Level: Free shore access This spot have a free shore access: you can go snorkeling there freely and without having to book a tour or pay an entrance fee.
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Last updated on April 7, 2024
Anse Mire is a small cove snuggled in the Baie des Saintes, in Guadeloupe, one of the most beautiful bays of the Caribbean. There you will snorkel a shallow coral reef inhabited by bluehead wrasse, moray eels and trunkfish, as well as the Lynndy, a shipwreck lying some 100 meters from the beach.
Les Saintes archipelago is situated some 10 miles/15km south of Guadeloupe main island. It is within easy reach from Trois-Rivières, the starting point for a number of boats each day.
Anse Mire is a 10 minutes’ walk from the pier of Terre de Haut, the island’s main village, following the Fort Napoleon direction.
Enter the water from the tiny Anse Mire Beach, where iguanas are often present. The beach is planted with poisonous manchineel trees: do not touch the trees or their fruits, and avoid sitting on the beach after rain.
The area to explore comprises the Lynndy shipwreck and the fringing reef running along the shoreline between Anse Mire Beach and the Boat House (a house looking like a ship’s prow, easy to spot from the pier).
When on the beach facing the sea, the reef is located on your left. On the reef, you will find beautiful hard coral, including elkhorn coral, brain coral riddled with colorful Christmas tree worms, and fire coral (↕1-3ft/0.5-1m).
Sea fans, sponges, and different species of sea urchins are also common in the area. It is easy to spot smooth trunkfish, grunt, squirrelfish, bluehead wrasse, and brown chromis in Anse Mire, particularly around and under the coral bommies.
After exploring the fringing reef, you can have a look at the Lynndy shipwreck, lying some 100 meters away from the shore. The position of the wreck is marked with two “cross” yellow buoys, making it easy to localize.
Immersed in 2006 after a tropical storm, the wreck is not yet covered by a lot of coral and sponges, but countless reef fish are already calling the Lynndy home. Sitting 50ft/15m deep under the surface of the sea, you can see it from the surface, but only freedivers will enjoy the sight.
Watch for boats when snorkeling the wreck, which is located outside the swimming area.
There are no facilities on the beach, but you will find a large choice of restaurants and accommodation in Terre de Haut village, a 10 minutes’ walk from Anse Mire.
These snorkeling spots are accessible to beginners and kids. You will enter the water gradually from a beach, or in a less than 3ft. deep area. The sea is generally calm, shallow, with almost no waves or currents. These spots are usually located in marked and/or monitored swimming areas. It is not necessary to swim long distances to discover the sea life. This level only apply when the spot experiences optimal sea and/or weather conditions. It is not applicable if the sea and/or weather conditions deteriorate, in particular in the presence of rough sea, rain, strong wind, unusual current, large tides, waves and/or swell. You can find more details about the definition of our snorkeling levels on our snorkeling safety page.
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Snorkeling spots are part of a wild environment and their aspect can be significantly altered by weather, seasons, sea conditions, human impact and climate events (storms, hurricanes, seawater-warming episodes…). The consequences can be an alteration of the seabed (coral bleaching, coral destruction, and invasive seagrass), a poor underwater visibility, or a decrease of the sea life present in the area. Snorkeling Report makes every effort to ensure that all the information displayed on this website is accurate and up-to-date, but no guarantee is given that the underwater visibility and seabed aspect will be exactly as described on this page the day you will snorkel the spot. If you recently snorkeled this area and noticed some changes compared to the information contained on this page, please contact us.
The data contained in this website is for general information purposes only, and is not legal advice. It is intended to provide snorkelers with the information that will enable them to engage in safe and enjoyable snorkeling, and it is not meant as a substitute for swim level, physical condition, experience, or local knowledge. Remember that all marine activities, including snorkeling, are potentially dangerous, and that you enter the water at your own risk. You must take an individual weather, sea conditions and hazards assessment before entering the water. If snorkeling conditions are degraded, postpone your snorkeling or select an alternate site. Know and obey local laws and regulations, including regulated areas, protected species, wildlife interaction and dive flag laws.
