Monuments to visit Caraïbes

Martinique's oldest museum, founded in 1933 by American volcanologist and philanthropist Frank A. Perret and owned by the city of St. Pierre, was completely renovated in 2019 by the Clement Foundation. This new ultra-modern concrete building houses the remains of the May 8, 1902 eruption. The new burnt wood façade is a sober yet powerful symbol in the heart of the city. The collection presented in the permanent exhibition bears witness to the eruption of Mount Pelee and the destruction of Saint-Pierre in 1902. The tour, organized in three sequences, allows visitors to discover the city on the eve of the eruption, to relive the sequence of events around May 8, 1902 and to understand the consequences of this disaster that killed nearly 30,000 people and wiped Saint-Pierre off the map. The exhibition presents objects bearing the traces of the eruption, photographs and old films on the city around 1902, while audio guides provide visitors with accounts from the inhabitants and survivors. Finally, the memorial lists the 7,000 victims identified to date out of the estimated 28,000 missing. The collection of glassware distorted by the high temperature and two bells show the impact of the fire that hit the city after the fiery cloud. A powerful experience. It is a great introduction to the city and the ruins of Saint-Pierre.

It is possible to visit the palace-restaurant of the Hotel Jagua. A real jewel of the 19th century, it alternates and combines Byzantine, Moorish, Venetian, Gothic and Baroque styles... In short, the architect had a lot of fun.

Good plan for an aperitif. Recently restored, this small palace is the ideal place to have a drink at the end of the day. The beautiful terrace, also renovated, has a refreshment bar, and above all, it offers a superb view of the bay. For a little more atmosphere, live bands play at the end of the day and in the evening.

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.

Take time to discover this colorful traditional market: it is one of the most beautiful shots of the city. Under the big hall, the stalls overflow with seasonal fruits, vegetables (avocados, yams, chayotes), flowers (shell ginger, anthuriums, ginger flowers), spices and condiments (nutmeg, chili pepper, banded wood, cinnamon, India wood). The “doudou, vini-vini” are the characteristic calls that set a sudden family atmosphere. It doesn't take long to get friendly with the market people while shopping.

The Castillo owes its name to a altarpiece of the adoration of the three kings who were once in his chapel (since disappeared), as well as to his situation on a hill (el morro), on a rocky reef giving directly to the sea. The castle of the Morro became one of Havana's symbols, due to its architecture and the presence of the lighthouse just at the entrance to the bay. It is the most powerful defensive complex that Spaniards have built in America. Since Havana was not slow to become the rallying port of the galleons loaded with gold and money from the New World, it needed to defend attacks on the privateers, pirates and other écumeurs of the seas, but also enemy nations of Spain (England in particular). The protection provided by the Castillo de la Real Fuerza (Royal Force Castle) was found to be insufficient, with Philippe II giving the city another defensive work, entrusted to the Italian architect Juan Bautista Antonelli. The fortress of the Morro, supposedly a replica of a fortress of Lisbon, began in 1589 and completed in 1630. Very damaged during the conquest of the city by the English in 1762, it was rebuilt in 1763. From 1764, his tower served as a lighthouse. It was at that time that the Morro was assisted in his defence mission on the east shore of the bay by a new nearby fortress (La Cabaña), whose first stone was laid in 1763.

The Castillo del Morro (also called Fortaleza de San Pedro de la Roca) is the city's oldest fortress, completed in 1643, and was originally intended to defend Santiago and its bay from the English, Dutch and French pirates who plundered the entire Caribbean. Extremely well restored and perched on a hill overlooking the entrance to the bay, this defensive complex built according to the plans of the architect Antonelli, already at the origin of the Castillo del Morro in Havana, was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997. Once there, enjoy the superb panorama. Visit also the museum focused on piracy and the naval battle that opposed, in 1898, the Spanish and American navies. Note that Theodore Roosevelt, lieutenant colonel of the first regiment of cavalry volunteers and future president of the United States (1901-1909), took part in the assault on San Juan Hill.

