Things to see and do South Caribbean

Take a ride on the little train through the large estate, which has been located in the green countryside of Rivière-Pilote since 1749. The famous "Tèt' Maré" will first tell you a few anecdotes, traditions and other historical facts about the site. The guide then leads you into the heart of the distillery to discover the different stages in the production of AOC Martinique agricultural rums. The last stop, a tour of the cellar, allows you to appreciate the art of blending and ageing old rums. Finally, the Cabane à Rhum team accompanies you on a tasting of the different rums and liqueurs.

Your non-French-speaking friends from around the world can board the little train and follow the whole tour thanks to the app, available in English, Spanish, Italian and German (don't forget your headphones).

Enjoy a bite to eat at Kay Mimi, located at the foot of the distillery, before heading to the pretty beach of Anse Figuier, 10 minutes away.

Here, you'll find Martinique's largest tree nursery, as well as boutiques (arts and crafts, ready-to-wear, bookshop, florist, coffee roaster), services (car rental, real estate expert, communications agency, drone pilot school, orthoptist, osteopath, masseuse, hair clinic), leisure activities (escape game, gym, leisure center with wakepark, hydroclimb, trampoline) and food and beverage outlets (local culinary restaurant, home-made burgers, oenology center, chocolatier, etc.)).

Fifteen statues look out over the sea and the Diamond Rock, their shoulders slumped and their gaze lost. This monumental triangle-shaped ensemble (evoking the triangular trade) was created in 1991 by the sculptor Laurent Valère for the 150^th anniversary of the abolition of slavery. It evokes the shipwreck of a slave ship in 1830 off the baie du Diamant. The chained slaves could not escape, and the survivors were sent to prison…

A pleasant excursion to do with your family. Embark on board a yole to discover the mangrove of Trois-Ilets and Rivière-Salée, stroll among the mangrove trees and meet the “mantu” crabs… A professional guide will explain everything you need to know about the fauna and flora. A drink and a small snack are served on board. The duration of the excursion is 2h30. Reservation is strongly advised on site or by phone.

This small beach is reserved for those who know about it, because you can't see it from the road. Access has to be earned: to get there, you have to take the direction of Mabouya, continue towards the sea on a road that looks more like a track and finally cross a housing estate. Ten more minutes of walking and you are there! The sea is beautiful and calm. The view on Morne Larcher is breathtaking. In the evening, many Martinicans meet there to admire the shimmering colors of the sunset on the sea. A very beautiful place.

It is one of the most beautiful and oldest in Martinique. Built at the end of the 18^th century, with its bell tower standing in the center of the village, the structure dedicated to Saint Étienne, patron saint of the town, follows the Jesuit aesthetic codes and shows two orders of superimposed Tuscan columns. The vault in the shape of an inverted ship's hull reminds us that the building was built by sailor carpenters. The remarkable high altar would have been originally intended for the cathedral of Lima, Peru. The shipwreck of the vessel carrying it stopped its journey in Le Marin.

Renovated with sand from Guadeloupe, this pretty beach is very popular with families. Calm turquoise waters, coconut palms and a large lawn make for a picture-postcard setting. There are a number of children's games (slide, swings), picnic tables and carbets for shelter from the sun. The underwater world is beautiful, with colonies of sea urchins, large starfish and colorful tropical fish. Don't forget your mask and snorkel. And don't forget to visit the nearby Ecomuseum on your way out.

This superb tropical domain extends over 75 hectares north of Sainte-Luce. The giant cheese tree is king on the edge of the marked out paths: one of them even reaches 5,50 meters in circumference. The originality of the place lies in the presence of engraved rocks dating from the pre-Columbian era. The site was in fact one of the settlements of the Amerindians. The Anoli trail of 900 meters and the Mongoose trail of 1.6 km will take you to meet the plant and animal species of this mysterious forest.

This beautiful baroque building, inaugurated in 1829 and classified as a historical monument, is particularly striking because of its location: immaculately white, the church faces the sea and Le Diamant with its breaking waves that slap against the beach. The church has been renovated many times and destroyed by natural disasters, but it has a splendid frame, rebuilt in 1983 by the Compagnons de France, in the manner of an overturned ship's hull. Made in France, it was dismantled and reassembled on the church in 1983.

The birthplace of Marie-Joseph-Rose de Tascher de la Pagerie, the future Empress Josephine (1763-1814), who married Napoleon Bonaparte (1769-1821) on March 9, 1796, this former sugar mill, formerly known as "Petite Guinée", is a place of remembrance that we highly recommend you visit. The museum has recently been refurbished to showcase the large slave community that lived here: up to 300 slaves at the height of the sugar industry in the ^18th century. For almost three centuries, these 500 hectares were home to a variety of crops: cotton, tobacco, cocoa, followed a little later by sugar cane and market gardening.

The tour begins at the mill, where the sugarcane passed through, and continues in the museum housed in the former kitchen of the main building. Through letters, souvenirs and rare objects from the period, as well as antique furniture that once belonged to Joséphine, the historical tour immerses us in the daily life of the empress. From now on, the museum will focus not only on Joséphine, but also on the slaves, recreating their way of life. The new museum space brings them to life by displaying their first names. Thanks to archive material, actors have lent them their voices, and we can now hear them. An emotionally-charged experience in which the women, men and children who lived here come to life. The tour continues through the lush garden, which, in addition to its beautiful plants, is now home to an area dedicated to medicinal plants.

It is one of the closest beaches to the town of Sainte-Luce. Very popular with families (ideal shaded areas for picnics, calm sea, clean showers and toilets, not to mention a few snack bars and restaurants here and there), Gros-Raisins beach is very accessible and ideal for a quick sunbath or a moment of aquatic relaxation. The only drawback is that you won't be alone! The area is popular with a number of nearby residences and hotels. Nevertheless, the stopover remains very pleasant. Large, convenient parking lot.

Built on the ruins of an old distillery, part of an archeological site on the beach, this beautiful museum exposes the living history of a community, from prehistoric times to the present day, through various collections: terracotta, costumes, instruments, a rehabilitated distillery, and the presentation of a Creole interior from the 1950s. A dive into collective memory, in a beautiful natural setting. A must-see!

Just off Les Salines beach, a 10-hectare stretch of desert stretches out its surprising scenery. Situated on the site of an ancient volcano, it was once dotted with the geological remains of a forest engulfed by lava. Petrified wood blocks, agates, polychrome jasper and chalcedony could be found here, plundered by disrespectful collectors. All that remains is the bare site, which nevertheless lends itself to an enchanting stroll.

The small Bakoua beach nestles in a quiet cove of Pointe-du-Bout. It's the perfect place for a relaxing day on the stilt bar, the famous Coco Bar, overlooking the turquoise waters - a must at the Bakoua hotel. The beach is open to the public, and deckchairs are available for hire. You can also have lunch on site at the La Sirène restaurant. A very pleasant stopover in Trois-Ilets, between coconut palms and white sand. For more information, contact the hotel of the same name.

The Atlantic coast from Grand-Macabou to Cape Macré is wildly beautiful. It is bordered by two very pretty beaches, notably Anse Grosse Roche in the north, fringed with grape trees on the seashore. Although the sea is often a bit rough (it's the ocean), swimming is still quite possible and the water color varies between deep blue and turquoise. To the south, the Caribbean coast of Pointe Borgnèse, at the entrance of the bay of Le Marin, the sea is calmer. Don't forget to take a mask and snorkel: the sea bed around the Pointe Borgnèse is beautiful.