Turquoise waters and coconut palms, black sand and golden sand and flamboyant sunsets ... Beyond the tropical postcard, Martinique invites you on a journey to the heart of a living Creole culture. Where old French medieval folk songs are played to the rhythm of the biguine or zouk, and where contemporary art reinvents itself in sugar cane plantations!
The must-sees of your stay in Martinique
Staying in Martinique, all roads lead first to Fort de France! Alangui in its bay of the Caribbean Sea, the historic center is a good introduction to learn about Creole culture. Traditional wooden houses and buildings of colonial architecture attract the eye as the amazing library Schoelcher, presented at the Universal Exhibition of Paris in 1889, then transported by boat to Fort de France to be reconstituted!
South of Fort de France, the beaches of blond sand succeed each other, including Sainte-Anne with more than 20 kilometers festooned with coconut trees. Change of scenery in Saint-Pierre. At a height of 1397 meters, Mount Pelee, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2023, seems to watch over the harbor of this historic city, the first settlement of the island. But on May 8, 1902, the awakening of the volcano destroyed St. Pierre making more than 25 000 victims ... In the historic district, we wander between the ruins preserved in memory: theater, church of the Fort or prison which a prisoner miraculously survived!
To find out more, visit the volcanological museum Franck-Perret, a mine of information on the world of volcanoes. And we explore this famous mountain climbing to his caldera. Going down, we stop on the coast at Carbet, whose decor inspired the painter Paul Gauguin. Another idyllic site, Grand River, an authentic fishing village ideal for recharging with canyoning!
Another variant for canyoning: the spectacular gorges de la Falaise. Natural pools cascading, the river is a passage between walls sometimes 120 meters high! Of all the beaches of Martinique, those of Salines in the south are the most mythical. In the shade of coconut palms, we picnic in the water. But to stroll through the mangrove with dazzling views of the Atlantic Ocean, go to the nature reserve of La Caravelle! And for the postcard with the Diamond Rock on the Caribbean Sea, cape ... Cap 110, the memorial of Anse Caffard, where 15 busts of characters look to Africa, symbolizing the millions of victims of the trade.
Martinique: sport destination!
A trip to Martinique can also be very sporty! Exclusively female, the Raid des Alizés combines classic events of nature raids (mountain biking, kayaking, trail) and solidarity activities. As for sailing, Flying Martinique Regatta has been making Martinique one of the major sailing destinations since 2018. And to admire the boats, traditional boats driven by several rowers, it is necessary to watch their passage on the coast during the Tour of the rounds.
Gastronomy in Martinique
Staying in Martinique, impossible to escape the cod! This fish is part of succulent recipes:
fierce, the West Indian guacamole,
macadam, where she gets married with tomatoes and peppers,
ti dwarf lan mori with green bananas.
You can also eat crayfish bisque, conch, molluscs, fricassee, and crab matoutou, stew served at Easter or Pentecost. At Christmas, we prepare the ham with sugar and pineapple and we make a red currant syrup served with rum. As for the apple cinnamon, it is also delicious in juice.
If the Martinican cuisine is so tasty, it owes to the love for gastronomy and rich scents of local products: spices, vanilla, tropical fruit jams ... Not to mention the rum, inseparable from culture, the only AOC in the world.