Flights to Martinique from GBP 761*

Martinique: a French department in the middle of the ocean

Martinique is an island, but also a French department whose capital is the city of Fort-de-France. Enjoy wandering around the city, shopping in the large market or visiting the fish market. Take the opportunity to visit the Saint-Louis fort and the Regional History and Ethnography Museum. Go on from there to admire the nearby Batala church and the luxuriant Batala gardens. Another unmissable visit is to the Three Islets where you can see the Sugar Cane House and the Pagerie Museum.

You can also take a boat for a short cruise in the mangrove swamp. You can walk around the Pointe du Bout where undersea diving offers an amazing sight. Also take a tour of the coves: the Grande, the Noire, the Dufour and the Arlet coves. Bathe at Sainte Anne, at the Grande Anse des Salines and the Baie des Anglais. Sainte Luce is another unmissable spot to relax on the remarkable beaches and visit the Three Rivers distillery. Air France offers numerous flights to Martinique, a remarkable opportunity to escape to the sun.

Discover the Martinican culture

There are still several farms on the island of Martinique. Some cultivate cane sugar and others are distilleries which make rum. In the south, you can see the large sugar plantations whereas bananas and pineapples are cultivated in the north. You can admire the famous two-storey houses, often exposed to the wide-open hills. Around these old houses, there used to be huts for the coloured slaves. Some of these buildings have been turned into museums and you will be able to learn about the history during your visit. In the country, there are still some two-roomed huts which are home to an entire family.

Martinican dance and music

The entrancing dances and music of Martinique are still common some parts of the island, and you will be able to take part in wild festive evenings around a gwo-ka (a kind of creole drum). Bele is another form of music imported directly from Africa. Since the XIXth century, it has changed due to European influences such as the quadrille, but remains quite tuneful. You can also dance the zouk, the kadans or the ragga to a traditional Martinican beguine.