Schoelcher Library
Road to Morne Rouge
Trail in the North
Discovery
Martinique Tourism - Sightseeing Highlights
Bay of Saint-Pierre in the North
Considering Caribbean tourism, there are abundant sightseeing opportunities in Martinique. To learn about them, it is best to begin with a visit to the Martinique Tourist Office CMT (Comité Martiniquais du Tourisme) located in the city of Schoelcher at Immeuble Beaupré Pointe de Jaham 97233 Tel: (596) 596 61 61 77
This office is open 8 a.m. to 4.30 p.m., Monday through Friday.
In addition, the Tourist Office Information Desk at International Airport Aimé Césaire in Fort-de-France stays open daily until the last flight comes in.
Complimentary maps, Caribbean magazines and information bulletins are available at the Tourist Office. The English-speaking staff is very helpful with suggestions about what to see and do, including Caribbean shore excursions, Caribbean scuba diving, Caribbean yachting, visiting beautiful Caribbean gardens, golfing in the Caribbean, and of course pointing you to the great Caribbean beaches, as well as many more wonderful recreational activities.
Among the Tourist Office’s free publications in French and English is the digest-size Choubouloute, a listings guide of happenings on the island. A series of seven Caribbean driving tours on Martinique has been designed by the Tourist Office and all are described (along with many details of interest for visitors) in the free guide Martinique Tourist Info, which is published in English. Similar sightseeing tours can be done by taxi or motorcoach. Information on organized Caribbean island excursions offered by tour operators can be obtained at the Tourist Office and from hotel desks.
Fort-de-France, the capital, is fascinating to explore on foot. Among the sightseeing attractions is the city's architectural masterpiece, the Bibliothèque Schoelcher (or Schoelcher Library), a Romanesque-Byzantine gem built more than 100 years ago for the Paris Exposition of 1889, then dismantled and shipped to Martinique, mosaic by mosaic. Named for Victor Schoelcher, the French abolitionist whose work helped end slavery on the island in 1848, it sits just off La Savane, the central park.
La Savane's Caribbean gardens make for pleasant strolling and picture-taking. The park boasts two impressive statues: one of Pierre Belain d'Esnambuc, the French nobleman who claimed the island for France in 1635, and one of Marie Josèphe Rose Tascher de la Pagerie, who was born in Trois Ilets across the bay, and made history as Napoléon's Empress Joséphine. Each of the capital's narrow, balconied streets, which are lined with shops and restaurants, leads to a pleasant discovery: the Cathedral of Saint-Louis, the Palais de Justice with its statue of Victor Schoelcher, the Musée Départemental with archeological finds from prehistoric Martinique, and the Rivière Madame with its busy fish markets.
Azimut - Tel: (596) 596 70 07 00 offers four fine, nicely priced, guided walking tours of Fort-de-France.
The classic tour of Martinique travels north along the Caribbean coast to St-Pierre, the "Paris of the West Indies" until 1902 when Mont Pelée Volcano erupted and turned the city into a New World Pompeii.
A museum on the spot vividly portrays the tragedy. A convenient way to reach this historic site is on a little train, the Cyparis Express.
One-hour tours on weekdays and half-hour tours during weekends cost about 6€ for adults, 3€ for children.
The fee includes train fare and the tour.
In l990, St. Pierre was designated a Ville d'Art et d'Histoire.
The drive from Fort-de-France takes less than an hour, but several sightseeing stops along the way are highly recommended, including the fishing villages of Case-Pilote and Bellefontaine, as well as Carbet, where Columbus landed in 1502 and where Gauguin lived and painted in 1887. The Gauguin Museum is well worth a visit.
Inland is Morne Rouge, a pretty town with a cool climate and the site of MacIntosh Plantation, named for the renowned cultivator of Martinique's best-known flower, the anthurium. Nearby is La Trace, a dazzling route through the rain forest. This mountainous region in the northern half of the island is lush with banana and pineapple plantations, avocado groves, cane fields, and lovely old island inns such as Leyritz and Habitation Lagrange.
Other noteworthy communities in the north include Le Prêcheur, the last village along the northern Caribbean coast, known for hot springs of volcanic origin and the Tomb of the Carib Indians; Ajoupa-Bouillon, an enchanting flower-lined town with a nature trail called Les Ombrages and nearby the Gorges de la Falaise, mini canyons along the Falaise River that lead to a waterfall; Grand Rivière, a picturesque fishing village constantly braving the fierce Atlantic Ocean; Trinité and the Caravelle Peninsula, where at the very tip of land stand ruins of the Château Dubuc, a spot that evokes memories of the intriguing people who have lived here - such as Louis-François Dubuc, the man instrumental in preventing the spread of the French Revolution to Martinique, and Aimée Dubuc de Rivery who, like Joséphine, was destined for history. Returning home to Martinique after her schooling in Nantes, she was captured by pirates, sold into slavery, then given as a present to the Sultan of Constantinople. Aimée became Sultana Validé, mother of Sultan Mahmoud II.
