Slave Memorial
Palm Beach
Family Beach
Saint Pierre & Mt. Pelee
Montagne Pelée
Banana Plantation
Old Sugar Factory
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Personal
Impressions
Martinique is a very French island with a strong Créole influence. Being an overseas department of France, it is part of the
European Union. The Euro is the official currency of Martinique.
Europeans can get cash from Automated Teller Machines just like home.
Martinique has a highly developed heath system, considered the best in
the Caribbean. Martinicans benefit fully from the generous package of
welfare programs available to all French citizens, covering health,
retirement, widowhood, and large families. The standard of living is
much higher than that of the other Caribbean islands. Nevertheless
Martinicans strike very often for higher salaries.
The
northern part with its waterfalls, rain forest and mountains attracts
Nature Lovers. The southern part has numerous white sand beaches with
resorts and restaurants. The sand of the southern beaches is
predominantly white or golden in contrast to the sand of the
northern volcanic beaches which is dark. Martinique is the perfect
place for people who like the French culture, beautiful sand beaches
and tropical weather. Cruise ship passengers can make most of their day
by driving to the parking lot of Mount Pelée and hiking the rocky trail
to its summit.
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Overview
Martinique
is one of four islands which are known as the French West Indies. The
others islands are St. Martin, Guadeloupe and St. Barts. The official
language is French, although many of its inhabitants also speak
Antillean Creole (Créole Martiniquais). English is not widely spoken,
but you should not have problems communicating in restaurants and
hotels.
Martinique
is the definition of a refined French-Caribbean island, fashionable and
elegant, with an abundance of flora. Filled with ruins and monuments,
Martinique has been French, with few interruptions, since 1635, and
offers gorgeous beaches, great food and a live volcano. Banana farming,
cane raising, the rum business and tourism are all important to the
island.
Napoleons empress Josephine hailed from Martinique,
as did Aime Dubuc de Rivery, who was kidnapped at sea and made Sultana
Valid, mother of Turkeys Sultan Mahmoud II. Its many small museums
focus on curiosities such as dolls, banana farming and ancient island
civilizations. Hikers and horseback riders will find plenty of guided
adventures among the steep, lush hillsides. Windsurfers and board
surfers will welcome the challenges of the choppy Atlantic side of the
island.
The capital, Fort-de-France, offers chic shops, the
flowered Park Savanne, the Bibliothque Schoelcher, and the Saint-Louis
Cathedral, built in 1895. Restaurants are among the best in the
islands. Pointe du Bout is the islands main resort area, offering
hotels, golf, shopping and casino nightlife. North along the coast is
St. Pierre, which was destroyed, along with its 30,000 residents, in
1902 when Mont Pele erupted. The Museum of Vulcanology there displays
chilling lava-coated mementoes. Carbet, a quaint fishing village, was
briefly home for French painter Paul Gauguin, and inland is Morne
Rouge, site of MacIntosh Plantation, cultivator of Martiniques
well-known flower, the anthurium. Be sure to tour one of Martiniques
12 fine rum distilleries. The island boasts Frances official
appellation for producing agricultural Rhum (a label like Cognac or
Champagne).
Attractions
Anse Cafard Slave Memorial
The
Anse Cafard Memorial in is a monument
of 20 white stone
statues. It was erected to commemorate the losses imposed on African
peoples through the slave trade. It is located in the south of the
island on a
gently sloping field facing the sea and the trade winds, within view of
Diamond Rock. Martinican sculptor Laurent Valére has built a
tribute to a horrific shipwreck and a most painful history.
The
importation of new slaves to the
Caribbean had been stopped in 1815, but the traders simply opted to
port their ships at night to avoid getting caught. This dangerous
practice often had tragic results. On April 8, 1830, a
ship carrying a cargo of Africans was smashed up against the rocks
off the
coast of Le Diamant. The boat was
completely destroyed. More than 40 would-be slaves, who were chained to
the cargo hold, drowned. They were buried in a mass grave not far from
the coastline where the river meets the sea.
Schoelcher Library
Designed by architect Henri Pick, a contemporary of Gustave Eiffel, the building was originally designed and
built as the Canada Pavilion at the
1898 World Expo in Paris before it was shipped to
Martinique and reassembled along the west side of La Savane. It was
named in honor of slavery abolitionist Victor Schoelcher.
