Martinique
Martinique, island of flowers, blue sea and beaches of dreams. Small French island in the middle of the Caribbeans, Martinique offers varied landscapes and leisures.
With 180 km of established trails the island is certainly a land of hiking. From the family walk to the sports hike to raids or trails, it is possible to find itineraries for all tastes!
Coastal paths, wide shady forest paths or simple sinuous traces in the heart of the tropical vegetation, the diversity of landscapes and atmospheres is also at the venue. Among the most famous routes are of course the climb of Mount Pelee, but also the magnificent Trace of Caps or the coastal path of the Caravelle Reserve.
Savanna
Jesuites path Path of Slaves
Mountain Pelée Path of the Caps
Thanks to its relief and its hydro-graphic network, the island allows canyoning and a discovery of its wildest parts.
Like any island, water sports are numerous. You can do sailing, windsurfing, kayaking or a very popular paddling. There are famous sites for kite surf (Pointe Faula) or surf (Tartane, Basse Pointe) on the Atlantic coast.
Snorkeling and diving are of course availble through many clubs present on the island and allow, depending on its level, to discover the seabed, aquatic life and underwater wrecks.
One can also simply enjoy the boat trips proposed by many organizers to discover the island, its islands and their fauna, by the sea and go to meet the dolphins or discover the “Josephine bath”!
With the sand turning from bright white to deep black volcanic beaches, between the quiet beaches of the south-caribbean, and those more tumultuous Atlantic coast, Martinique has more than a hundred beaches, the most beautiful nestle along the south coast of the island, between Anses d’Arlet in the west and Cap Chevalier in the east. You will have the pleasure of bathing all year round in transparent water at more than 25°C.
More than a destination “sun” where we come most often, the time of a week or two, to enjoy the tropical climate and the sea, Martinique is also a land rich in diversity and history. First populated by the Arawak and Caribbean population and “discovered” by Christopher Columbus landed at Carbet during his 4th trip, then invested by the French who decimated its indigenous inhabitants. The island was the scene of a fierce confrontation between French and English for the control of the Caribbean waters for nearly 2 centuries.
Thousands of slaves worked here in very harsh conditions in the areas of sugar houses. The abolition of slavery, Indian immigration, the great sugar crisis, or the eruption of the Pelée Mountain which completely destroyed Saint Pierre, shaped the face and the identity of the Martinique of today: A generous and mixed earth where expresses with force and authenticity the Creole culture, which you will be able to discover through the places, the buildings and local customs.
The tomb of the Caribbeans
Roundabout Ste Luce
The Cape of 300 (anse Cafard, Le Diamant)
Savanna of slaves
Fort St Louis
Shoelcher Library (Fort de France)
Hindu temple (Basse Pointe)