Craft Centers
Basket Weaving Workshop
Part of the heritage of the Carib Indians, the materials and techniques still used today for dying and weaving straw are identical to those practiced by early inhabitants of Martinique. A wide variety of objects (baskets, hats, waste paper baskets, pottery decorations) are made by skilled young women at this traditional craft workshop.
Morne-des-Esses 97230 SAINTE-MARIE
Tel: (596) 596 69 83 74
Open Monday to Friday from 8.30 a.m. to 12.30 p.m., 1.30 p.m. to 5.30 p.m.
Saturday from 8.30 a.m. to 12.30 p.m.
Free
Pottery
Being able to identify clay-rich soil, defining and understanding the potential of colors, changing the shape of raw materials placed on the wheel, these are all part of the potter's trade. Today, the potter's work--as was the case in the pre-Columbian era--goes well beyond the simple utilitarian purpose of each object and takes on a deep cultural dimension.
97229 TROIS-ILETS
Tel: (596) 596 68 17 12
Open Monday to Saturday from 8.30 a.m. to 5.00 p.m.
Free
Distilleries
As rich as the island's history is Martinique's earth, which nurtures the growth of sugar cane that gives birth to rums considered among the best in the world. These excellent rums have been awarded the prestigious French label "appellation d'origine contrôlée," previously reserved only for French cheeses and wines.
SAMPLING THE RUM
Rum distilleries abound throughout Martinique and all of them welcome visitors for sampling their product.
The St. James Distillery at Sainte-Marie in the north operates the Musée du Rhum, a popular attraction for many years (also nearby is Morne des Esses, the straw-weaving center).
At Le François on the east coast, Rhum Clément has tours of its charming 18th-century Domaine Acajou, site of the March 1991 Summit Meeting between Presidents George H. W. Bush and Francois Mitterrand, as well as boasting the fine recent addition of a contemporary museum.
Just outside Trois-Ilets, the Maison de la Canne has a modern museum of well-mounted exhibits devoted to the links between land, sugar cane and people.
Also near Trois-Ilets is the Empress Joséphine's birthplace, La Pagerie, with its own historical museum filled with her mementos.
Nearby is the Parc des Floralies, a peaceful and pretty botanical park.
Other attractions of note in this vicinity are the Pottery Center and the 18-hole course Golf de l'Impératrice.
More distilleries on the island include Bally, Depaz, Dillon, JM Crassous de Medeuil, La Mauny, Neisson and Trois-Rivières.
Some close to visitors during the harvest period from February to June.
Open year round Monday to Saturday is Fonds Saint-Jacques, an important 17th-century sugar estate in the north, which houses the Musée du Père Labat, named for the famous (or infamous) Dominican monk who modernized distilling in Martinique between 1693 and 1705.
Museums
Martinique's Museums
Vividly Portray the Island's History and Heritage
The French West Indies island, Martinique, is proud of its museums.
There are more than a dozen of them, though they may not rival the great museums of Paris, each is distinctively different with intriguing stories to tell of the island's past, its way of life and art. Since they must vie with the lure of sun, sea and sand, the museums of Martinique are purposely small and easily toured -- planned so visitors can "do" them in a rather short time, yet depart satisfied and enriched.
A 20-minute ferry ride across the bay from the capital of Fort-de-France, near the village of Trois-Ilets, is the Musée de la Pagerie, filled with displays and mementos recounting the adventures of Napoleon's Empress Josephine. The stone building -- once La Pagerie's kitchen – in a luxuriant valley blooming with hibiscus, eucalyptus and frangipani stands on the grounds of a sugar plantation where Josephine was born in 1763.
Perfect for enjoying a journey into the past in a pastoral setting, the museum includes a pavilion where visitors can relax over a cool rum drink.
Some Museum Goers May Blush
Inside the museum is a fascinating collection of furniture (including the bed where the future Empress slept until her departure for France at age 16), portraits of Josephine and Napoleon, invitations to great Paris balls, medals, bills attesting to her extravagance as the Empress, and personal letters. The most notable is a passionate missive from the lovelorn Napoleon that has made many an unforwarned reader blush. The museum is open daily, except Monday, from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Admission is 3€ for adults, 1€ for children under 16.