Every day at 5:30 p.m., or 6:30 p.m. in summer, the cannon is fired to celebrate the surrender of Spain. Finally, it is possible to have a drink or a meal on the terrace of the bar-restaurant San Pedro del Mar, near the fort. Beautiful sunsets in perspective. When you leave the castle, don't hesitate to take the road that goes down on your left to follow the coast. When you reach the sea level, the small but fantastic Playa Estrella comes into view. A visit that will give satisfaction to the lovers of pirate stories!

The name San Carlos de la Cabaña was given to it in honor of King Charles III of Spain, who ordered its construction on the hill known as La Cabaña, after having exchanged Florida for Cuba with the English. The work, begun in 1763, was carried out with great speed and was completed in 1774. The fortress is 700 meters long and occupies 10 hectares. It is said that the king was moved by it... "Give me a telescope," he is said to have ordered one day, "so that I can appreciate from Madrid this grandiose work La Cabaña is a huge balcony built on the hillside from which you can see, on one side, the city and the channel of the bay and, on the other, the sea. In 1859, 120 cannons, bronze shells and a garrison of 1,300 men, which could be reinforced up to 6,000, ensured a very dissuasive defense since it was never attacked. In the absence of feats of arms, it was therefore responsible for taking on the dirty work: it was used as a prison, and many patriots were shot there during the wars of independence. Then, under the tyrannies of Machado and Batista, it was the setting for many political crimes. In 1959, it was occupied by Che and his guerrillas. After being restored, it was opened to the public in 1986.

Ideal point of view on Havana. From the ramparts, the fortress offers a very beautiful view of Havana. It can be observed in its alignment from east to west with first La Habana Vieja, then Centro Habana, then Vedado and finally Miramar.

In 1556, King Philip II commissioned the architect Bartolomé Sánchez to build a fortress in the most appropriate place to defend the entrance to the port. Work began in 1558 and was completed in 1577. Until 1762, the fortress served as a residence for the captains general, before being occupied by the army. From 1899 to 1906, it housed the city's archives. It was again transformed into a barracks until 1938, when it temporarily returned to its archival vocation. Once restored, it became a national museum in 1977, for the celebration of its 400th anniversary!

The Castillo de la Real Fuerza is formed by a perfect square of a little more than 30 meters on each side, with a small patio in its center, in accordance with the canons of the Renaissance: everything here is regularity, order and geometric perfection. The castle is surrounded by a moat, and you enter through a wooden drawbridge... On the right as you enter, several bronze cannons from the foundries of Seville stand guard, similar in every way to those on the lawn of the Castillo del Morro in Santiago de Cuba.

Also worth seeing is the original Giraldilla, which since 2011 has been in the entrance hall near the ticket office. Today the fort also exhibits ceramics by the most important contemporary artists. There is a permanent collection of Cuban paintings: Rodríguez de la Cruz, Amelia Pelaez, Wifredo Lam, René Portocarrero, Mariano Rodríguez.

Built by order of Governor Hernando de Soto, this lookout - which is known here as the mirador or the balcón de Velazquez - offers a superb view of the bay, the city's rooftops and the surrounding mountains. In the past, the mirador was part of a larger defensive complex. If you're lucky, you'll find yourself in the middle of a tango or bolero recital as you pass by. A perfect place to relax during a walk in the city.

Also known as the Salle de la Comédie, the theater of Saint-Pierre used to be, during the 18^th century, a famous stage in the West Indies where renowned troupes performed. It hosted the most popular plays of the time such as The Barber of Seville, The Marriage of Figaro and Le Déserteur by Michel-Jean Sedaine. Like the rest of the city, the theater was swept away by the disaster of 1902. Its ruins are now relatively well-preserved and attract many visits. A very nice walk with the Montagne Pelée in the background.

The first monks who settled in Havana, in the middle of the 16th century, were Franciscans. Started around 1580 and completed with the century, the church and the convent are destroyed by a violent storm at the end of the XVII century. The complex that you can admire today was built between 1719 and 1738. We recommend that you climb to the top of the bell tower, even if it is a bit steep, to admire a splendid panoramic view of old Havana.

