Travel Guide Sainte-Marie

On the Atlantic coast, the town of Sainte-Marie, open to all winds, is one of the most important communes in the island's North Atlantic region: it is the fourth most densely populated commune in Martinique, and the largest city on the Atlantic coast. Originally part of Capesterre, which reverted to the natives, it soon became involved in colonial activity. In 1658, Dominican monks settled here and established a parish, which quickly grew in importance, notably under the impetus of the famous Father Labat. They operated the Fonds-Saint-Jacques sugar refinery, combining prayer with industrial research. The area has always been strongly influenced by sugar cane cultivation, as evidenced by the famous Saint-James distillery and its Rum Museum, which remain among the most visited sites in the area. Today, however, this crop has been massively replaced by bananas, whose fields stretch as far as the eye can see. Sainte-Marie has its own banana museum. Every morning, the lively little commune is alive with the bustle of its market. But it's especially on Saturday mornings that you should come, when farmers from the Marché Agricole du Nord-Atlantique take over the premises (it's packed!). Another of Sainte-Marie's curiosities is its famous tombolo, a small spit of land that links an islet to the coastline and makes for a long, pleasant stroll.