Guadeloupe eSIM: Mobile Data from Pointe-à-Pitre to Les Saintes

Flights arrive at Pointe-à-Pitre International Airport, also called Pôle Caraïbes, just outside Pointe-à-Pitre, and cruise ships berth in the city's port. Set up your HelloSIM eSIM at home and it connects to a local network once you land in Guadeloupe.

Why use an eSIM in Guadeloupe

• Guadeloupe's two main islands, Grande-Terre and Basse-Terre, form a butterfly shape, and road trips between beaches, rainforest and volcano are far easier with live navigation.
• Ferries run to Les Saintes, Marie-Galante and La Désirade, so having data lets you check departures and keep tickets handy.
• If your mobile plan is from an EU country, check whether its EU roaming terms apply in Guadeloupe; travellers from elsewhere usually pay roaming, often charged by the day.
• Signs, menus and many websites are in French, and a translation app is only useful when you're online.
• Your own SIM stays put for calls and texts, while WhatsApp keeps your existing number.

Guadeloupe is a French overseas region, so the euro is the currency and French is the everyday language. Grande-Terre in the east is flatter and lined with beaches, while Basse-Terre in the west is mountainous, with rainforest, waterfalls and La Soufrière volcano inside Guadeloupe National Park.

Networks and coverage

Guadeloupe's HelloSIM eSIM can use two local networks, Dauphin Telecom and Free, both running 4G. That is what your phone will connect on here, as 5G isn't part of this plan, and it can use either network depending on where you are.

Coverage is usually strong in Pointe-à-Pitre and Les Abymes, along Grande-Terre's south coast through Le Gosier, Sainte-Anne and Saint-François, and in Basse-Terre town and coastal villages such as Deshaies.

It can weaken inside Guadeloupe National Park: on the rainforest trails, on the slopes of La Soufrière and on the paths to the Carbet Falls. On the smaller islands of Les Saintes, Marie-Galante and La Désirade, you'll usually find signal around the main villages, with thinner coverage elsewhere and during ferry crossings.

How to get connected

1. 1Make sure the phone is eSIM-compatible and not tied to one carrier, then buy the Guadeloupe plan. Payment triggers an email with the QR code straight away; the same code is in your HelloSIM account and app.
2. 2Install it on Wi-Fi before your flight: iPhone owners use Settings → Mobile → Add eSIM, and most Android phones offer Add eSIM in Settings under Network & internet or Connections → SIM manager.
3. 3In Guadeloupe, enable the HelloSIM line, select it for mobile data and switch on Data Roaming for that line. Without that setting the eSIM stays offline, and it adds no cost because your data is prepaid.
4. 4Check that data roaming is off for your home line, so your own provider has no chance to charge for roaming.

How much data do you need

• Light — maps for the drive, translation and messages: about 1 GB a week.
• Medium — posting volcano and beach photos, social stories and web browsing: 3–5 GB a week.
• Heavy — evening streaming, video meetings or full workdays online: 10 GB or more a week.

Hotels and holiday rentals commonly offer Wi-Fi, but the quality varies, particularly in the hills of Basse-Terre.

Good to know

• Currency: euro (EUR)
• Capital: Basse-Terre, while Pointe-à-Pitre is the main commercial centre and transport hub
• Languages: French, with Guadeloupean Creole widely spoken
• Time zone: UTC−4, with no seasonal clock change
• Plug type: C and E, 230 V, as in mainland France
• Don't miss: Pointe des Châteaux, the climb up La Soufrière and the bay at Terre-de-Haut in Les Saintes

Travel tips for staying connected in Guadeloupe

• Before a ferry day to Les Saintes or Marie-Galante, save your tickets offline and download maps of the island you're visiting.
• The summit of La Soufrière is often wrapped in cloud, so check the weather before the climb and download the trail map in advance.
• Coming in by cruise ship? On open water your phone may register on the ship's maritime network, which is billed by your home carrier, so keep home-line roaming switched off until you're alongside in Pointe-à-Pitre.
• A day on the coast road around Basse-Terre drains the battery through navigation, so keep a car charger or power bank handy.
• Need more data? Add it to the same eSIM from the HelloSIM app or the Check / Top up page, with nothing to reinstall.

Visiting more than one island on this trip? The Caribbean regional plan bundles several destinations onto one eSIM, so confirm that each one on your route is included.

If Guadeloupe and its smaller islands are your whole trip, choose the Guadeloupe plan.