The Sainte-Anne covered market is an ideal place to pick up local fruit and vegetables, and has just been renovated by the local council. Here, you'll find bananas, pineapples and avocados, as well as jams, arranged rums, fruit punches and local spices, not to mention charming souvenirs to pack in your suitcases (madras cloth clothing, jewelry made from péyi seeds, soaps made in Martinique...). One of the island's most authentic markets. Traffic in the vicinity can be tricky!

At the bend in the road between Le Diamant to Anses d'Arlet, take the time to dive into the story of Médard Aribot, a talented sculptor and convict in his time. Upon his return from French Guiana, he fell in love with this piece of land perched above the water, in the shadow of Morne Larcher and erected a small house of terribly reduced proportions. He spent the rest of his life sculpting, decorating and living in it before silently disappearing in 1973. Despite restoration campaigns, the house is threatened by time and vandalism.

It is the largest open-air market on the island. This colorful and lively market hosts more than 300 regular vendors and over 100 local vendors on market days. You can find fresh meat and fish, herbs, spices, handicrafts and dry goods. A must-see during your visit to the island, to soak up the local atmosphere, between the stalls of fruits and vegetables of the country. You will easily find lunch with grilled meats and tasty fish brochettes.

Typical of the development of metal architecture, the meat market dates from the beginning of the last century. Built in the same year as the large covered market, it is distinguishable for its magnificent ironwork. The stalls are manned by rather discreet men, but its unique atmosphere is due to the housewives who, in a verbal clatter, decide the price of the butchery! The same Creole atmosphere can be found at the fish market, which is held along the canal.

This Franciscan hermitage, whose full name is Iglesia Parroquial del Santo Cristo del Buen Viaje (Parish Church of the Holy Christ of the Good Journey), was built in 1640 and was recognized as an auxiliary parish at the end of the 17th century. In 1775, the temple, the main chapel and the side chapels were rebuilt. The present baroque façade was added at that time. The church is recognizable by its two towers, its beautiful stained glass windows and its tiled roof.

The handicraft market, the Mercado Nuevo, is housed in a concrete structure with a resolutely modern and aggressive architecture. Stands offer all local production in the fields of sculpture, painting, basket, textiles and consumables, cigars, rum… Apart from this, the traditional market is held with its coloured stalls and amply supplied in fruit and vegetables, sheltered under umbrellas or large sheets of plastic. We weigh the products on scales of fortune, the small restaurants make room.

The market beats every morning in the open air, but it is particularly animated on Saturday when small farmers come to sell their weekly harvest. The peasants, the head of a straw hat, are moving by mule in the middle of the pallaradant bikes, fruit sellers, vegetables, used clothing, and merenee and bachata Cds. The music escapes in dense waves from the cups to sheet roofs. It hurts, it shouts, it's merchantable to whom better in a joyful blast, anyway, it's typically Dominican…

Designed in France and built here in 1895, this old colonial wooden house was once the residence of the Rodríguez Jiménez family. The Dominican State later acquired it to convert it into the headquarters of the Montecristi Courthouse, an office that the Villa fulfilled until 1990. Abandoned for many years, it has undergone extensive restoration. The final project is to turn it into a Casa de Cultura, housing a school of Fine Arts.

The clock, the pride of the city, which stands in the middle of the central park of San Fernando, in front of the church, was bought from France in 1895, thanks to the contributions of the local citizens. Its structure is reminiscent of the Eiffel Tower, which is understandable since the clock was designed by Gustave Eiffel himself and built by the famous clockmaker Paul Garnier. The latter, a genius craftsman, was a member of the Society of Civil Engineers in the 19th century. The Montecristi clock still works with its original mechanism.

