Vanibel Estate

Architecture - Vieux-Habitants

For many years, coffee constituted the main money crop for Côte Sous-le-Vent (Leeward Coast) growers, many of whom built their fortunes on it. Introduced to the island in around 1725, coffee grown in Guadeloupe was once considered to be among the world’s finest. The Vanibel Estate showcases the region’s agricultural heritage, with coffee, vanilla, and banana plantations. All that remains of the original master’s house is a vaulted structure beneath a double staircase that contains a cell perhaps once used as a slave dungeon or master’s safe. The use of hydraulic energy dates back to the late 17th century. This site contains vestiges of an aqueduct (water supply channel) and coffee processing plant where the beans were hulled, featuring a water wheel, grinders, and vats. During guided tours, visitors learn how to pollinate vanilla flowers, how coffee is processed, authentic coffee planting methods, the various stages in the transformation of coffee, and visit a mountain banana grove, the island’s first agricultural crop. Tour schedule:  January to April, 2:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m.; May to December, one tour daily at 3:00 p.m.  Closed Sundays, holidays, and the months of September and October. Tel.:  0590 98 40 79 - www.vanibel.com.