Overview

Welcome to Martinique

We look forward to welcoming you to Martinique so you can see first-hand what makes Martinique so Magnifique!

Location

Martinique map

Located in the heart of the Caribbean archipelago, Martinique is one of the Windward islands in the Lesser Antilles group. Its eastern coastline borders the Atlantic Ocean while its western coast is flanked by the Caribbean Sea. The island is 4 350 miles away from France, 1 950 miles from New York and 275 miles from the closest South American coastline. The closest neighboring islands are to the north: Dominica, 16 miles away, Guadeloupe, 75 miles away, and to the south: Saint Lucia, 23 miles away. Martinique is equidistant from the coasts of Venezuela and Haiti/Dominican Republic (497 miles).

Geography

Martinique has a surface area of 425 square miles. At its greatest length and width it measures 50 miles and 24 miles, respectively. The rugged mountainous landscape to the north is geologically young. Mount Pelée is the island’s highest peak, culminating at 4 500 feet. The north is characterized by dense forests, rivers and waterfalls. In the center, the Lamentin Plain transitions to the south’s gentler and geologically older landscape of rolling hills. The southern coast is dotted with many picturesque bays and coves. In the southernmost part of the island, a savanna of petrified trees is an unusual geological sight.

Climate

Martinique has a fairly mild climate and the heat is never excessive. Thanks to the average temperature of 79°, Martinique is the island of the “never-ending summer.” The trade winds from the east and northeast provide a steady breeze that constantly refreshes the air.

Mangrove

Due to the tropical climate conditions in Martinique, the island is lush with vegetation: lavish tropical forests, groves, savannas, countless species of trees, fruits, plants and flowers, not to mention the mangrove forests. All in all, the island is an extraordinary garden. The wildlife mainly consists of birds, fish and shellfish, as well as small lizards called “mabouyas” and “anolis”, iguanas and trigonocephalus snakes that are only found in Martinique. The “manicou”, a type of opossum, is one of the rare mammals to be found in the Antilles. The mongoose, however, was introduced by humans to control the snake population.

Population And Culture

Martinique Multiethnic Population

Martinique has a multiethnic population. This diversity stems from the cultural mixing of the island’s successive inhabitants: Amerindians, Europeans, Africans, Indians, Levantines and Asians. Approximately one quarter of the population resides in the administrative capital, Fort de France. Martinique is truly a land of tradition and culture, with a rich history of crafts and literature by renowned authors and famous poets, music and dance, lifestyle and gastronomy. Numerous religious denominations are present in Martinique. The official language is French, although everyone speaks Creole, a language that is a blend of Old French, English, and African languages, as well as surviving Amerindian terms

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. Close