Martinique
Martinique
Martinique: France in the Caribbean — Volcanic Peaks, Rum Country, and White-Sand Coves
Before Europeans arrived, Arawak peoples and later the Kalinago lived on Martinique, and one of its Indigenous names was Madinina. Empress Joséphine was baptized in 1763 at Trois-Îlets, across the bay from Fort-de-France, and married Napoleon Bonaparte in 1796. If your call falls on a Sunday or a French public holiday, very few shops open, so plan on the beach or a walk instead of shopping.
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What Cruise Travelers Should Know
Cruise ships calling at Martinique berth in Fort-de-France, the capital, at the Pointe Simon pier on the seafront or at the Tourelles cruise terminal, and some anchor in the bay and bring passengers ashore by tender. Your cruise line will tell you which, and from Pointe Simon the city center is right there on foot.
- Martinique is an overseas department of France, so prices are in euros and shops do not take US dollars. Many restaurants and some stores accept credit cards.
- French is the official language, and most people also speak Martinican Creole. English is spoken by some people, not all.
- Say "bonjour" when you walk into a shop and "merci, au revoir" when you leave; it is expected here.
- Tap water is safe to drink, as in mainland France.
- The rainy season runs from June to October, which is also the time of year when hurricanes are possible.
Martinique on Your Own
The easiest independent day in Martinique is Fort-de-France on foot, with one boat ride across the bay to the beaches near Trois-Îlets. Going farther, to Saint-Pierre or the south, is possible by shared taxi or private taxi, but leave plenty of time to get back.
- The city first: From the pier, walk to La Savane park, the Schœlcher Library and the Saint-Louis Cathedral, then the covered market.
- Across the bay: Ferries to Pointe du Bout and Trois-Îlets run about every 30 minutes, and the crossing avoids the traffic on the road around the bay. The last boats back to Fort-de-France leave between 5:45 and 8 p.m. depending on the day, so check before you go.
- Shared taxis: Minibuses marked TC, the taxis collectifs, leave from the terminal at Pointe Simon for Saint-Pierre and other towns. They keep no timetable, most stop running by 6 p.m. on weekdays and by 1 p.m. on Saturdays, and there are none on Sundays.
- Private taxis: Taxis are not cheap, and fares rise by 40 percent from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. and all day on Sundays and public holidays.
- Sundays: Very few shops open on Sundays or on French public holidays, so a Sunday call is a day for beaches and walks rather than shopping.
- Getting back on time: All-aboard is usually about 30 minutes before sailing, and your ship posts the exact time. A ship will not wait for passengers touring on their own, and the road between Fort-de-France and the airport is busiest from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m.
Getting Around Martinique
Public transport in Martinique is limited, so beyond Fort-de-France most visitors use a taxi, a hired car, the shared taxis or the ferries. Driving is on the right, the main roads are in good condition, and the traffic around the capital is heavy at rush hour.
- Shared taxis, marked TC, show their destination on a board in the window, and stops are marked by a blue square sign with a white bus.
- Ferries link Fort-de-France with Pointe du Bout and Trois-Îlets across the bay.
- Speed limits follow French rules: generally 50 km/h in towns, 90 km/h on major roads and 110 km/h on the highway between the airport and Fort-de-France, with speed cameras in use.
- Your home driving license is valid in Martinique.
- There are few footpaths, so take care if you walk along a road.
What to Eat in Martinique
Martinique cooks in two traditions at once, French and Creole, and many restaurants mix the two on one menu. On the beach and at snack stands, look for accras, boudin, crêpes, fresh juices and coconut milk.
- Jus de canne, fresh sugarcane juice, is sold from vans along the main roads. It does not keep, so ask for it pressed while you wait.
- Much of the island's rum is rhum agricole, distilled from fresh cane juice rather than from molasses, and many distilleries welcome visitors.
- The local beer is Lorraine.
- Restaurants serve tap water at no charge if you ask for l'eau du robinet.
Culture and Sights in Martinique
Martinique is French in its institutions and Creole in its daily life, and both show in its music, its language and its churches. Zouk, the dance music that became a symbol of identity for Martinique and Guadeloupe, grew from the island's older folk styles.
- Chouval bwa, an older Martinican folk style, is one of the roots of zouk.
- In Balata, a church built in memory of the dead of the First World War stands near the Jardin de Balata, a garden with thousands of tropical plants.
