Guadeloupe (or some other place?) questions

Hello!

I'm new to this forum. Looks great! I'm pondering a trip to the Caribbean next summer for 2 weeks, probably end of June to first of July, for me, hub and our 10 year old son. I've been to Cayman and Cancun, so would like to go somewhere new. Hub and I have traveled extensively, just not in the Caribbean. We are not all-inclusive resort types, we like to explore, stay in small local hotels or apartments, rent a car and go all over, hike, snorkel, etc. Beautiful beaches are a big plus. We're fine with not being fluent in whatever language is spoken. A big concern is safety and crime. I don't want to take my munchkin to a place where we don't feel relatively safe.

I came across Guadeloupe and it looks perfect! But maybe that's because I can't find much info about it.
What is the crime rate like there?
Any other problems one should be aware of?
Do they have really pretty beaches? If you'd say no, what do they compare to?
How does it compare to other Caribbean islands?
If we go to Guadeloupe, I'd consider a few days in Dominica. Any comments about getting there and what to do there?
Or, is there somewhere else I should really consider?
Thanks!

If you go to Dominica you should look at the Crescent Moon Cabins, fantasic (and safe) place. All Eco friendly and good food. Dominica is one of the nicest islands we visited. If you like hiking it will be perfect. Some fun snorkeling at champagne as well.

There are two different trip reports on Guadeloupe that might answer many of your questions.

I never heard of any incidents of crime while I was there in March. The locals tend to close up there houses very tight at night, but that might just be based on the style of the houses. If you know some French it will help.

We found Guadeloupe very safe and very friendly. As with traveling anywhere, including your home town, use common sense. (With a 10 year old you are not likely to be people who go to a dark ally in the middle of the night or accept a ride at 2 am from a stranger.) We saw lots of families that were there on vacation. Our French was minimal and we got along great!