Sugar Cane Train – Beauport – Guadeloupe

To escape the grey, wet and cold weather in Germany, we decided to enjoy the Caribbean sun on the island of Guadeloupe, the showplace of the well-known whodunit series Death in Paradise, of which we are fans. But, as always on our travels, trams and trains feature high up on our sightseeing agenda. By Christian Schmidt

The first trains on Guadeloupe were built in the 1860s to serve the developing sugar cane industry. At the end of the 20th century there were several independent railways with various gauges and a line length of over 160 kilometres. They were called the “Sugar Cane Trains”. Sugar cane production  declined on the island in the 1960s, and the railways were gradually closed.

The history of the sugar factories in Guadeloupe is closely linked to the history of the railways. The trains connected the sugar cane plantations to the main factory, enabling the farmers to deliver their harvest. This greatly increased productivity. The factory in Beauport had several dozen kilometres of tracks. It also had numerous locomotives and many wagons and was the last Sugar Cane Train on Guadeloupe. Today the railway is operated as a tourist attraction carrying passengers across the grounds of the former sugar cane plant hauled by a diesel locomotive. There is also a steam locomotive on display.

The former sugar factory in Beauport has now been restored and is a unique place to discover the secrets of sugar cane cultivation by Sugar Cane Train!

On the pleasant train journey across the railway line which used to transport the cut cane to the factory and then the sugar to the port of Beautiran, you can experience the factory’s agricultural estate and the sugar cane fields.

So, if you are ever travelling to Guadeloupe, I recommend a ride on the Sugar Cane train to learn about the history of the industry.