Description
At the heart of the West Indian archipelago - an 8-hour flight from Paris - lies a volcanic island dominated by Mount Pelée. This island, warmed under the tropical sun, is bathed by the Atlantic to the east, and by the Caribbean Sea to the west. Combining pleasures of the sea, good food and tourism, it offers a complete change of scene, thanks to the diversity of its landscapes.
Martinique is a land of contrasts, with its mountains, “mornes” (small, round hills), lowlands, tropical forests, savannahs, fields of sugar cane, wild Atlantic coastlines and long beaches of golden sand on the Caribbean sea, with its dappled turquoise and emerald green waters ….
This is “Madinina,” the island of flowers…an exuberant and lush tropical vegetation; a cocktail with the colours of hibiscus, bougainvillaea, magnolia and anthuriums.
To discover :
Everything comes together to enchant you and to ensure that you pass the calmest and most delightful holiday possible:
- the landscapes
- the beguine
- the beaches
- the old houses
- the temperature of the water (between 24 and 29°)
- the gardens and plantations
- the ti'punch
- the crafts and jewels
- the creole cuisine
The flavours of the food :
Creole cuisine is a delight. It brings together tastes and colours and is part of the landscape….the ti’punch prepares your taste buds for the exotic flavours of Creole specialities; accras (fish-cakes), rock lobster, stuffed crabs, Creole sausages, Colombos, Christophines and blancmange, tropical fruit sorbets…
The festivals :
- The festivals of All Saints Day,
- "Jazz in Martinique" (December),
- The "chanté nowel" (December),
- The carnival (February / March),
- International sailing week (March),
- The June regattas,
- The Tour of Martinique by Yoles Rondes (a type of boat) (August).
Shops and Services
All shops and services (mini supermarket) in Sainte-Luce, 1.5 km away (approximately 20 minute walk).
Sports and leisure
Things to see :
- Sainte-Luce, the highly “sought out” village of connoisseurs, opposite Saint Lucia. The Montravail forest, the Trois Rivières distillery.
- Le Marin: the Marin harbour with more than 300 berths. La Marina for sea lovers, and its 18th century church, one of the most beautiful historical monuments in Martinique.
- Sainte-Anne, its picturesque village and the most beautiful beaches in Martinique: the Salines, the Anse Trabaud, the Pointe du Marin, and the Cap Chevalier.
- The Savannahs of the Petrification, geological phenomena (tree trunks transformed into stone).
- Le Vauclin, a fishing village with traditional wooden houses, the beaches of the Faula-Macabou headland and Mount Vauclin, a site of pilgrimages.
- Le François, famous for its small islands (the restaurant of Oscar island with its colonial house dating from the 18th century) and its teams of Yoles. The "baignoire de Joséphine" is a area of magnificent shallow waters. "Clément’s house and rum distillery "
- Rivière-Pilote, its cock fighting, mangosteens and snakes. The garden of Escoët (wildlife park, fruit trees) the distillery of la Mauny.
- Rivière-Salée (salt river), a major crossroads in the south and an area of huge fields of sugar cane; its famous covered fish market.
- Fort-de-France, the Savane square, its famous crafts and fruit and vegetable market, the residential districts, the colonial style houses of the route Didier, the Balata church, a replica of the Sacré Coeur of Montmartre, with a superb view over the bay. The geological and botanical gallery, the museum of pre-Colombian archaeology, the Schoelcher library, the gardens of Balata and all the fragrances of its tropical plants.
- Martinique Natural Park, to be explored on foot, on horse back or by bicycle.
- Les Trois Îlets (the three small islands): hand made pottery, boutiques.
- And a short flight away, a string of sumptuous islands: Saint-Lucia, Barbados, Saint-Martin, Saint-Bartholomew, Saint-Vincent, the Virgin islands, the Grenadines, Jamaica, etc.
Sports (reductions on courses and green fees): At the Trois Ilets
- Golf
- Horse riding…
