TravelTalkOnline Forums Travel and Vacation Forums Southern Caribbean Martinique village suggestions

Bonjour les amis,

Im heading to martinique after christmas. My dates are early Jan, or whenever the tradewinds deposit me around that period.

What village do you recommend for the following. Details are appreciated:

Walkable daytime to museums, shops, culturally significant areas
Great sandy beach (prefer safe swimming but would consider surf related lessons) prefer calmer west coast.
Nearby buses to fdf
Beach bars
Safe evening diversions
Quiet fishing village suits me fine over boom boxes all night

I am open to north and east sides if there is a unique experience (heres looking at u hot pants lol).

Also, if you have a fav condo aggregator site (arbritel, etc), please share.

So far I like most SW villages.

Au plaisir.

Cc

I fear some of your requirements are mutually exclusive! Walkable to museums and shops likely mean more inhabited which brings a greater risk of boom boxes Anyway, Les Trois-Ilets in the south west has good, sheltered beaches, some shops and isn't too far away from Fort de France for for the museums etc. There are also several other nice villages in the area, reachable by the local bus service, like Le Grande Anse d'Arlet and Les Anse d'Arlet. I really liked St Pierre in the north west as well but I don't know about nearby beaches. I'm not the one to advise about evening activities as I prefer to be back on the boat by the time it gets dark.

Sainte-Anne on the southwest coast of the island has all that you require . If you would really like to treat yourself , you can rent a Aqualodge that comes with your own dingy .

Oh my... thx Materpiece. I am considering Ste Anne as i prefer off the beaten track to feel the vibes. Is there a bus heading to any villages of interest up the coast? I rarely rent a car and have all the time to take a bus.

Jeannius' suggestion of St Pierre interests me as well. I like the idea of experiencing the local way of life here too. Hiking will certainly replenish the soul and filter my lungs. I like this area to push my comfort zone.

Thx to both of you,

Bless

I've anchored off St. Pierre several times and like the town and area. There are several beaches close by and there are good restaurants in St. Pierre. I'm not sure about night life, though.

Bonjour,

Thx for the pic. The village looks quaint. I am favouring St Pierre, though Ste Anne is a close contender. I have found lovely accom. At all price points though not walking distance to st pierre shops and museums....yet! The trade off is lovely gardens and closer to the trails.

For the first time in 15 yrs, i need to prebook a car ...and most vehicles are standard whilst i prefer not to worry about shifting gears in a new country. So once i finally connect those two dots (decision paralysis), i will be all set.. toute suite !

As for night life. I like safe bars/resto for an early night cap...i'm not looking for crowds or further ear damage...

I am looking forward to this adventure as the more i read, the more i dream of martinique. She captures my curiosity with every webpage (ahh i miss turning pages).

Merci et au plaisir,

Cc

I made it to Martinique... it's lovely.

I will report more once i settle in.

#1 tip: taxis are expensive. Rent a car or stay near fort de france. I have already paid 250e for two rides, and i just arrived. I knew better, i just dont drive.

#2 the sand flies are evil!

More to follow

Excellent. Where are you staying?

I stayed in ste anne and left due to many unforseen major issues with the airbnb. Host was gracious with my imm departure as was airbnb.

I enjoyed the small village and high quality unique shops. The plage des salines was worth every minute. The bus was 2e10 and its a 5 mins ride. The many restaurants offered lots of options. Shade was easy to find and the water was sublime.

I visited people beach bar which is a chic spot, though nobody was there. Its only open until 6pm most or all days. You can rent transat and use their pool.

And am now in trois islets.

I will comment that in martinique airbnb is a different experience. Ie a used thin sliver of soap in bathroom (?????), overdiluted dish soap, no cooking starter kit, few cooking tools, sprinkles of laundry soap only, etc. Very barebone at both apts (which are same $ as sxm) and reminds me of orient bay rentals 15 yrs ago.

After having to move, i considered st pierre per a recommendation above...i was afraid to ask how much the taxi would be... it was 100e to 3 islets from ste anne, about 45mins or so.

The road network reminds me of guadeloupe, wide and well marked with many roundabouts.

I do recommend martinique as it is a very laid back and safe island... and if you're french canadian.... be prepared for the very exceptional warm welcome.

Taxi price is pretty frightening!