One of the most exciting and festive events of the year!

The Annual Tour de Martinique des Yoles Rondes–along with all the parties, food and fun that go hand in hand with the boat racing--is happening at the beginning of the month of August

The regatta is a week-long competition that celebrates the distinctive type of yawls known as yoles-rondes that have been developed and perfected for sailing the waters around Martinique over hundreds of years. These sleek, wind-driven vessels are powered by brightly colored sails and manned by crews who display strength, skill, acrobatic dexterity and incredible teamwork to keep them going at maximum speed. Every summer, for the past quarter century, the Tour de Martinique des Yoles-Rondes has marked the peak of the boating season with a prologue and seven stages of racing that circles the entire island.

Besides the racing on the water, every stop along the way plays host to dockside parties that welcome sailors and spectators alike with music, dancing, food, and lots of the local rum that has earned its own coveted AOC designation from the French Institut National des Appellations d’Origine. A trip to the Tour de Martinique des Yoles Rondes offers visitors a chance to see a unique, daring style of boat racing–while enjoying the delicious Creole/French/Caribbean cuisine and unrivaled rum of Martinique in an unforgettable week of music and merriment.

In Martinique, there is a usually a story or tradition behind every holiday or day off. In the case of the Easter Holidays, people draw the religious week to a close with a sumptuous meal among family and friends at home or at the beach of the famous Matoutou Crabes.

After catching the crabs (around 2 for each person), kill them, brush them, cut off the tips of the legs and slice the body into two parts. Remove the shell and keep the rest of the body with the legs and pincers.

Ingredients:

Vegetable, Oil, Garlic, Parsley, Shallots, Rice, Chives, Hot Pepper, Lemons, Salt, Black Pepper, Curry.

Preparation:

In a saucepan, fry the garlic and shallots in oil for three minutes. Add the rice and cook for two minutes. Add water, chives, a bay leaf, thyme, salt and pepper. Bring the water to the boil, then cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Add the crabs, parsley, lemon juice and parsley and it is ready! Serve hot.

Recommendations:

Eat the crabs with your hands and serve with white wine.

During the four-day holiday of Carnival festivities, activity on the island nearly comes to a standstill. Preparations begin as early as Epiphany Sunday with the election of the Carnival Queens, and last until the day before Fat Sunday (dimanche gras). The parades and parties start on Big Sunday and finish on Ash Wednesday when the carnival effigy, the “Vaval” King, is burned.

Mix French flavors with Caribbean colors for an unforgettable Christmas in Fort-de-France. Traditional Midnight Mass gives way to a sun-soaked Creole Christmas - enjoy festive spicy seafood on the sands, washed down with rum ti punch, Martinique's national drink.

Elegant local women wear locally-made jewelry that is steeped in history, such as the “Collier chou” (multi-strand beaded necklace), the “chaîne forçat” (cable necklace), broaches and earrings.

A temple of traditional drums and Caribbean music.

Bèlè encompasses a wide range of dances from the Island of Martinique. A product of West African patterns and European influences, one can say that Bèlè is part of the Creole aesthetic so unique and so typical of the Caribbean. Indeed, slaves used to dance and play drums for all the occasions of their lives. There was a rhythm to work, a rhythm to struggle, a rhythm to worship, a rhythm to celebrate and, of course, a rhythm to seduce. Each step and drum beat has a meaning.

Belya is the celebration dance! Usually danced at weddings, christenings or any happy occasion. Beyla is very acrobatic as the dancers jump and hit the ground on the rhythm.

Comprised of about thirty musicians and dancers dressed in traditional costumes, Les Ballets De La Martinique perform with the "old school" rhythms of beguine and mazurka. A very entertaining performance to enjoy in the evenings in selected hotels.