...to be continued...
Montagne Pelée
Martinique is surrounded by imposing mountain peaks, the
tallest being the inactive volcano of Mont Pelée.
Really
adventurous travelers like to scale the sides of this active volcano,
but there are other, safer (and dare we say smarter?) options for
enjoying the area.
You could also enjoy a day at
Mont Pelée's picturesque base, where previous travelers have enjoying
canyoning, hiking and rappelling through the area waterfalls and
forests.
Now back to scaling Pelée. Many stress that you
should never scale the side of this active volcano alone. The climb is
steep and strenuous, and authorized guides will also know what
precautions to take in case the volcano erupts. You can visit the Mont
Pelée website for more information on the volcano, safety tips, and
options and prices for exploring the area.
The
volcano is currently in a quiet phase and visitors can hike to the
summit and enjoy spectacular views of the Atlantic and the surrounding
mountains on clear days. A paved road leads from Morne Rouge for two
kilometers to the trailhead. Early hikes are usually rewarded with less
cloud cover to obscure the views
The
1,397 metres (4,583 feet) high volcano Mount Pelée, whose name is a
French term meaning "Bald", consists of layers of volcanic ash and
lavas. Its gently sloping cone is scored with ravines and supports
luxuriant forests.
Martinique is one
of the relatively few islands where camping not only
is permitted but encouraged. It's a popular activity locally in the
forests and on the beaches especially between June and September.
The
sugarcane plantations brought large numbers of slaves from Africa
to the islands. Consequently, the African influence on the culture is
evident, as expressed in their customs, art and music; the result of
these influences combined with European culture is the Creole culture.
European
residents need only carry Identity Cards to enter Martinique. A valid
European Driving license is all that is required for car and motorbike
hire.
The 415,000 inhabitants are mainly of
African descent with a few French, Indian, Lebanese and Syrian people. Roman
Catholic is the main religion, make most of
their profits from rum, bananas, construction, cement, oil refining,
sugar and tourism with the main trading being with Guadeloupe, France,
UK, French Guiana and Italy.
Saint-Louis Cathedral
Dates from 1895. Don’t miss the splendid organ.
Balata Botanical Gardens (Le Jardin de Balata)
Visit one Martinique's most
famous sights, the Balata Gardens, to see why this is "the Isle of
Flowers." This private botanical garden just outside Fort-de-France is
home to a staggering number of begonias, bromeliads, bamboo and about
300 different types of palm trees. There's a small admission fee to
enter, and according to some recent visitors, it isn't worth it unless
you're really into plants. Instead, you might want to take some
tropical flowers home with you. You can arrange to have your flowers
delivered to the airport, or visit the Balata Gardens' satellite shop
in the terminal of the Martinique airport. They'll arrange special
packaging to facilitate bringing your flowers on the plane.
Fort-de-France
The
intricate Romanesque Bibliothèque Schoelcher is a highlight. Named for
Victor Schoelcher, an activist for the abolition of slavery in the
French colonies, the building was dismantled and shipped to Martinique
from Paris in 1893.
St. Pierre
With
dramatic views of volcanic Mount Pelée, Saint-Pierre is built among the
ruins of old Saint-Pierre. The former capital of the island until 1902,
when the volcanic eruption of Mt. Pelee completely destroyed the town
and killed its 30,000 residents, Saint Pierre is now a popular
destination in Martinique, where visitors head to get acquainted with
its historic ruins and the Volcanological Museum, displaying the
glorious rise and tragic fall of the city after eruption.
Trois Ilets
The
island is also blessed with great nightlife and dining scene, so those
in search of bars, clubs, casinos and restaurants should definitely
head to the tiny marina village of Trois Ilets, where a wealth of
interesting places await for exploration. Here visitors will find a
number of resorts and hotels, as well aas ice cram shops, clothing
boutiques and pizza joints.
Martinique Beaches
Beaches
in Martinique come in a variety of shapes and styles and are
well-equipped with beach facilities. There are many of them scattered
in different parts of the island, with the most popular being Anse des
Salines, a great getaway for both local and international travelers;
Anse Ceron – one’s of the north’s black sand beaches; and Anse Noir,
blessed with a majestic sea bed ideal for snorkeling and diving.