About one hour's leisurely drive north of Fort-de-France, in St. Pierre, is the Musée Volcanologique. Of special interest to Americans because it was founded by Dr. Franck A. Perret, an American volcanologist, it is a dramatic reminder of the eruption of Mont Pelée in 1902 which wiped out St. Pierre's 30,000 inhabitants in three terrifying minutes.
Then called "the Paris of the West Indies," the city never regained its former splendor Photographic murals recall its glorious years, as well as the disaster.
The museum displays bizarre relics of the tragedy: petrified spaghetti, lava-encrusted teapots, twisted musical instruments, and distorted clocks melted by the heat, all stopped at 8, the hour of the holocaust.
It is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Admission is 1.5€; children under 8, free
The Cyparis Express, also known as the "little train of St. Pierre," offers an easy way to reach this historic town.
The tour is available Monday through Friday, takes 50 minutes, and costs 8€ for adults, and 25c for children.
On weekends, advance reservations are required.
Tel: (596) 596 55 50 92
Gauguin in Martinique
Located at Turin Cove, between Carbet and St. Pierre, is the Centre d'Art Musée Paul Gauguin, a memorial to the work this noted French painter completed in Martinique during his five-month stay in 1887.
Not far from the simple hut which was Gauguin's home, the Musée houses reproductions of the dozen pictures that he painted on the island. Among them are "Two Women of Martinique" and "The Bay of St. Pierre." Also in the Musée Gauguin are books about the painter, biographical information and several of his letters.
The memorial, a contemporary structure designed to encompass surroundings of natural beauty that inspired Gauguin, is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Admission is 3€ for adults, 1€ for children under 10, free for those under 8.
In a beautifully restored colonial house at 9 rue de la Liberté in the center of Fort-de-France is the Musée Départemental de la Martinique. Here, in air-conditioned galleries, are exhibits of archeological finds from prehistoric Martinique (primarily the Arawak and Carib civilizations) and representations of the island's everyday life as expressed in literature, art, music, clothing and crafts.
The museum is open daily, except Sunday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Admission is 2.30€ for adults, 1€ for children under 12.
Brand new in Fort-de-France is the Musée Régional d'Histoire et d'Ethnographie, 10 boulevard Général de Gaulle, in a beautifully restored building originally built in 1885, the structure is an excellent example of the architecture of that era in Fort-de-France.
The museum presents both temporary exhibits and its permanent collection of art retracing the history of the island and the evolving culture of its people.
The museum is open daily from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. except Sunday, Tuesday from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Admission fee is 6€ for adults and 1€ for children and students.
Pottery As a Work of Art
Showcase for a sometimes neglected art form is La Poterie, located near Trois-Ilets. Pottery has always played an important role in Martinican history. Arawak pottery was polychrome, with handles or spouts formed in the shape of masked human heads or animal figures; Carib pottery was crafted from clay “sausages” rolled and assembled by hand. Contemporary potters have built on those traiditions and learned to identify the best clays of the island, varying both in color and properties that can be used best with the modern potter's wheel. Once largely made for homes as domestic items, today these objects are considered works of art.
Open Monday to Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
No admission charge.
Yet another charming destination, located on the grounds of Leyritz Plantation Inn near Basse-Pointe in the far north, is the Musée de Poupées Végétales or Doll Museum created by a talented resident artist, Will Fenton. Utilizing over 600 types of fronds, leaves and other plant material, Fenton has fashioned fabulous doll-sized miniatures of celebrated women such as Mme. Recamier, Mme. de Pompadour and Josephine Baker. There are over 50 figures in the collection.
The exhibit can be seen daily between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m.
The entrance fee is 2.50€. That fee also includes a visit to the Leyritz gardens and main house. No charge for children under 12.
On the Caravelle Peninsula, jutting into the Atlantic Ocean, the Musée du Chateau Dubuc honors Aimée Dubuc de Rivery, a local lass who made history as the legendary Sultana Validé, wife of the Sultan of Constantinople. Only ruins of the chateau remain, though there is a small museum at the entrance.
The Chateau is open daily from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Fee: adults 2.50€, children 1€.
Reliving the History of Rum
Also in the north, at Sainte-Marie, are two more interesting stops.
The Musée du Rhum, set in the heart of the St. James sugar plantation offers --through engravings, tools, artifacts and machinery -- an informative history of rum and sugar cane from 1765 to the present, as well as tastings of the St. James product.
