Plantation Grand Café

Architecture - Capesterre Belle-Eau

This site, which was built over a century ago, was a coffee plantation until the 1940s. They also grew cocoa and vanilla. Following the collapse of the courses, the plantation turned to banana growing while retaining its name. The estate covers about thirty hectares covered with banana plantations that the owner had the idea to visit tourists with cart rides, demonstration of packaging techniques and presentation of different varieties. Banana is the largest export product in volume and remains a major product of the Guadeloupean economy with nearly 50 000 tonnes exported per year. The area devoted to banana cultivation is estimated at 10% of the utilized agricultural area of ​​the department, ie about 2500 hectares. Guadeloupe, mainly South Basse Terre, meets all the conditions necessary for the production of banana, hot temperature all year long, high humidity and volcanic soil. There are more than 1000 varieties of banana in the world, including 450 in Guadeloupe (source CIRAD), but only a few species (plantain, poyo, fig banana etc.) are consumed.