The Caribs called Martinique "Madinina" - Island of Flowers. Yet Martinique has a cachet all its own, an endearing West Indian warmth in its personality, a special spice in its Caribbean music and dance, its local dishes, and its way of life. Martinique is an island with style.

Flower of the Caribbean

When you think of Martinique, think French, for Martinique, one of the largest of the Eastern Caribbean islands, has been part of France since it was colonized, bar a few short spells under the British. To visit Martinique is to visit France - complete with the French language, fine French food and wine, and well scrubbed towns where that typically French smell – a blend of Gitane smoke, pastis and well-percolated coffee – wafts from bars and cafes.

Historical sites worth seeing include La Pagerie, where Napoléon’s Empress Joséphine was born in 1763 (the year that France relinquished rights to Canada in exchange for the French West Indies); Diamond Rock, a 600-ft. pinnacle in the sea manned by the British in 1804 and registered in the British Navy as an armed warship for 18 months, and St-Pierre, Martinique’s principal city until May 8, 1902 when Mt. Pelée volcano erupted, wiping out the city and its 30,000 people in just three minutes.

Shoppers will love Fort de France, where many small boutiques sell the latest French fashions. Two open-air craft markets will satisfy the souvenir hunter. Trois Ilets, in front of capital, is a charming peaceful town of typical old buildings that has not yet been invaded by tourists. It is easy to spend an hour or two sitting in one of the small outdoor cafes people watching. Ferries run at least every half over to Fort de France, continuing even late at night though less often.

The Martinique Tourism Authority

Radio Fusion Martinique - Live