3 Best Sights in Martinique

Get a glimpse into Martinique's colonial past at this estate and rum distillery, the site of a former sugar cane plantation. Visitors are given a multilingual audio headset, which explains tour highlights. Signage further describes the rum-making process and other aspects of plantation life. The Palm Grove, with an avenue of palms and park benches, is a delightful place to reflect; the contemporary sculpture is fascinating. It was all built with the wealth generated by its rum distillery, and its 18th-century splendor has been lovingly preserved. The plantation's Creole house illustrates the adaption to life in the tropics up through the 20th century. An early French typewriter, a crank-up telephone, and decades-old photos of the Cléments and Hayots (béké families), are juxtaposed with modern Afro-Caribbean art. The newest building houses an art gallery that showcases contemporary, Caribbean art, and sculpture. Enjoy the free tastings at the bar of the retail shop. Consider the Canne Bleu, Grappe Blanche, or one of the aged rums, some bottled as early as 1952.

Children get a discount. Also, allow 1½–2 hours to see everything. The ticket office closes at 5.

Offshore from Le François, les fonds blancs baths draw snorkelers to the privately owned Ilets de l'Impératrice. The islands received that name because, according to legend, this is where Empress Joséphine Bonaparte came to bathe in the shallow basins, known as les fonds blancs because of their white-sand bottoms. Group boat tours leave from the harbor and include lunch and drinks and one can even buy a package that includes an overnight stay on the remote and romantic Îlet Oscar. Prices vary. You can also haggle with a fisherman to take you out for a while on his boat. There's a fine bay 6 miles (10 km) farther along the coast where you can swim and go kayaking. The town itself is rather lackluster but authentic, and you'll find a number of different shops, a gas station, and supermarkets.

Gustatory and olfactory delights await at this bio rum distillery, one of few where the sugarcane is still cut by hand. La "belle Aline," the shiny copper alembic, steals the show. To discover more in-depth, you can even participate in the rum production (available upon reservation).