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Each of the nine islands of the Guadeloupe archipelago has its unique strain of handicrafts; the local crafts industry is thriving and in full expansion in Guadeloupe. There is a huge market for local products fashioned out of cotton, coconut fibres, palm leaves and seashells. |
Basket making, sculpture, pottery and paintings by local artists are also big revenue spinners.
Guadeloupe is renowned the world over for its Creole style gold jewellery and the highly refined embroidery of “the days”. Local Guadeloupan handicraft has an extensive history and is essentially centred on colourful traditional dresses, wide-brimmed hats and long skirts. There is no dearth of stereotypical objects either, a wide choice of madras clothes, colourful towels, T-shirts, table sets, seashell jewels, the famous ‘bakoua’ hat, as well as aquarelles, bamboo plates and calabash bags are available in souvenir shops.
Tourists who are sweet-toothed have ample opportunity to indulge their taste buds by purchasing the crystallised fruit, unique to Guadeloupe. Also there are numerous shops on the archipelago selling wood carvings, shells & shell jewellery, straw items, pottery and unique cloth dolls.
The dolls are made of madras, the colourful fabric that is used in the traditional creole costumes. The ever-popular creole doll with the traditional headscarf is an eternal favourite amongst children. Owing to abundant forest cover, a local industry has sprung up rare woods. Inlaid furniture, art objects and baskets can be bought from local stores. Gold is also a local resource; from a simple nugget to elaborate jewellery, visitors can leave with a precious souvenir.
A very important export of this country is White or Old rum, which is available in other forms as well like delicious fruit punches – lime, coconut, guava and passion fruit. The isles are also famous for sugar cane, vanilla, cinnamon, cocoa, coffee and delicious fruit jams in addition to hot peppers and warm spices – saffron, pepper corns, cumin, cloves and ginger.
