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Settled by France in 1635,
Martinique remains a French possession to this day—something that’s
apparent in the
tantalizing blend of French/Creole cuisine, boutiques brimming with
couture and perfumes, and markets dishing up fabulous cheeses,
pâtés, and breads.
Toss in hefty doses of Creole joie de vivre, West Indian charm,
lush tropical terrain, gorgeous beaches, and lots to see and do, and what have
you got? France with palm trees!
Part of the Lesser Antilles, Martinique is semi-tropical, facing the
Caribbean on the west and the Atlantic on the east. At about 50 miles long and
21 miles at its widest point, the island invites intimacy.
And it's a pleasure, thanks to extraordinary beauty and
great diversity:
white coral sand and black volcanic beaches; calm azure waters and turbulent
waves; lush green mountains. You’ll discover an enormous amount of animal life
above, on, and below sea level, and delight in the many varieties of tropical
blooms that long ago earned Martinique its nickname, "Flower Island."
Also
See: Caribbean Index |
Antigua & Barbuda |
Aruba |
Bahamas |
Barbados |
Bermuda |
Caymans |
Curaçao |
Grenada |
Jamaica |
Puerto Rico |
St. Croix |
St. John |
St. Lucia |
St. Thomas |
Turks & Caicos |
Virgin Gorda/BVI
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Fort-de-France: Bien sur!
The island's chic, bustling capital blends the best of French and Creole
taste: narrow streets with wrought-iron balconies; large La
Savane Park, filled with fountains and palm trees; and even a building designed in
1889 by the Eiffel Tower’s architect. Just off the park is one of the city's
major attractions, the Schoelcher Library. A Romanesque-Byzantine beauty
also constructed for the 1889 Paris Exposition, it was later dismantled and
shipped here. Paris-style boutiques and open-air cafés dominate rue Victor
Hugo, while the century-old Spice Market nearby is an exotic maze of tropical
flowers, fragrant spices, and scrumptious fruit. The nightlife doesn't exactly
rock, but you'll find fabulous restaurants and friendly bars & clubs.
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The Banana Museum: Just think of all the honeymoon
jokes you'll get to crack after visiting the unusual
le Musée de la
Banane! On the working plantation of Habitation Limbé
in the hills above Sainte-Marie, the museum clues you in on
everything you ever wanted to know about
bananas...and then some. You’ll stroll past 40 species of plants on a
working banana farm, witness bananas being packaged for export, and learn
about banana history. In the gift shop—installed in former Creole
shanties—are unique gifts made from various parts of the banana plant—perfume, soap, jam, dolls, ketchup, hats,
and more.
Trois-Ilets Village: Hop a ferry in Fort-de-France for the 20-minute ride
to lovely Trois-Ilets with its brick-and-wood buildings straight out of
a Thomas
Kinkade note card. At la Pagerie, the childhood home of Napoleon’s Empress Josephine,
the museum is filled with fascinating mementos—including
a passionate love letter from Napoleon. The village’s crafts
center, where potters produce works from local clay using ancient Arawak
methods, is well worth a stop. You'll discover a strong New Orleans theme at
the Casino des Trois Ilets—along with table games, roulette, slot machines,
boutiques, a nightclub, and a Creole restaurant.
The Rum Route:
In Burgundy or Napa you do a wine tour, right? The Martinique
version, La Route des Rhums, sends you around the island sampling rums
that bear the same designation of excellence applied to French wines:
Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée. Unlike many Caribbean rums made from
molasses, Martinique's are derived from fresh sugar-cane juice. And do these rums
rock! Eleven island distilleries produce more than 17 varieties of rum, as well
as rum-based liqueurs flavored with coconut, orange, etc. Start your
experience by visiting the Rum Museum at the Saint-James distillery in
Sainte-Marie, and then journey on. The white rum at Saint-Etienne Distillery
(Gros Morne) is a repeated gold-medal winner. La Favorite, produced in La
Lamentin, is made on a small family estate. At J. M. (Macouba), a 50-proof rum
has won numerous awards (no wonder!). Martinique is known for
producing the best rum in the world, so what are you waiting for?
»»List of all the island's rum distilleries.
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Mount
Pelée Volcano: Want the hike of a lifetime? Climb
this famous volcano,
passing through gorgeous scenery, to the island’s highest point (4500 feet)
for an incomparable panorama. Mount Pelée is a member of a volcanic chain
more than 500 miles long running from Puerto Rico to Venezuela—right where
the Caribbean and Atlantic plates meet in an uneasy and doubtless temporary
truce. ~
When you come down from the mountain, visit nearby St. Pierre to relax over a
well-earned lunch at
an outdoor café on the seafront promenade. Or hop on the Cyparis Express, a
miniature train that will show you the local sights accompanied by a French narrative. You might also enjoy a self-guided tour
of nearby Depaz rum distillery,
with its exhibit of artworks made from rum casks, its
charming gingerbread-style laborers' cottages, and the chance to sample
ginger-flavored rum.
Celebrity Note: In The Thomas Crown Affair
(1999), Pierce Brosnan and Rene Russo had a super-passionate interlude in
Martinique.
Beachin' It:
On an island of absolutely stunning beaches, Grande Anse is a
popular favorite. The long sand beach abuts calm, see-through waters and is
embraced by low green hills; a few low-key cafés make for a pleasant social
vibe and a great lunch. ~ Diamant Beach, with its great views of Diamond rock,
is probably Martinique's most well-known strip of sand; it's a long and lovely
beach, perfect for beachcombing. ~ At Anse-Mitan Beach you'll almost feel you've
been beamed up to the French Riviera, particularly when you sit down to lunch
at one of the small cafes tucked into the palm trees. ~ Caravelle Peninsula's Anse Tartane Beach, poised where high cliffs meet the Atlantic, is frequented
by surfers. ~ Prefer tucking away, just the two of you? Grande Macabou on the
southeast coast—beautiful, wild, shaded by coconut palms—is dreamy.
Le Carbet: Enjoy a
stunning, hour-long drive north along the coast from Fort-de-France to Carbet,
where the small Gauguin Museum recounts the six month-stay of artist Paul Gauguin back
in 1887. The paintings Gauguin completed during his stay are scattered in
collections around the world, but a dozen reproductions—including Two Women
of Martinique—are on view.
~
You might want to hop on Carbet's miniature railroad for a tour of
the town or take a walk in the
Balata Botanical Garden; built around the ruins
of a 17th Century plantation and chapel, this eco-restoration project has
become known as a butterfly garden, and also contains abundant plants
and flowers native to Martinique such as dragon-trees, anthuriums, hibiscus,
heliconia, orchids, and begonias.
Clement House:
Three centuries young and still thriving, this plantation in La Trinité—the
only Creole home on Martinique open to the public—boasts a fascinating rum museum, a
stunning botanical garden, and a gorgeous old house with original furnishings.
Be sure to tour the building where the rum is stored and mixed, for the
tantalizing aroma if nothing else; you can sample and buy bottles of the
plantation's' rums to bring home. The beautiful
gardens, with their resident black swans, are not to be missed, either.
Clement House
was the location for a 1991 Summit Meeting between US President George H. W. Bush
and French President François Mitterand.
More Info:
Martinique
Promotion Bureau
