Martinique Attractions

Martinique is an island in the central Lesser Antilles, an overseas department of France in the Caribbean Sea. The island was discovered during the Columbus expedition. It was the Spaniards who named Martinique after one of their Catholic saints.

However, the Spaniards were not interested in the island with a beautiful nature, and, subsequently, the first settlement here was founded by the French. Today, Martinique is a beautiful resort with wonderful nature and highly developed tourist infrastructure.

Fort de France

This city is the capital of Martinique and at the same time one of the largest ports where sugar, rum and cocoa beans are exported. In the center of the city is La Savane Park, full of concert venues and palm alleys with fountains.

In addition, the park is adjacent to Fort St. Louis to the south-east. The streets are not wide, winding, there are many cafes and restaurants, as well as historical and cultural monuments. Also the city has a large number of different museums.

Schœlcher Library

At first, the building was constructed in Paris in 1889 for the purpose of international exhibition. After the exhibition ended, the building was dismantled and moved to Fort de France, where it is still located today.

The library is named after the antislavery fighter Victor Schœlcher. It keeps a huge number of books, including the entire personal collection of Schauscher himself, which he bequeathed to the people of Martinique. The library building, topped with a Byzantine style dome, is very beautiful and is considered one of the main attractions of the entire island.

Saint Louis Cathedral

Catholic Cathedral of Saint Louis was built in 1895 in the capital of Martinique, but has been reconstructed many times because of frequent natural disasters on the island.

It was erected in 1895 in the capital of Martinique, but has been reconstructed several times because of the frequent natural disasters that struck the island.

The base of the church is metal and the structure itself is made with Gothic elements. Palm trees and exotic plants have been planted around the cathedral. Organ music can be heard in the church itself, and the tombs of all the former governors of Martinique are also housed here.

Parc La Savan

It is one of the largest parks on the entire island. The park area has bamboo groves, grassy lawns, and centuries-old trees. A large number of benches are set up here for visitors to relax.

The park hosts a large Carnival and other events for which many outdoor concert venues have been built. On the south-east side of the park are souvenir shops. There are also statues dedicated to the island's original settlers. The northern part of the park area is remarkable for the monument to the woman who conquered Napoleon's heart - Empress Josephine.

Parc Floral

It is a park area located two kilometers north of the capital of Martinique and abounds with flowers of all kinds. The enormous variety of flowers is complemented by quaint and unique palms and groves of eucalyptus.

In the park you can walk endlessly or sit on a bench and enjoy this multicolored beauty of the surrounding nature. There are also food fairs and stalls where you can buy local handicrafts.

Volcano Mon - Pele

Montagne Pelee volcano (Montagne Pelee means Bald Mountain) is located in the northern part of Martinique. The history of this volcano is very tragic. As early as the 18th century, it began to show signs of life, but they were small and soon stopped completely. In May 1902 there was a serious volcanic eruption, which destroyed the former capital of the island - the city of Saint-Pierre. Later the city opened the Museum of Volcanology, as well as the beach of Ens-Syron with the sand of volcanic origin.

Etan des Salines

Salt Pond (L'etang des Salines) is located in the south of Martinique. The pond is a popular Salines of wildlife. 38 species of fish, 5 species of shrimp and 10 species of crabs live on the premises. It includes both freshwater fish and live fish in saltwater areas (garfish, mullet, pike, eel, moray eel or sole).

Here you can also admire migratory birds. These birds left northern North America spend a few hours to a few days, the time of reproduction, before returning to winter in South America. Migratory birds are seen mainly during the last quarter of the year.

Balata Botanical Garden

The Balata Botanical Garden is located 10 km north of the island's capital, Fort-de-France. The creation of this beautiful garden, famous for its great variety of flowers, took two decades.

In the garden grows representatives of European flora: pine trees, orchids, which are perfectly complemented by representatives of the exotic plant world: dragon trees, reeds and cordillines. In total, about 3 thousand different species of trees, shrubs and flowers are represented in the botanical garden of Balata. In addition, on the territory of the garden there are small ponds, the water surface of which is covered with water lilies.

Piton du Carbet mountain range

It is located near the volcano Mont-Pele in the northern part of the island of Martinique. Although Piton du Carbet is of volcanic origin, it has never erupted.

The ridge consists of five major peaks. The highest point of the range is Mount Mor-Pavillon, which rises at an altitude of 1197 m above sea level. This area is great for climbers and hikers.

Fort Desaix

The fort is located three kilometers north of the port of Fort-de-France. It is one of several structures built in the 18th century. It was intended to defend the island's capital against attacks on the island. The fort is named after the French general Louis Charles Antoine Desais, who took part in Napoleon Bonaparte's Egyptian campaign.

At first the structure had an irregular pentagonal shape. During World War II, gold ingots from the Bank of Foreign Exchange Reserves of France were stored here. Today the fort is the headquarters of the French Armed Forces.

Jesuit trail

The Jesuit trail winds its way from the capital of Martinique, Fort de France, to the Piton du Carbet mountain range. It owes its name to the monks who used it in the 17th century. The trail runs between huge volcanic formations past the church and the Balata Botanical Gardens. Also, the Alma mountain river runs along it in some places.

At an altitude of 450 m above sea level, the most famous residential point here is the settlement of Mont Rouge. Walking along this trail, between ferns and palm groves, one can enjoy the beauty of the local nature.

Balata Church

It is located 10 km from the capital of the island and it is a replica of the Basilica of the Sacre-Coeur in France. This magnificent church was built in 1928 in the Romano-Byzantine style.

The building has a rectangular shape and is crowned with a dome, resembling the silhouette of a basilica. The exterior of the shrine is decorated with sculpture, and its interior is full of stained glass and mosaics depicting stories from the Bible. The church is built on the grounds of the botanical garden of Balata and is surrounded by artificial ponds with lilies and water lilies.

Rum Museum

This museum is located in the city of Saint-Marie, famous for its well-developed production of this drink.

The exposition of the museum, opened in 1660, tells about the technology and process of rum making, as well as presents some of the mechanisms that were used in its preparation. In addition, the museum has a tasting room where everyone can taste the most popular varieties of rum.

Dubuque Castle

The castle is known for the illegal trade of slaves from Africa for the wife of the lord of Constantinople. The structure was built in 1740, but two decades later it was destroyed by a cyclone. It had been restored several times, but at the beginning of the last century it was abandoned. Now little remains of the castle, however, it attracts tourists with its appearance reminiscent of medieval battles of the knights.