Weekdays, 9 a.m. - 6 p.m. Weekends, 9 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Admission: free.
A few miles north is Fonds Saint-Jacques, one of the best-preserved estates on Martinique.
Built by Dominican Fathers in 1658, the estate was the home from 1693 to 1705 of Père Labat, the French Dominican priest who was also an explorer, architect, engineer, historian, and even a soldier against the British. The chapel, windmill and workshops of Fonds Saint-Jacques still survive, and the beautiful sugar cane purgery has been restored.
The estate's museum, called Musée du Père Labat, is open Monday to Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday 9 a.m. to noon Sunday by appointment.
Admission is 2.5€ for adults, 1€ for students.
Another Martinique museum that also deals with sugar and rum 0pened in 1987 -- the Maison de la Canne is housed in a modern, two-level structure in the south near Trois-Ilets on the road to Pointe du Bout.
Hours: 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., closed Mondays.
Admission for adults is 3€, for children 1€.
Down south, in the inland town of St. Esprit, is the Musée des Arts et Traditions Populaires, located near the local marketplace and exhibiting furniture, glassware, pottery and crafts indigenous to the area.
Open Monday through Saturday 9 a.m.- l2:30 p.m. and 2-5 p.m.
Fee: 4.60€ for adults, 1.50€ for children under 16.
One of the more recent island museums is the beachside Ecomusée de Martinique at Anse Figuier, outside Rivière-Pilote in the south. A retrospective of Martinique's history, the museum’s 19 exhibits and panels present artifacts dating from prehistoric times through early colonialism, slavery and the plantation economy, to present day traditions.
The Ecomusée opens daily except Tuesday Sunday from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and 2:30p.m to 5 p.m.
Fee: 3€ for adults, 1€ for children under 12.
Behold the Bountiful Banana
The very newest of Martinique's museums is the Musée de la Banane, located in the northeast, on the lush hills above Sainte-Marie.
Set amidst a working estate, "Habitation Limbé," the complex boasts four distinct sections:
- The former Master's Mansion, housing the museum itself which depicts "everything you ever wanted to know about bananas."
- The packaging plant where today's crops are prepared for shipping.
- The former Creole shanties, which now serve as boutiques for products derived from the banana plant and fruit (perfume, dolls, soap, jams, cakes and cocktails.)
- A lovely park where visitors may take relaxing walks along well-marked paths lined with a variety of banana plants and exotic tropical flowers.
Open Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Sundays in winter, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Sundays in summer, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Admission charge is 4.60€ for adults, and 2.50€ for children.
Earth & Sciences Discovery Center
With its advanced para-seismic architectural concept and a site positioning that faces Mount Pelée, this highly original structure offers interactive exhibits and scientific shows all-year round.
Situated in Saint-Pierre, the first capital city of Martinique known as “The Little Pompeii of the Caribbean”, this discovery center gives visitors the opportunity to learn more about volcanism, Mount Pelée's eruptions and other volcanoes in the region.
You will find detailed information of this center on the following website www.cdst.org
Address: Earth & Sciences Discovery Center Habitation Perrinelle,
Quartier La Galere – 97250 Saint-Pierre
Contacts: Tel : (596) 596 52 82 42
Fax : (596) 596 78 29 70
Internet : www.cdst.org
Email: contact@cdst.org
Hours and days of operation:
Wednesday to Sunday From 9:00 am to 5:00 pm, visits end at 5:30 pm
During the months of July and August and during school vacations,
the center opens from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm, visits end at 6:30 pm
General information
- 1. Permanent and temporary scientific exhibits in memory of the Mount Pelee eruption of 1902 and links to other major natural disasters.
- 2. Film theatre (Movie: “Caribbean Volcanoes”)
- 3. Theme garden with a unique view of the Mount Pelée
- 4. Giant aerial map of Martinique (36 m2) with astonishing resolution and details.
For more details, visit www.cdst.org
Smelling The Flowers
Martinique is called the "Isle of Flowers" so stops at some of its best Caribbean floral gardens can be very memorable experiences.
In the north are MacIntosh Plantation with its incredible variety of anthuriums and Les Ombrages, a botanical path that makes a fine introduction to tropical flora.
Near Trois Ilets is the Parc des Floralies, six acres of peaceful and pretty park land with frequent special horticultural exhibits. In the suburbs north of Fort-de-France is one of Martinique's most beautiful flower gardens, Jardin de Balata. Jean-Philippe Thoze nestled his showcase of more than one thousand species of plants, trees and flowers on the magnificent heights of the capital at the foot of dramatic Pitons du Carbet.