Beaches on the east side of the island are less crowded, however the
views here are truly spectacular.
Diamond Rock (Le
Rocher du Diamant)
Lying 3
kilometers from mainland Martinique, Diamond Rock is the site of an
unusual slice of naval history. In 1804 the British dropped sailors on
the volcanic island and registered the rock as a ship, the HMS Diamond
Rock.
Route de la Trace
Scenic Route de la Trace (highway N3) runs north from Fort-de-France through the lush interior rainforest to Mount Pelée
Musée de la Pagerie
A
former sugar estate, the Musée de la Pagerie was the birthplace of
Marie Joseph Rose Tascher de la Pagerie who would later become
Napoleon's Empress Josephine.
Pointe Du Bout
On a promontory south of Fort-de-France, Pointe du Bout is one of Martinique's main resort areas.
Sainte-Anne
Sprinkled
with palm-fringed coves, Sainte-Anne has the distinction of being the
island's southernmost village and one of its prettiest.
Les Salines
A
short distance south of Sainte-Anne, Les Salines is one of the most
popular beaches on Martinique. Named for the nearby salt pond, this
one-kilometer stretch of coast at the southern tip of Martinique
Anse Couleuvre (Le Precheur)
The Butterfly Farm (La Ferme des Papillons)
The
Butterfly Garden is a conservatory, which provides the opportunity to
observe butterflies in their natural milieu, namely lush, pleasant
vegetation. The garden is by a riverside and a 30min walk leads to an
18C fortress, which commands a fantastic view. As you tour the garden,
you will notice an open-air theatre, where concerts are regularly held
in the evenings, because the garden also has a musical vocation.
Marin Yacht Harbour Marina
Located
in one of the most beautiful and protected bays in the Caribbean, this
is Martinique's largest marina complex with a total of 650 berths,
including 15 specific berths for Superyachts up to 200' in length, and
250 amp 3 phase power. As a full service marina, they have security
guards and a bi-lingual team of staff on hand to assist visiting yachts
in any way they can.
Les Salines
Families
can't stay away from Les Salines beach in the village of Ste-Anne for
several reasons. One, the clear waters here are calm enough for
children to play freely. Two, there are plenty of food vendors walking
the sand hawking tasty Martiniquais treats. Three, there are restrooms
and accessible showers to rinse your little ones off before making the
trip back to the hotel. Four, Les Salines is absolutely breathtaking,
with miles of palm trees and glistening sand. If you want to witness
all Les Salines has to offer without the little kiddies around, visit
the beach during the week.
Diamond Beach
Diamond
Beach in the town of Le Diamant is rarely crowded, but always
beautiful. Travelers in the know choose this southwestern beach over
the touristy sands of Pointe du Bout, and you should too if you prefer
more peace and quiet while you sunbathe. This part of the island is
rather undeveloped, so you'd probably rather visit than lodge here.
Instead, consider planning a trip to Diamond Beach on the same day you
stop by the Anse Cafard Slave Memorial. While you're there, be sure to
take pictures of Diamond Rock in the distance
There are also a few botanical
gardens to walk round, whose flora include some colourful exotic
species of plants and around the isolated villages of Grand' Rivière
and Tartane, visitors will get an insight into the tradition and
culture of Martinique. Any travellers who enjoy water sport activities
will find diving is a well-liked pastime, with visitors enjoying
adventures to the bottom of the ocean to explore sunken ships. Tourists
who just want to fry in the sun though, will find the beaches very
clean and beautiful, especially Les Salines beach, with its vast
stretch of hot, white sand, clear blue ocean and water fun, such as
swimming and snorkelling, to help cool sizzling bodies down.
The
easiest and fastest way to travel around Martinique is by hire car,
with plenty of availability being found at the airport. Anyone that’s
left their driving license at home though can jump on the local bus,
called taxi collectives, the fares are cheap and tourist routes go from
Fort-de-France and Saint-Pierre. Taxis are another option but will
drain the resources at a much faster rate! There are some ferries in
Martinique that provide very good regular services and will take
passengers from Pointe du Bout to Fort-de-France.
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Yacht Harbour Marina
Nude Beach
Quiet Sand Beach
Beautiful Bay
View from Mont Pelée
La Ferme des Papillons
Bibliothèque Schoelcher
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