The tropical Caribbean island of Martinique is a French holiday paradise endowed with excellent beaches, scenic mountains and tropical forests, rich cultural history, trendy boutiques and Creole cuisine. Martinique is a worldwide yachting center with many sights and activities such as diving and trekking as well as a great number of beach resorts. This wealthy island is a popular holiday destination especially for French-speakers.
French Caribbean island of Martinique is located in the Eastern Caribbean between Dominica and Saint Lucia. It is an overseas department of France and belongs to the European Union. The local population of Martinique consists mostly of people of African origin, but there are also minorities of French, Indian, Lebanese and Chinese people. The island’s culture is a mix of Caribbean and French influences. Also called the Isle of Flowers, Martinique is the rum capital of the world with some of the world’s finest rum distilleries.
Sports activities. Sailing in Martinique is a very popular activity, and there are many opportunities for horseback riding, mountain biking, deep-sea fishing, windsurfing and various other water sports on the island. Snorkeling in Martinique is also good at several locations around the island. There are also many tennis courts and two golf courses on Martinique, as well as water park Aqualand and several jungle adventure parks offering good entertainment for children.
The capital and largest city of Martinique is Fort-de-France, a bustling center of over 130,000 inhabitants. It offers the best choices of shopping and nightlife on Martinique, as well as several cultural centers, a cultural festival in July and a municipal theater. The city also hosts a typical Caribbean carnival before Easter.
Other Martinique destinations include the small town of Saint-Pierre that is the former capital of Martinique. It is a site of the famous volcanic eruption of Mount Pelée in 1902 that wiped out the entire town. The Volcano Museum and cemetery are popular places to visit here. Diving in Martinique is especially good around Saint-Pierre, as the volcanic eruption left many wrecks in the town’s old harbour. The small inland town of Balata between Fort-de-France and St Pierre is home to a beautiful botanic garden. In the south of the island, Pointe du Bout is a major resort area and a yachting marina, while Trois-Îlets, Anse Mitan, Anse à-l’Ane, Diamant, Sainte Anne and Les Salines all offer excellent beaches.
Traveling to Martinique can be done by air or by sea. The island’s main airport close to the capital Fort-de-France receives flights to Martinique from the US, France, Venezuela and the Caribbean region.
French Caribbean island of Martinique is located in the Eastern Caribbean between Dominica and Saint Lucia. It is an overseas department of France and belongs to the European Union. The local population of Martinique consists mostly of people of African origin, but there are also minorities of French, Indian, Lebanese and Chinese people. The island’s culture is a mix of Caribbean and French influences. Also called the Isle of Flowers, Martinique is the rum capital of the world with some of the world’s finest rum distilleries.
Sights and activities in Martinique: beaches, sailing, trekking, diving and nightlife
Martinique is a beautiful island with a myriad of activities and sights to offer, from the stunning beaches to the verdant rainforests and the historic city of Saint-Pierre. The mountainous northern part of the island contains rainforests and volcanoes that are great places for trekking on Martinique, as well as volcanic black sand beaches. The southern part of Martinique has many beautiful beaches and hosts most of the hotels and the main places for shopping on Martinique.Sports activities. Sailing in Martinique is a very popular activity, and there are many opportunities for horseback riding, mountain biking, deep-sea fishing, windsurfing and various other water sports on the island. Snorkeling in Martinique is also good at several locations around the island. There are also many tennis courts and two golf courses on Martinique, as well as water park Aqualand and several jungle adventure parks offering good entertainment for children.
The capital and largest city of Martinique is Fort-de-France, a bustling center of over 130,000 inhabitants. It offers the best choices of shopping and nightlife on Martinique, as well as several cultural centers, a cultural festival in July and a municipal theater. The city also hosts a typical Caribbean carnival before Easter.
Other Martinique destinations include the small town of Saint-Pierre that is the former capital of Martinique. It is a site of the famous volcanic eruption of Mount Pelée in 1902 that wiped out the entire town. The Volcano Museum and cemetery are popular places to visit here. Diving in Martinique is especially good around Saint-Pierre, as the volcanic eruption left many wrecks in the town’s old harbour. The small inland town of Balata between Fort-de-France and St Pierre is home to a beautiful botanic garden. In the south of the island, Pointe du Bout is a major resort area and a yachting marina, while Trois-Îlets, Anse Mitan, Anse à-l’Ane, Diamant, Sainte Anne and Les Salines all offer excellent beaches.
Martinique travel tips and practical information
Martinique enjoys a tropical marine climate with warm temperatures, sunshine and high humidity throughout the year. The climate of Martinique is moderated by trade winds; There is a slightly cooler dry season from December to May that is also the peak season for tourism on Martinique, and a rainy season from June to October. September is the rainiest month and also the main season for hurricanes that hit the island approximately once in eight years. The mountainous interior of the island is cooler and rainier than the coastal areas.Traveling to Martinique can be done by air or by sea. The island’s main airport close to the capital Fort-de-France receives flights to Martinique from the US, France, Venezuela and the Caribbean region.
Photo: Fabrice Terrasson, used under Creative Commons License (By 2.0)
There are ferries to Martinique from the nearby islands of Guadeloupe, Dominica and St Lucia, and many cruise ships also visit the island. A popular way to travel to Martinique is by a private yacht. The island has excellent paved roads, and public transport on Martinique is offered by minibuses known as taxi collectifs and taxis. Regular ferries called vedettes also run between Fort-de-France and the resort areas of Pointe de Bout, Anse Mitan, Anse à-l’Ane and Trois-Îlets. Car rental on Martinique is a good transportation option and there are plenty of rental agencies available.
Versatile services. The many hotels on Martinique range from mid-size beach resorts to small boutique hotels and luxury hotels. There are also guesthouses, rental apartments, villas and even entire small islands that can be rented for your holiday. You can find plenty of restaurants on Martinique, offering mainly French and local Creole food but also Italian, Chinese and Indian dishes. French is the main language in Martinique, but English is also spoken by some inhabitants.
Safety. Martinique is a rather safe place to visit, but as the island has high unemployment levels, it is advisable to take good care of your belongings. Robberies may occur in Fort-de-France, and you should not walk around alone in the city center after dark. Trekkers should exercise caution as there are highly venomous snakes on the island.
Short history of Martinique
Martinique was originally inhabited by indigenous Arawak people that were driven away by more warring Carib tribes. Christopher Columbus was the first European explorer to discover the island, and first French colonists arrived only three decades later in 1635, establishing sugar plantations and the town of Saint-Pierre. The rest of Martinique was colonized quickly and violently, and the remaining Caribs were expelled in 1660. African slaves were imported for plantation labor. The British invaded Martinique several times and occupied the island between 1794 to 1815. Slavery was banned in Martinique in 1848 and people from India and China were brought to work in the plantations.Volcanic eruption of Mont Pelée destroyed the city of Saint-Pierre in 1902, and only one of the town’s 30,000 inhabitants survived. During the World War II when France was mostly occupied by Nazis, Martinique was ruled by the Vichy government. Martinique became an overseas department of France after the war, and the inhabitants of the island voted for integration with France in 1958. Martinique remains an overseas department of France with close ties to Europe.
hint See also these nearby destinations: Saint Lucia, Dominica, Guadeloupe
