The most beautiful natural sites to discover Martinique

Moving in towards the sea, Cap Macré is bordered along its entire length by two very pretty beaches (to the north, Anse Grosse Roche) which meet at the end of the Cape.

Several hikes with beautiful beaches are located between Le Marin and Sainte-Anne.

From Le Marin, follow the direction of Sainte-Anne and then, at the traffic circle, turn left towards Cap Macré, in front of the residence Cap Evasion, renting furnished apartments by the month or by the week. The road, bordered by gentle hills with southern vegetation, is ideal for cyclists and hikers alike. A fork invites you to choose between Grand-Macabou on the left (stop at the pretty viewpoint on the sea a little further) and Cap Macré on the right. Cross the rock to go down to the cape, surrounded by scrubland. The Conservatoire de l'espace littoral et des rivages lacustres protects the natural site of the Grand-Macabou domain. It is located at the Cape Beauchêne: no beach, just a starting point for hikes. A small stone church, at the end of the cape, on the edge of the cliff, overlooks the sea.

You can follow footpath n° 29, the trace des Caps, which crosses the southern tip of the island from Cap Macré to Anse-Caritan. Remember to bring a bottle of water. A superb walk, with no major difficulties, except for its length. Count about 5 km from Petit-Macabou to Cap Macré, 7 km between Cap Macré and Cap-Chevalier, 6.5 km between Cap-Chevalier and the Baie des Anglais (Anse-Trabaud), 5 km between Anse-Trabaud, considered as the most beautiful beach of Martinique, and Les Salines, and 4.5 km from Les Salines to Anse-Caritan. This amounts to a total of 28 km from Petit-Caribou to Anse-Caritan (the sign indicates about 12 hours, but good walkers will do it in 6 hours without any problem).

From Cap Beauchêne to Cap Chevalier. On the way back to Sainte-Anne, reach Cap-Chevalier by a pretty road invaded by goats and lined with small white houses. The beach of Cap-Chevalier, nicer on its left side (with more sand and immaculate bottoms), is open to the Atlantic Ocean. Its narrow strip of sand is strewn with seaweed, rafts and a few fishermen's boats, from which the restaurants in the area get their supplies. You can dive with just a mask, fins, and snorkel to discover the rocky barrier. By choosing the road on the right, reach the seaside, in front of the “îlet Chevalier”, a nice opportunity for a beautiful marine stroll. You can get there with a shuttle called “taxicap”.

Now a Unesco World Heritage Site, the Pitons du Carbet consist of a group of volcanic massifs, with five peaks in close proximity to each other at altitudes of between 1,000 and 1,200m. The hike, which starts from Fonds-Saint-Denis (Plateau Boucher), is a sporty one, lasting 6h30 and requiring excellent physical condition. Because of the steep terrain, you'll sometimes have to use ropes and take steep paths. But the effort will be rewarded: from the top, the view of the Caribbean coast is breathtaking.

Starting from the Gallochet district, the Arlet trail leads you to the Grande Anse beach. The seven-kilometer trail starts by going along the Anse Noire ravine to go up to the black sand beach of the same name. You will then reach its neighbor, Anse Dufour, before heading inland to go around the Morne Réduit. On the way, you will have access to beautiful viewpoints on the coast. Finally, you will go back down towards the beach of Grande Anse, where the walk ends. Count 2 hours. Easy level.

It's the story of a reopening: that of the former La Salle sugar factory, founded at the end of the ^17th century in Sainte-Marie, and which once produced pure sugarcane juice used to distill tafia, the ancestor of rum. Nestled in a magnificent tropical garden, Habitation La Salle offers a real trip back in time, and a lovely walk through its verdant surroundings. The dwelling was formerly known as the Survilliers sugar factory. It was owned by Claude de Laguarigue de Survilliers, born in 1668 on the island of Saint-Christophe. Driven out by the English in 1690, he took refuge in Martinique, settling in Sainte-Marie and marrying Luce de La Salle in 1695. Just before the French Revolution, in 1786, Jacques Guillaume Seguin de La Salle bought the house that today bears his name. After more than 3 years of restoration, the site reopened its doors in March 2021. Nearly three-quarters of the site's traceability has now been rediscovered, enabling us to share with visitors the history of sugar and agricultural rum in Martinique. During your visit (the audioguides are very well done), you can discover the boiler house and its chimney, the 2 paddle mills in operation, the sugar loaves, the guildhall, the stills and the ageing cellars. Take a look at the Maison du Café, home to a host of old machines. The tour ends with a tasting of the rums produced in collaboration with Saint-James: an organic white, a VSOP and XO.

Here you are in front of a hike of a good level (10 km - 2 hours of walk) which offers you a beautiful immersion in the green of the north of Martinique (hygrophilic vegetation, with breathtaking colors and possibility to meet a tarantula) but also the possibility to fly to the river for a moment of refreshment at the bend of a rather unknown path.

Take the Route de la Trace to the Fond-Saint-Denis Deux-Choux crossroads. Follow the D1 to the right until kilometre point 19. A small rustic sign indicates "Trace de Trous-Matelots vers Desgrange". You go into the forest on a path maintained by the ONF. No signpost. The altitude is 620 m. We descend slowly (tree ferns, bamboos and white gum trees). A few tens of meters later, a clearing with red porcelain roses and a small dreary covered with markers. On the left, you can hear the rumbling of a river: after a 200 m difference in altitude, you reach the Deux-Bras gully in 40 minutes.Two solutions: the short track (fork on the left and head towards Falaise-Isaïe) or take a right towards Duchesnetaux and cross the Lézarde river before joining the forest road la Palourde. It is better to take the first one because the second one is very busy. From coast 421 to coast 540, there is a 120 m slope (difficult ascent, unmaintained path, river): it leads to the national road. There are 4 km to go on the asphalt (the least pleasant part) to get back to the starting point.

To the north of Grande Anse, a path goes through the thickets before continuing along the sea. After an hour's easy walk, reach the underwater trail set up by the Conservatoire du Littoral (Coastal Protection Agency). Armed with a mask, a snorkel, and flippers, dive to discover the 5 buoys under which reside unique underwater fauna and flora: seagrass beds, rocky bottoms, coral massifs, fish of all colors… Out of the water, a carbet (native hut) with educational panels indicates the animals and plants that you are likely to meet.

Several packages are proposed by Luc, the master of the place. He will give you a detailed plastic map of the routes, a waterproof case to protect your belongings and off you go to discover the islets and the exceptional fauna and flora of this little piece of paradise. On your return, you will be able to use the showers and the locker room at your disposal. And to end this day in beauty, a small local snack. Luc also takes you on walks combining hiking and kayaking with an experienced guide.