Located between St Lucia and Dominica, the French Caribbean island of Martinique is the largest of the three, covering 436 square miles. The north is mountainous and 30% of the island is covered in rainforest.
Local guide Marc gave me the overview:
The south is more touristic so that is where you will find more hotels and beaches. The north is more authentic and historical
So perfect for hiking and nature trails
Yes, this is the eco tourism focus in Martinique - in this part you find around 31 hiking trails around mountains. You see the volcano is a big one and the Carbet peaks also.
So from Trois Islets to Morne Rouge for example if you go by the interior of the island through the rainforest, you need almost 2 hours
And you've got the Atlantic side and the Caribbean side, where would you find the best beaches?
Along the Caribbean side, this is the Mer de Cariabbe and its very quiet, very calm compared to the Atlantic side
And which are your favourites
My favourite one if in Sainte Anne where we find Le Pointe Marin and a wide one we call it Salines, very wide, long sand beaches
Anse les Salines is certainly one of the most popular beaches and a favourite for cruise excursions but there are dozens to choose from whether you like beaches for walking or tranquil warm water for swimming.
One of the most popular areas for tourists is Trois Islets directly across the bay from the capital Fort de France. Made up of several different areas, the main tourist hub is centred around the Creole Village at Pointe du Bout which sits alongside the marina and ferry stop.
As well as the beaches, there are some interesting attractions in the Trois Islets area. You can visit La Pagerie, the family home of the island's most famous daughter destined to become Empress Josephine. And staying with historical interest, don't miss La Savane des Esclaves, a recreation of a traditional 19th century village with a the important story of the island's slave history to tell. And not too far away, on the south coast at Anse Caffard there is the powerful memorial to slaves who drowned on their voyage to Martinique
Fort de France is the commercial and administrative hub of the island and a place to explore more of the island's history with a number of notable buildings and museums. And the capital is the best place for serious shopping whether you are after souvenirs or spices and rum punch in the market.
One of the most popular excursions is to the Rum distilleries - Martinique is well known for its high quality Rhum Agricole. My favourite was Habitation Clement on the east coast near St Francois - more than a distillery, this beautiful estate has lovely gardens to explore and an amazing contemporary art gallery. Marketing Manager Celia told me more...
Celia - the Habitation Clement is a tour about 2 hours. We have the main house which is a typical Creole architecture. We have the garden and the old distillery. We explain the process, the production of Rum. We have the warehouse, the cellars where we store all our barrels to age rum. And the museum for contemporary art, the Foundation Clement
There's certainly a lot to see
Its two hours to give an idea, but people can spend all day
Yes and it's such a beautiful setting you would probably want to stay longer
In the north of the island there's loads more to see. Just north of the capital are the Balata Botanical Gardens. Wonderfully relaxed and informal, the gardens are home to an amazing palm collection and birds eye views of the valley from the treetop rope bridge
Continuing on through the rainforest, there are stops to be made at waterfalls and natural springs as well as some great hiking trails. Looming large in the background, its peak often under cloud, is the Mont Pelee volcano.
This the St Pierre bay and the volcano. This is a very large part of our story in Martinique. The island started really with this prosperous city. It was the little Paris of the French West Indies but it was very advanced for its time. We had the Jardin d'acclimatation, a nice botanical garden but also a theatre, le Teatre du Bourdeau. Its as at this time, the place to be
What actually happened the day the volcano erupted?
So the volcano erupted in 1902. This volcano exploded with a very big black cloud, we call it a blast. And this cloud was full of gas and volcanic ash and inside it was a very hot atmosphere, almost 800 degrees. So this cloud came down to town very fast and in a couple of minutes everything was covered. If you see the top is totally closed with a lava dome so when the volcano exploded it was to the west side but also far away into the ocean. All the boats we had for commercial activity also burned. So that why now if you dive with scuba diving equipment you can dive and see the wrecks from this time.
Another great place to visit in the North is the Habitation Ceron, a former sugar plantation with a wonderful al fresco restaurant and walks to enjoy inthe grounds open to visitors to explore and enjoy the fabulous tropical setting. Owner Laurence introduced me to the star of the show the 300 year old Samana tree.
It is for this year the 'Tree of the Year' in France. It has been voted the most beautiful tree by the public. Amazing.
Allow at least a couple of hours to explore Habitation Ceron and better still, time your visit to enjoy lunch in the excellent restaurant with dishes created entirely from produce from the estate and immediate local area. Definitely one of the best meals we had on the island.
Another way to see more of an island is to take to the water and explore the coastline. there are lots of different options for cruises both from Pointe du Bout and St Francois on the east coast. We took a full day catamaran trip from Trois Islets on the Kata Mambo.
The great thing about Martinique now is its so much more accessible and perfect for a twin centre holiday. Flying with Norwegian you can come via New York or Boston and you can also fly to St Lucia, the neighbouring island which is only a 10 minute flight
I think I expected Martinique to be Caribbean with a French twist but actually its more like France with a Caribbean twist. Its the most beautiful island, lush and green, stunning beaches. I really recommend you to come here, its just very different to other Caribbean islands
