Description

Le Pain de Sucre, a volcanic hill that culminates at 53 meters above sea level, plunges into the
bay of Les Saintes. Small peninsula in the west of the island of Terre-de-Haut, made up of
Petite Anse, Pain de Sucre (leeward coast) and Anse Devant (windward coast), this is a
participant in the title of the most “beautiful bay in the world” ” awarded to the Baie des Saintes
in 2018.

The walls formed by basaltic colonnades* of Pain de Sucre, makes it a tourist attraction. In
geology, Pain de Sucre (translated into English as “Sugar Loaf”) is a cone-shaped peak of
granite or volcanic rock, which approximates the appearance of a loaf, of variable size and
origin.
The clear water contrasts with the black of the rocks, and its color degrades from the blue of
the sky to turquoise. It ends it’s tour on the picturesque Pain de Sucre beach that receives
tourists from all over the world but also locals. Finally, its rich sea beds offer, as long as you
are equipped with a diving mask, an impressive view of an extraordinary marine fauna.

Biodiversity

The biodiversity of this bay is important, especially underwater; flamingo tongue snails
(Cyphoma gibbosum), small gastropods, sponges, multicolored gorgonians, regal tang
(Paracanthurus hepatus), spotfin butterflyfish (Chaetodon ocellatus) and marine polychaete
worms of the genus Sabella, are the most representative species. On the Anse Devant side, jack
fish and damselfishes (of the Pomacentridae family) dominate.
Outside, there are coconut palms and the mythical Lesser Antillean iguana (Iguana
delicatissima). To date, a botanical inventory of the Pain de Sucre hill has not been carried out,
probably due to its difficult access.

Ecotourism potential

The Bay of Pain du Sucre is one of the most beautiful places to practice snorkeling in the
archipelago. On the right side of the beach, it is possible to meet the marine fauna, due to the
perfectly calm waters that allow excellent visibility. Pain de Sucre beach is accessible on foot
in just 45 minutes, for good walkers, or by bicycle in 20 minutes; as a reward it is possible to
enjoy the different panoramas of the bay of Saintes in their entirety. Thanks to its small size,
the island of Terre-de-Haut is welcoming; It is possible to visit the rest of the island as long as
you manage to tear your eyes away from the dazzling landscape of that place, to go to the
easternmost part of the island (just as beautiful).