good to know: Capesterre is on the windward coast, where the trade winds keep the air cool. Sargassum, the seaweed that washes up on some beaches, affects the whole Caribbean, mostly from April to August; the villa, up on the hills, is entirely sheltered from any nuisance.
For those who come for the beach, the quiet and the ocean view.
Grand-Bourg: the main town and the port
In the southwest, Grand-Bourg is the island’s main town and its most populated, with about 4,600 inhabitants. This is where the ferry from Pointe-à-Pitre docks, and where you find the airfield, the hospital, the market, supermarkets and many car rental agencies.
You can visit Habitation Murat, a former plantation turned museum, and two of the island’s three distilleries, Bielle and Poisson, home of Père Labat rum. The beaches of 3ᵉ Pont and Trois Îlets line the coast toward Saint-Louis. Every year, on Pentecost weekend, the Terre de Blues festival takes place here.
For those who arrive late, leave early or come without a car, and for those who like town life.
Saint-Louis: sunsets and the wild north
In the northwest, Saint-Louis is the largest town by area and the least populated: about 2,600 inhabitants. Its center is a quiet seaside village, with fishermen’s jetties, restaurants facing the bay and sunsets over the water.
The west-coast beaches are here: Anse Canot, sheltered from the wind by the cliffs, Plage de Moustique, Anse de Mays, or Vieux-Fort and its mangrove, explored by kayak. Farther north, Gueule Grand Gouffre, an arch carved by the sea, and Caye Plate are two viewpoints over the cliffs. The Karu’Ferry boats from Pointe-à-Pitre and Comadile boats from Saint-François dock in Saint-Louis.
For those looking for sunsets, west-coast beaches and the wild north of the island.
Distances, in practice
From Grand-Bourg, allow about 7 miles (11 km) and 20 minutes to Capesterre, about 6 miles (9 km) and 20 minutes to Saint-Louis. From the villa, on the hills above Capesterre, the Grand-Bourg ferry terminal is 8 miles (13 km) away, about 20 minutes, and the Saint-Louis dock 12 miles (19 km), about 25 minutes.
Minibuses link Grand-Bourg to Capesterre and to Saint-Louis, with no fixed timetable and none on Sundays; taxis are scarce. Wherever you stay, a car is the best way to enjoy the whole island: most agencies deliver it at the ferry terminal. It is all explained on the Getting here page.
Hotel, guesthouse or villa?
The island has a few hotels, but most accommodation consists of vacation rentals, gîtes, guest rooms and villas, in all three towns. An entire villa suits families and groups of friends: you live at your own pace, with your own kitchen, your own deck and, in some villas, your own pool.
Our choice: the hills above Capesterre
Villa Coco Câline is in Capharnaüm, on the Route des Galets: 2,700 sq ft with more than half of it open-air deck, 3 air-conditioned suites, a secure 26 × 13 ft infinity pool and a 180° ocean view. The east-coast beaches are minutes away, the Grand-Bourg ferry terminal about 20 minutes away, and our local host meets you there when your ferry arrives.
The villa rents from €1,690 per week, or from 3 nights. To find out more: the villa, its pool, the island guide.
The three towns at a glance
- Capesterre
- Southeast, facing the Atlantic; about 3,100 inhabitants; lagoon beaches (La Feuillère, Petite Anse), Bellevue distillery
- Grand-Bourg
- Southwest; about 4,600 inhabitants; ferry from Pointe-à-Pitre, airfield, hospital, market, Habitation Murat
- Saint-Louis
- Northwest; about 2,600 inhabitants; west-coast beaches, northern cliffs, ferries from Pointe-à-Pitre and Saint-François
- Between towns
- Grand-Bourg to Capesterre: about 7 miles (11 km); Grand-Bourg to Saint-Louis: about 6 miles (9 km); about 20 minutes each
- From the villa
- Grand-Bourg ferry terminal: 8 miles (13 km), about 20 min; Saint-Louis dock: 12 miles (19 km), about 25 min
- The island
- 61 sq mi (158 km²), three towns
Ready to settle in Capesterre?
Check availability for Villa Coco Câline and send a no-obligation request: the owners answer you personally.
Sources & last update
Information checked on October 1, 2026. Populations: INSEE legal populations, reference date January 1, 2023. Sources are in French.
- INSEE — populations de référence des communes de Guadeloupe (1ᵉʳ janvier 2023)
- Office de tourisme de Marie-Galante — plages
- Office de tourisme de Marie-Galante — transports en commun
- Comité du tourisme des îles de Guadeloupe — Marie-Galante
- Communauté de communes de Marie-Galante — le territoire
- Météo-France Guadeloupe — sargasses