- The Habitation Clément is a historic sugar plantation that can be visited.
- Near Trois-Îlets, the Maison de la Canne tells the story of sugarcane and the enslaved labor behind it, and La Savane des Esclaves is an open-air museum about slavery.
- Macouba, a former tobacco town in the north, looks across the sea to Dominica on a clear day.
History of Martinique
Martinique was a French sugar colony for more than two centuries, built on the labor of enslaved Africans until slavery ended in 1848. Saint-Pierre, its cultural and commercial center, was destroyed by an eruption of Mount Pelée in 1902, and in 1946 the island became a department of France.
- First peoples: Arawak peoples and later the Kalinago lived here before Europeans arrived, and an Indigenous name for the island was Madinina.
- Columbus, 1502: Columbus sighted the island in 1493 and landed on June 15, 1502.
- The French, 1635: Pierre Belain d'Esnambuc founded Saint-Pierre in 1635, and French settlers spread across the island.
- Sugar and slavery: Sugar plantations worked by enslaved Africans made the island rich and made it a prize in the wars between European powers, and Britain occupied it several times.
- Joséphine: Marie Josèphe Rose Tascher de La Pagerie, baptized at Trois-Îlets in 1763, married Napoleon Bonaparte in 1796 and became Empress Joséphine.
- Abolition, 1848: France abolished slavery in 1848, and the decree took effect in Martinique on May 23 of that year.
- The Paris of the Caribbean: Before 1902, Saint-Pierre was the island's cultural and commercial center, with theaters, cafés, newspapers and a busy port.
- Pelée, 1902: On May 8, 1902, Mount Pelée erupted and destroyed Saint-Pierre, killing tens of thousands of people, and Fort-de-France became the island's main city.
- French department, 1946: Martinique became an overseas department of France in 1946.
- Recognition: The whole island became a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in 2021, and in September 2023 the volcanoes and forests of Mount Pelée and the peaks of the north were listed as a World Heritage Site.
- To learn more ashore: In Saint-Pierre, the Musée Frank-A.-Perret is a volcano museum, and the town keeps many ruins from before it.
Family Experiences in Martinique
With children, a Martinique port day works well as a city morning and a beach afternoon across the bay, since the ferry is part of the outing. Older children can handle a longer trip north to Saint-Pierre or into the rainforest, if you leave a wide margin for the drive back.
- Younger children: Ride the ferry to Pointe du Bout or Trois-Îlets and spend the afternoon on the sand, keeping clear of manchineel trees.
- School-age children: Saint-Pierre's ruins and the volcano museum bring the story of Mount Pelée to life, and the Jardin de Balata suits a shorter outing.
- Teenagers: At the Gorges de la Falaise near Ajoupa-Bouillon, a guide leads you through a narrow river canyon, partly on foot over slippery stones and partly swimming, so wear swimwear and hiking shoes.
- Sea turtles: Grande Anse in Les Anses-d'Arlet, on the southwest coast, is a beach known for its sea turtles.
- Sun and insects: Bring sunscreen, hats and water, and use mosquito repellent, because dengue fever is present on the island.
Shopping in Martinique
Martinique's shopping runs to French goods and island products: perfume, fashion and wine from France, and rum and spices from the island. In Fort-de-France, Rue Victor Hugo is the main shopping street, and the spice market sells local flowers, fruit, herbs and spices.
- Rum and spices made on the island are the classic purchases.
- Rue Victor Hugo has small boutiques alongside island shops and stalls of fruit and flowers.
- Some shops offer a tax refund on purchases paid by card, so ask before you pay.
- Very few shops open on Sundays or on French public holidays.
Beaches in Martinique
Martinique's beaches change with its geology: the south has white sand, including Les Salines near Sainte-Anne, and the volcanic north has gray and black sand. The south is also where most visitors go, so expect company on a fine day.
- Les Salines, at the southeastern end of the island, is a wide white-sand beach and often crowded.
- The beaches from Pointe du Bout through Le Diamant, which faces Diamond Rock, Sainte-Luce and Sainte-Anne are the popular ones.
- Anse Noire, on the road to Les Anses-d'Arlet, has black sand.
- Manchineel trees grow along many beaches. Their sap is highly toxic, so never shelter under one in the rain; on Martinique they are marked with a red band painted on the trunk.
- La Trinité, a fishing village, is where the island's most consistent surfing is found.
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