TheTraveler

The Latest in Travel News, Resources, and Stories

Coffee? Chocolate? Together? Sample Guadeloupe’s best!
By Elizabeth Noble

Chocoholics and coffee-lovers will enjoy a treat of a lifetime at the restored coffee plantation, La Bonifierie. Nestled in the lush heights of Saint Claude, above the town of Basse Terre, La Bonifierie is situated on the mountainous side of this butterfly-shaped island.

Park alongside the old stone aqueduct with the multi-colored bougainvilla and enter a charming garden with original stone and wood buildings.

You can learn all about coffee and cocoa production on a tour (E.10) that takes place, conveniently after lunch at the restaurant. We chose the combination meal and “visite” for E.30 per person. Fixed price menus start at E.18, but you can order a salad or quiche for less.

Our delicious meal began with an aperitif (we chose freshly-squeezed guava juice but various juices and alcoholic beverages are served). Next we savored an elegant presentation of vivaneau (red snapper) with chopped christophine (chayote) sautéed in herbs. The great variety of local food in Guadeloupe sets it apart from most Caribbean islands with their imported and processed foods. Dessert was a featherweight chocolate-hazelnut creation, absolutely up to Paris standards.

The excellent restaurant has doubled in size since my first visit 4 years ago but it’s still intimate. You can sit inside, outside, or on a covered terrace and enjoy the magnificent lush green of the surrounding countryside, thanks to the frequent rain showers that grace the island.
The Arabica coffee and chocolate sold at La Conaferie are “artisanaux”—made on site by traditional methods. Apparently, coffee fetches E.2 a kilo on the world market, but at La Bonafiere it costs 10 times more! Gift packets are available for E.8. An espresso, however, made with the same coffee, costs only E.2.50. The setting in which you sip is worth 10 times more!

Tempting you further is a “chocalatier” from France who recently started the cocoa plantation. His exquisite creations include flavors such as old rum and cinnamon; these are sold in the gift shop along with various rum punches (we chose the coffee flavor, of course!), Caribbean crafts, and personal care items from France.

On the first part of the tour we learned the history of the plantation, and watched the huge creaking wooden water wheel as it turned from the water flowing from the aqueduct. This “moulin” drives the wooden machinery inside an adjacent shed where the coffee beans are processed. The raw bean has no taste or smell at all; fermentation is required to develop that exquisite aroma. Chocalatier Eric Fournier took over the second part of the tour and explained the history of cocoa and chocolate production in the French West Indies. After learning the steps involved in creating his different confections—both white and dark chocolate, plain and flavored with liqueurs or nuts—we were offered generous samples. The purest chocolate you will ever eat!
Our visit coincided with an end-of-the year group celebration, so the casual tour stretched out for more than 2 hours as we admired their drumming and dancing.

Anglophone tourists in Guadeloupe are rare. Tourist offices exist, but in general the island‘s charms are marketed toward French “metropolitans” who want a cheap holiday in the sun with their usual gustatory delights. Since so little English is spoken, it’s a good opportunity to practice your French.

Gems such as La Bonifierie are poorly-promoted but the locals know it if you ask. Take the Route de Choisy on your right from the main road from Gourbeyre into Basse Terre and climb into the hills. Or, if you are heading toward the volcano from Basse Terre, you turn right into the other end of Route de Choisy just past the center of St. Claude. Both turn-offs to La Bonafierie are marked with several signs including Ti Café (the restaurant) and MangoFil (adventure park).

Back to The Traveler Blog

Back to the Monthly Web Special Feature Directory