10 Things To Do In Martinique
Martinique is one of the French West Indies’ gems. I could be biased because I’m from there, but who’s keeping tabs? Recently featured in magazines like Vogue and Travel + Leisure, Martinique is gaining more and more popularity among travelers looking for a blend of delicious French-influenced Caribbean food (think crepes with chocolate and coconut), beautiful beaches and scenic spots.
If you are a more adventurous traveler who likes going off the beaten path, Martinique is best explored with a rented car. This way you can truly enjoy its beauty. The island is small but the roads are sinuous, making spots farther than they seem on the map, so a car is recommended to see all of the good stuff. If you’re looking for a more laid-back vacation that involves lounging on the beach with a “punch coco” in hand, there are plenty of places for that as well: Les Trois Ilets, Club Med Les Boucaniers, Hotel Plein Soleil.
With so much to see on my beautiful native island, I’ve compiled a list of the top 10 things to do in Martinique:
Jardin de Balata
This gorgeous botanical garden is a must see! It boasts over 3000 types of plants and flowers as well as over 300 types of palm trees. If you’re looking for a peaceful day in nature, I highly recommend putting this spot on your list!
Tartane/ L’Anse l’Étang
I have been going to this beach since I was a little girl and it has been consistently awesome over the last 20 + years. With benches to sit on and plenty of shade, this beach is rarely crowded. It is now equipped with showers and bathrooms for your convenience. I will say that the waves can be a little rough but overall it is a great beach with easy parking!
Ti Sable and Chez Evelyne Aux Anses d’Arlets
This is a two-fer! I had one of the BEST meals I’ve ever had in my life at Chez Evelyne. If you’re looking for freshly caught grilled lobster, gratin dauphinois, sauce chien and a glace coco, Chez Evelyne is the place to go! The restaurant is on the beach of Les Anses d’Arlets so you can expect to have lunch with your toes in the sand, accompanied by a view of the bay and the hillsides. Not too shabby!
If you’re looking for a bit more luxury, Ti Sable will do the trick. You can rent beach chairs to lounge on for the day and grab a bite to eat at the beach bar if you get hungry.
Les Anses d’Arlets has something for everyone and you can easily spend an entire day there! They even offer step-paddling! Just make sure you call in advance for either spot to guarantee availability.
Village de la Poterie
Looking for amazingggg souvenirs? Le Village de la Poterie will have everything that you need to make your loved ones back home happy. The village consists of different shops which carry beautiful, handmade terra cotta candle holders, decorative plates… pretty much everything you can think of for the home. If you’re lucky, you’ll even get to catch a live demo of a potter at his pottery wheel making some signature home goods. Truly mesmerizing!
Le Carbet
This is a cute little beach town (although everywhere is a beach town in Martinique lol), with a few places to explore. Have lunch at Le Petibonum and feast on grilled langoustines!
Les Salines
Ahh les Salines! A long scenic stretch of beach in the southern part of the island. Saint-Anne is a beautiful beach with clear water and very few waves, perfect for little ones to swim in. This is another spot that is most easily accessible by car (unless you’re staying at the Club Med Les Boucaniers, in which case you can walk along a sizable portion of the beach). You can spend the entire day at Les Salines! I highly recommend packing lunch, snacks and drinks for the day as there aren’t too many spots to eat there. However, if you’d rather dine at a restaurant, hit up La Dunette, a hotel-bar-restaurant with a vue of the Saint-Anne bay. Enjoy watching the sunset!
Le Diamant
Le rocher du Diamant is part of Martinique’s landscape. It is iconic and can be seen from many scenic spots around the island. You can go swim near it, however the waves are notoriously rough so this is an adventure for experienced swimmers only!!
Grab a bite to eat at La Voile Blanche with a gorgeous view of the sandy beach or Le Chill to enjoy some French and Caribbean fusion cuisine. As always, call in advance to reserve a table!
The Sunset
As if it didn’t already have enough to offer, Martinique even has a bit of nightlife. I went to this open air restaurant/lounge with my cousins and we had a blast! Food was good, drinks were nice but the music was even better! We went on a Friday night and had a GREAT time.
Anse Céron
Black sand?! That’s what I call a hot commodity! Catch the sunset from this quiet beach in the northern part of the island and you won’t be sorry.
You can also visit l’Habitation Céron, which has a beautiful garden to walk through and a lovely restaurant to feast at.
L’Habitation Clément
This old sugarcane plantation in the eastern part of the island, is known as the birthplace of rhum agricole. Home to a botanical garden, you can explore the well-preserved grounds and discover where the iconic Rhum Clément has been made for the last 125 years. Be sure to leave room in your suitcase for a bottle of rhum or two, to bring back home!
This list is by no means exhaustive but it is a great starting point for a wonderful and relaxing vacation. Amusez-vous bien! 😉
