Sargassum at Petit-Havre (Le Gosier): today's conditions
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Petit-Havre is a small cove on the southern shore of Le Gosier, in the bays around Pointe-à-Pitre on Guadeloupe's Grande-Terre. It sits just off the coast road, which makes it an easy stop for a swim, and its compact shape means conditions on the sand can shift from one day to the next.
This page tracks sargassum at Petit-Havre day by day. You get the current reading, a rating from 0 to 5 that sums up what the beach looks like, and a map placing the cove among its neighbours. Everything is refreshed each morning, so you can decide whether to head here or pick another spot along the coast.
Petit-Havre on the sargassum map
What to know about this beach
The cove faces south, on the Caribbean side of Le Gosier. That matters, because sargassum rafts travel west with the easterly trade winds and pile up first on windward shores. A south-facing inlet on the leeward flank only receives what coastal currents carry around the headlands, so exposure here is moderate rather than absent.
Being small cuts both ways. A tight bay dampens the swell and keeps the water calm, but it also holds on to whatever drifts in: once weed clears the entrance it tends to settle against the shoreline instead of washing back out, as it would on a long open strand. The bays around Pointe-à-Pitre are cut into a string of coves and points, and readings can differ sharply within a few kilometres, which is why the rating for this beach is worth checking on its own.
Frequently asked questions
Does Petit-Havre get much sargassum?
Less than the Atlantic-facing beaches of Grande-Terre. The cove opens south on the leeward side of Le Gosier, so weed only reaches it when currents push rafts around the headlands of the bay.
How do I check Petit-Havre before driving over?
Open the FanGass map on the morning of your visit. The cove carries a rating from 0 to 5 for the day, refreshed every morning, so you can compare it with other beaches around Le Gosier.
When is sargassum most likely here?
Strandings cluster between spring and late summer, when rafts drift into the Caribbean. Volumes swing widely from year to year, though, so a quiet season is never a guarantee for a given morning.
Where else can I go if the cove is covered?
Stay on the leeward stretch of Le Gosier and check the neighbouring inlets first, then look further west into the bays of Pointe-à-Pitre. The map shows those ratings side by side.