Mula

I have heard so many neg. comments about Martinique. Many people suggest staying on the cruise boat. Does anyone have experiences to share/suggest for a 6 hour visit? Examples of beaches,views, tours etc.

Lana Craig

We were there several years ago and loved it. People from Europe vacation there more than the US. <BR>The French are not rude, they are proud and do not like the Americans that try to show off their money. <BR> <BR>If you treat them like you like to be treated you will enjoy staying there. The food is wonderful. <BR>We drove all over and really enjoyed it all. The beaches are black sand from volcano ash but the water is clear. <BR> <BR>Our first visit was from a crusie ship but we wanted to see more. Most women are topless on the beach <BR>but it is not offensive. <BR> <BR>Worth the trip. It is different than most Caribbean Islands <BR> <BR> <BR>

joelle

I don't think that staying for a few hours in Fort de France (Martinique's main town) is really seeing Martinique. I would suggest you rent a car (in advance) and drive around the island. You will find great beaches in the south part of the island (between 30 mn to one hour drive from Fort de France). There are plenty of other nice places to visit but six hours is a very short time!

Bev

I'm looking for a island to go to in January, is Martinique expensive?

joelle

Compared with some other english-speaking islands, we found the accomodations to be a lot cheaper. However I cannot tell about flights from the USA or packages sold by travel agents. January is high season but not that expensive, since this is not a school holiday time. Just e-mail me, should you like more details on the island.

Shari

We've been to Martinique 5-6 times,,all on cruise ships. First time we rented a cab and toured the island. If you do so it will be $$ because currency is based on the French Franc. We like to wander the back streets and of course go to the little market on the town square. I always find a new sarong or beach coverup and shell jewelery for the little cousins. We hop a ferry from dockside to the beach. Ferry costs about $5 american,(round trip)the ferries come and go every 15 minutes or so. I could be wrong but I think the beach is Anse Mitan. It's the 2nd stop. The first stop is a beach with little hotels on it. Beach is very narrow. Once we stopped here and I saw a huge star fish while snorkeling 10 feet from shore. But the second beach is our favorite. Palms, picnic tables wider beach and a nice little cafe with good coffee, beer and wonderful ham and cheese on fabulous french baguette rolls. No prie ain't cheap, but not outrageous. Found people in Martinique not exceptionally friendly, but not rude. Now, we head for this beach every time we're in port. Anyone else know of any good beaches?

joelle

Some of the best beaches are located south of the island. This means you have to rent a car to get there. Names are plage des Salines or Petite anse du Diamant (but not the Grande Anse du Diamant which is often subject to strong currents). North of the island is the beach in Le Carbet village. This is also nice but the sand is darker due to the nearby volcano.