Martinique is one of the French islands in the West Indies and is an overseas department of France. This means that not only is it not an independent country, it is part of the European Union. In some ways it feels very similar to being back in the South of France but it didn’t meet any of my expecations for the French Caribbean.
I was in Martinique twice during my time in the Caribbean, the first time was as a stop on my cruise and then it was my final stop as there are some very good value flights back to Europe. Unfortunately I didn’t manage to spend any time out of the capital Fort-de-France.
Basic Travel Information
- Location: Windward Islands
- Country: Overseas department of the French Republic
- Languages: French, Martiniquan Creole
- Currency: Euro
- Route there: Ferry from Dominica or St Lucia
- Recommended: Yes, its an interesting place and the food is excellent
My Story
Martinique was a completely unplanned stop on our cruise. Due to gale force winds around St Kitts we were told the evening before that we would be changing destinations and that the snorkelling excursion that I had booked would be cancelled and refunded. This meant that I arrived in Martinique on Sunday morning with nothing planned and knowing nothing at all about the island. I had planned for this to be my final stop before my flight back to Europe but hadn’t yet done any research about what to see and do.
I got off the ship and headed into Fort-de-France, the capital. It was nothing like what I had expected.
I thought that the French islands would feel very European and be some of the best maintained islands with the best infrastructure. Wow was this not the case! Fort-de-France is really rundown outside the few streets around the main square. There was a huge amount of visible damage to the buildings, bridges and roads and it was clear that the damage was old and not being repaired any time soon. I presume this is still left over from Hurricane Maria which hit the island in 2017 but my understanding is that Martinique, and Fort-de-France in particular, weren’t affected too severely but Maria, at least compared to other islands nearby. Either way there is clearly no repair work going on.
There was a huge benefit of this in the form of some incredible street art that has sprung up around the city. The diver on the wildebeest may be one of my favourite pieces of street art I’ve ever seen.
I didn’t spend very long in the city, the morning was plenty for me to explore most of the main part of the town, especially as it was Sunday morning and absolutely everything was closed. Luckily I was always going to be returning here later in the trip.
I landed back on Martinique in an awful state. For once I had been successful in getting here by ship as the island is well connected to Dominica by public ferry. Unfortunately, the crossing was extremely rough and I got appallingly seasick, making the 2-hour journey hell on earth! The journey took a lot out of me, especially right at the end of the trip and killed my interest in further exploration.
Luckily this is a French island, so exploration can so easily be replaced by food! I spent my final two days in the Caribbean enjoying the ice cream, beer, sunshine and French cuisine. Maybe not the best decision ahead of my imminent return to France but exactly what I wanted and needed. Whatever my feelings about the city of Fort-de-France, they are only relevant if you leave the tourist centre. If you don’t then it’s a lovely French sea town with even better weather. Certainly not the most cultural vist, but delicious!
Brief History
I was completely unaware of any of the history of the Caribbean Islands when I visited. While travelling around and writing these articles I became curious and decided to include a brief history of each. I hope you find it interesting.
The island was historically occupied by the Arawak people then the Caribs. It was the site of Christopher Columbus’ first landing in the Americas but Spain did not claim the island. French settlers driven off St Kitts colonised Martinique in 1635 but the island saw many violent conflicts between the settlers and the Carib people for the next 20 years. The British occupied the island several times but it was always returned to French rule. The island was devastated by an eruption in 1902 and saw a huge pro-independence movement in the 1960s, eventually gained some autonomy but full independence has always been ruled out.
Now the most important sector in the island’s economy is tourism but it remains heavily dependent on aid from mainland France.
Logistics
There are excellent local buses connecting the main towns and the whole area around Fort-de-France.
Martinique is also one of the few Caribbean islands that you can get to reliably by ferry. There are regular connections to St Lucia, Dominica and Guadeloupe using “Express des iles” ferries https://www.express-des-iles.fr/. They are reliable and comfortable as long as you don’t get seasick and go on a day with incredibly rough seas!
Places Nearby & Trip Planning
Martinique has lots to see and do so you can spend a long time exploring the island. If you are trying to explore the Caribbean you could include trips to the following islands without relying on expensive flights:
Also see my main article: Travelling in the Caribbean
When to Visit
Martinique is regularly affected by the Caribbean hurricane season which runs between June and November
High season is December – March and Martinique is much busier and dramatically more expensive in this period.
The island is extremely hot all year, bring sunscreen but also make sure you have your raincoat on you at all times as you can never predict when a heavy rain shower will sweep over you.
Further Information
These websites were my favourite sources of general information for this location:
Last Updated: May 2020
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