Forgetting Bill’s Birthday in Martinique

Our first trip out of the US together was to Martinique for Bill’s birthday, which also coincides with St. Patrick’s Day. I’m not proud of this one, but I forgot it was Bill’s birthday on this trip in 2016 and despite a day of hints, it wasn’t until like 11pm on his birthday that I realized I had not acknowledged it in any way. DESPITE THAT, we still both have every fond memories of Martinique and have wanted to return. Unfortunately, it’s not as easy to get to Martinique as it once was via cheap, direct Norwegian Airlines flights, but it’s still possible to fly direct from Miami.

Going through the photos from this trip from 2016 feels like a time warp. We used actual maps!

Overview

Martinique is an overseas department of France, similar to Guadeloupe and Saint Barths. As such, the currency is the Euro and is has a very French feel to it, from excellent neighborhood bakeries selling croissants and baguettes, to very good French food and wine available at restaurants throughout the island. One of the Windward Islands, Martinique is fairly far south in the Caribbean, with only a few countries sitting between it and South America.

Compared to other Caribbean islands that have been built up with all-inclusive resorts, Martinique doesn’t seem overly developed and it’s still very easy to find a completely empty beach.

There are direct flights from Miami (American Airlines), Paris (AirFrance, CorsAir, Air Caraibes) and Montreal (AirCanada, AirTransat). We flew direct from Boston on Norwegian (RIP for US flights) back in 2016.


Check in

Our guesthouse in Le Robert, where I had Bill take photos of (drunk) me with a conch shell on his birthday

We split our week in Martinique between a guesthouse in Le Robert in the northeast and an Airbnb in Les Anses d’Arlet in the southwest. This was the move since it allowed us to explore almost all of the island.


What to Do

Mount Pelée: I don’t know where we got the impression that climbing this active volcano would be a half-day breeze, but. it. was. not. There were moments where I feared for my actual life on this 4,500-foot mountain.

Driving through a palm farm
La Diamant with a view of Saint Lucia in the background

Circumnavigate the Island: We did about 80% of the whole island, driving around the perimeter from town to town. We started in the capitol of Fort de France on the west coast and drove straight across to Le Robert. From there, we made our way north along the coast to Mount Pelée and then back down to Trois Rivieres. From our second base in , we explored the southern coast from Les Anses d’Arlet to Sainte-Anne.

Ile Loup-Garou, aka Werewolf Island, as seen from our catamaran trip

Catamaran Day Trip: Halfway through our week on Martinique, we booked a catamaran trip out of Le Marin. This was a major highlight, despite being the only English-speaking people on board and not really following along when the captain pointed out famous French celebrity houses we cruised past or historical sites to the other dozen or so French people on the boat.

Rhum Tasting: Martinique is famous for its rhum agricole, which is a highly potent rum made from sugarcane rather than the traditional molasses. There are several habitation on Martinique where you can learn and taste rhums and rums. The most famous is probably Clement, where we spent a rainy afternoon.

Bonus No Name Place: I’m not usually a big clubber/nightlife person, but we heard about a supper club on the beach that serves a traditional Martinique dinner and then turns into a club afterwards. We drove out to the middle of nowhere at night, waited in line for over an hour, and then had a wild time. I cannot for the life of me find the name of this place (I think it was south of Les Anses d’Arlet) and it may have closed up already, but wow, if anyone stumbles across this blog and knows the name of the place I’m thinking of from March 2016, please comment and let me know!

 


Where to Eat

Another shot of me on Bill’s birthday

Trois Rivieres: Along the water, there are a ton of French and Caribbean restaurants to try, including some directly on the sand with live music and dancing.

Sainte-Anne: Another great spot with a tong of waterfront/beachfront dining options.

 


Where to Grab a Drink

Cute tiki hut-style cocktail bar in Les Trois-Ilets
A calm beach next to the tiki hut
Beachside shack in Sainte-Pierre

 

 

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