Sargassum at Bois Jolan, Sainte-Anne: this morning's report
Clear
Easy
Bois Jolan is a long curve of sand east of Sainte-Anne town, on the south coast of Grande-Terre. Its lagoon stays shallow a long way out before it reaches the reef, which is why families and slow swimmers keep coming back. The sand runs on for several hundred metres, so the beach absorbs a crowd without feeling packed.
This page gives the day's sargassum situation at Bois Jolan: a score from 0 to 5, a short read of what the sand and the shallows look like, and a map to compare with beaches nearby. It is refreshed every morning, ahead of the day's plans.
Plage de Bois Jolan on the sargassum map
What to know about this beach
Bois Jolan sits on Guadeloupe's Atlantic side, the shore the easterly trade winds work on all year. Its south east aspect puts it in the path of rafts drifting towards the archipelago, with no land upwind to screen them, unlike the leeward Caribbean beaches of Basse-Terre.
What happens once seaweed arrives depends on the shape of the place. The lagoon is broad, very shallow, floored with seagrass and closed offshore by a reef that flattens the swell. Calm water pushes little back out, so anything crossing the reef settles near the shoreline instead of drifting away. The flip side is that quiet spells hold: with nothing new coming in, the lagoon stays that way for days.
Frequently asked questions
Is Bois Jolan exposed to sargassum?
It opens south east onto the Atlantic, so it receives what the trade winds carry. The offshore reef intercepts part of it, while the shallow lagoon holds on to whatever makes it through the gaps.
How can I check the lagoon before driving over?
Use the FanGass map on the morning itself. Bois Jolan gets a score from 0 to 5, shown next to the other Sainte-Anne beaches, and the reading is renewed daily rather than left to stand.
Does the shallow lagoon make a difference?
It does. With little depth and little current, seaweed that reaches the shallows disperses slowly and can stay visible for several days after a landing, even once the open water has cleared.
Which other beaches are worth checking at the same time?
Sainte-Anne town beach to the west, Le Helleux to the east and Raisins-Clairs in Saint-François. They share the same coast, but each cove faces the swell at a slightly different angle.