Martinique

Fort de France

Fort de France, Martinique's capital, is a beautiful city rimmed by gorgeous landscapes and beaches. People who happen on these sights always seek a way to come back. Scuba divers scout the underwater floor especially lured by shipwrecked vessels off the city's bay waters. Workout enthusiasts can trek some of the beaten tracks along the volcano's sides and feast their eyes on the spectacular views up to the northern end. The Fort-de-France Bay is one of the most beautiful ones under the sun. Gourmet puts on its best bib and tucker with a great variety of dishes from local and international cuisine. There's not enough time to tour the more than 200 restaurants here, plus an array of discotheques, theaters and movie theaters. Its hotels offer guests the best comfort and coziness money can buy. In the same breath, it'd be very interesting to drop by the San Luis Cathedral, a neo-classical temple with beautiful church windows that can only be compared to the splendid Schoelcher Library built in 1889 for the Paris Exposition and brought to the West Indies stone by stone. Don't you forget to swing by the sculpture of Martinique's most famous native, Josephine, Napoleon's wife. If you'd like to go shopping around, chiefly for handicraft, the market is the right option. There's no place like the Balata Garden, located in the outskirts of the city, for those interested in getting in touch with nature. Sharing a stroll down the Savannah Park will let you enjoy the aroma of the surrounding tropical trees and flowers. Do not miss out on the chance of paying a visit to a nearby rum distillery; for people in Martinique, that's the best rum under the sun.

Tips

It is called the Republic of the bananas because although it has numerous natural resources, 65% of the active populace is used in the monoculture of the banana trees.