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Why should you visit Martinique & Fort-de-France?
- Dana Givens
- Go for a Hike on La Caravelle Nature Trail. Martinique is known for its lush greenery and scenic views. If you want to see the true beauty of the island, go on a hike or walk at some point during your trip.
- Explore the Ruins of Chateau Dubuc. Learn more about Martinique’s past with a visit to Chateau Dubuc. The 17th-century estate offers several walking trails—as you're walking, be sure to partake in the self-guided audio tours to learn more about the history of the property you're seeing.
- Go on a Snorkeling Experience. Great beaches and clear waters are two of Martinique’s greatest draws. For swimmers and ocean lovers, it is also a premier destination to go snorkeling.
- Hike Around Mount Pelée. Mount Pelée is an active volcano that resides on the northern side of the island, and it's home to some of the best hiking trails in the country.
- Overview
- Land
- Relief and drainage
- Climate
- Plant and animal life
Martinique, island and overseas territorial collectivity of France, in the eastern Caribbean Sea. It is included in the Lesser Antilles island chain. Its nearest neighbours are the island republics of Dominica, 22 miles (35 km) to the northwest, and Saint Lucia, 16 miles (26 km) to the south. Guadeloupe, another part of overseas France, lies about 75 miles (120 km) to the north.
The name Martinique is probably a corruption of the Indian name Madiana (“Island of Flowers”) or Madinina (“Fertile Island with Luxuriant Vegetation”), as reputedly told to Christopher Columbus by the Caribs in 1502. The administrative capital and chief town is Fort-de-France. Area 436 square miles (1,128 square km).
Martinique is about 50 miles (80 km) long and reaches a maximum width of 22 miles (35 km). Among the smallest of the French overseas territories, Martinique has one of the highest population densities in the Antilles.
The mountainous relief of Martinique takes the form of three principal massifs. These are an active volcano, Mount Pelée, which rises to 4,583 feet (1,397 metres), to the north; the Carbet Mountains, of which Lacroix Peak reaches 3,923 feet (1,195 metres), in the centre; and Mount Vauclin, rising to 1,654 feet (504 metres), in the south.
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The tortuous relief of the island has created a complex drainage pattern characterized by short watercourses. In the south the Salée and Pilote rivers flow down from the slopes of Mount Vauclin. In the centre the rivers flow outward from the Carbet Mountains in a starlike pattern; they include the Lorrain, Galion, Capot, and Lézarde rivers. In the north the Grande, Céron, Roxelane, Pères, and Sèche rivers are little more than irregular torrents.
The northern coastline of Martinique is characterized by steep cliffs; farther south, however, the cliffs become lower. There are two large bays—Fort-de-France and Marin—on the western coast. Coral reefs, headlands, and coves line the eastern coast.
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The climate is remarkably constant, the average temperature being about 79 °F (26 °C), with average minimums of 68–72 °F (20–22 °C), average maximums of 86–90 °F (30–32 °C), and temperature extremes of 59 °F (15 °C) and 93 °F (34 °C). The northeast trade winds, which blow almost 300 days per year, temper the heat, but winds from the south are hot and humid and sometimes bring hurricanes.
There are two distinct seasons—a relatively dry season, which lasts from December to June, and a rainy winter season from July to December. There is abundant precipitation, especially in July and September, but it is irregularly distributed, varying from about 40 inches (1,000 mm) to almost 400 inches (10,000 mm) per year, depending on elevation and landforms.
The climate, together with the fertile volcanic soil, produces a luxuriant flora in four vegetational zones: the maritime zone, the lowlands, the former forest zone, and the upper mountain slopes. The maritime zone includes an enormous mangrove swamp, half of which is located in the bay of Fort-de-France. Morning glories, tropical twining herbs, and sea grapes inhabit the beaches. The lowland vegetation zone, extending from the coast to an elevation of about 1,500 feet (460 metres), has ferns and orchids, as well as various trees, including mahogany, white gum, and other species. Above 1,500 feet is the former virgin forest zone, where large trees and bracken are still found. As elevation increases the trees grow smaller. A transitional zone is characterized by peat moss. Above about 3,000 feet (900 metres) the upper slopes are almost bare, except for some stunted forest. Forests cover about one-fourth of the total land area.
There are relatively few kinds of animals on the island. The mongoose was introduced in the 19th century in the hope of eliminating the deadly rat-tailed viper, but the plan was unsuccessful. Also found are manicons (a kind of opossum), wild rabbits, wild pigeons, turtledoves, and ortolans, which are small birds that are often netted and fattened as a table delicacy.
Martinique has its own soccer league known as the Ligue de Football de Martinique. The Martinique men's soccer championship, known as the Regional 1 (R1) – Trophée Gérard Janvion, is a premier local soccer competition in the territory. It is held annually in the form of a championship between fourteen amateur clubs between the months of ...
- Get some peace at the Jardin de Balata. A mosaic of verdant lawns and flower meadows, multi-coloured begonia beds and orange heliconias, of lanky bamboo groves and gem-like bromeliads, swaying palm forests and flourishing ferns, the Jardin de Balata remains one of the most enticing and interesting attractions on all of Martinique.
- Conquer sulphur-belching Mount Pelee. Infamous for the super destructive eruption of 1902 – the only volcanic disaster on French soil in history – Mount Pelee soars above the Caribbean clouds on the northern side of Martinique.
- See frozen history in Saint-Pierre. At once sobering and startling, Saint-Pierre is the town that was. Before the great pyroclastic flows that cascaded down from aforementioned Mount Pelee in the early 1900s, it was the capital and largest city of Martinique.
- Follow in the footsteps of an empress at the Musee de la Pagerie. Hidden away between the flamboyant flowers and acacias on the outskirts of Trois-Ilets on Martinique’s southern edge, a humble stone cottage pokes out from the greenery.
- Les Trois-Ilets. On the opposite side of the bay, South of Fort-de-France, Les Trois-Ilets is a popular tourist area, with hotels, restaurants, and several attractions that illustrate the island's history and culture.
- Sainte-Anne. Sprinkled with palm-fringed coves, Sainte-Anne has the distinction of being the island's southernmost village and one of its prettiest. Shops, restaurants, and a craft market are here, but the main attractions are the beaches.
- Fort-de-France. Although it's not brimming with tourist attractions itself, bustling Fort-de-France is the capital of Martinique, the main port, and a launching point for island adventures and sightseeing tours.
- Balata Botanical Garden. Green thumbs will love Balata Botanical Garden (Jardin de Balata). Created by a passionate horticulturalist, the garden features more than 3,000 species of tropical plants and flowers that cascade down a hillside, past ponds punctuated with water lilies and lotus blossoms.
Jardin de Balata. La Savane des Esclaves. Zoo Martinique. Gorges de la Falaise. Banana Museum. Habitation Clément. St Louis Cathedral. Mémorial Cap 110. Mount Pelée. Many of the best things to do in Martinique relate to the French Caribbean island’s magnificent natural beauty or its colorful history.
Feb 12, 2021 · 9 Best Things To Do in Martinique. Updated Feb. 12, 2021. Breathtaking natural beauty is Martinique's claim to fame, but no coast offers quite the same scenery. The north is both rugged and...
