Located in the Caribbean Sea, Guadeloupe is a French overseas department and the French influence looms large here. French culture pops up in the food, the art, and the way people speak. The official language is French and most speak it. Some also speak a creole patois; you’ll rarely hear English.

But Guadeloupe is far more than a little piece of France in the Caribbean. Even though its economy is based largely on exporting local goods like rum and coffee to France, the people are proudly independent while still loving their mother country. There are many local styles of dance whose names are as much fun as the dances themselves: kompa, zouk-love, and toumbele are just a few.

As any good French department should, Guadeloupe boasts excellent food. A mix of Caribbean dishes with a French flair, if you spend your entire trip to Guadeloupe eating and lounging on the beach, it will be a great trip. The French influence means that there are wonderful pastries to be had here. A Guadeloupe favorite mixes French pastry tradition with local ingredients to create the tourment d’amour: a delicate pastry flavored with guava, banana, and coconut.

The bounty of the Caribbean is great and used well in Guadeloupe. Taste fresh breadfruit and coconut water straight from the shell. Or dig into some seafood like crayfish or crab spiced with locally grown hot peppers. For a salty snack, how about a cod fritter? There’s a bit of Indian influence in Guadeloupe as well. The best way to taste that is through a Colombo plate of meat (chicken, pork, or goat), rice, and curry.

Guadeloupe’s beaches and beach towns ring the islands like a string of pearls. White sand borders sapphire waters and beach bars dot the coast waiting to serve you a fruity drink with a tiny umbrella. Take long walks at sunset, get that tan you’ve been looking forward to, and nosh on some bar snacks with that drink. And if you feel the need to do something else, just go for a short swim before heading back to your beach towel.

For hiking, consider La Soufrière, a tall volcano in the national park in the Basse-Terre region. Depending on where you hike, you might see a little lava or you might just get caught up in the lush, green beauty of the plants that have grown in the volcano’s fertile soil.

In the park in Basse-Terre, you can also explore an underwater reserve named for Jacques Cousteau, the naval officer and scientist who played a part in developing the aqua-lung (a step on the path to modern SCUBA gear). Why not honor him by diving in?

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