The lighthouse is emblematic of the area. This imposing monument was made from cast iron by Robert Hills and Sons, at the request of the provisional government of Gregorio Luperón. It was lit for the first time on September 9, 1879. It is 24 meters high and rises about 50 meters above sea level. A spiral staircase runs inside. Its visit is of little interest today except for the beautiful panorama that is offered to our eyes... At its feet lies the new Anfiteatro de Puerto Plata, an open-air theatre inaugurated in 2016.

A square, imposing building, consisting of a wall framing a round, crenellated central tower. Its strategic position enabled it to effectively defend the port entrance against pirate attacks. It is the only building in Puerto Plata to date from the ^16th century. The fortress was used as a court of justice and then as a military prison on several occasions, notably from 1930 to 1961, during the Trujillo dictatorship. Inside, a small military museum displays the cell of Juan Pablo Duarte, Father of the Fatherland, who was detained here in August 1844.

The National Theatre was inaugurated in 1973 by President Joaquín Balaguer. In front of the imposing marble and mahogany building, the statues of the three great writers of the golden age of Spanish literature (Lope de Vega, Tirso de Molina and Calderón de la Barca) stand guard. In the entrance hall, the great Dominican baritone Eduardo Brito and Ludwig van Beethoven greet the audience. The main auditorium can hold 1,589 people.

It was one of the accesses to the city by land, built in 1543 in the style of a medieval fortified gate. In this place, Francisco del Rosario Sanchez, Ramon Matias Mella, and a group of patriots began the struggle for independence from Haiti on February 27, 1844. On the west side of the gate, the remains of the two small bastions that completed it are still visible. It owes its name to a small chapel built nearby in 1842, where the inhabitants went to implore for mercy.

Dating from the 17th century, originally called the bastion of San Genaro, the Puerta del Conde is part of the fortified wall that surrounded the city. It is one of the greatest symbols of the city. The gate is named after the Count of Peñalba, governor of the island, who defended the city against the English in 1655. Its two solid square towers are connected by a stone arch. It was the site of the first acts of independence of the Republic. Today the Puerta del Conde is one of the main entrances to the Independence Park.

Located at the very end of Calle Mercedes, this most important strategic place was a link in the great chain of garrisons and military forts built for defensive purposes in the course of the 17th century by the Italian military engineer J. B. Ruggero. The Fort of Conception is located on the edge of the colonial zone, next to the Independence Park. It is made entirely of stone and was used as a tramway station in the 19th century. A monument that you will not miss to discover during your visit to Santo Domingo.

The long, three-storey National Palace is built in pure neoclassical style. As if it weren't imposing enough, it has been topped by an 18 m radius dome. Built from 1944 on Trujillo's orders and inaugurated in 1947, the National Palace is the seat of executive power: it houses the government offices, but not the president's official residence. The neoclassical style of the palace was designed by Italian architect Guido D'Alessandro. The presidential chapel is in the same style.

This two-storey building was built in 1554 by the Duke of Rivera, whose shield surmounts the door of the main entrance. The house owes its name to a strange character who lived in it and permanently masked his face. The legends say that he was the twin brother of a Spanish king or a disfigured leper. It is also said that prisoners from Mexico were locked up here and never showed their faces so as not to be recognized. Today the building is used for cultural events and art exhibitions.

It is the most famous building on the street. It is said that the six zoomorphic gargoyles that adorn its façade are typical of the Middle Ages! They were used as much to drain rainwater as to protect the building from harmful influences. They would have originally belonged to the cathedral. This building was the seat of the university of Santiago de La Paz. The national anthem was first performed here on August 17, 1883. The house communicates with the neighboring houses through interior corridors. A very interesting building to discover.

It is one of the oldest buildings in the city, built by order of Nicolás de Ovando (who ordered a total of fifteen). The Casa de los Jesuitas is a simple building with a colonial appearance typical of the period and a Moorish interior. The University of El Gorjo was transferred there under the supervision of the Jesuits until their expulsion in 1767. It was then inhabited by a few local families before becoming the property of the State. The adjoining church, now a national pantheon for some of the heroes of the resistance, was built from 1714 and finished in 1755.

Built between 1540 and 1555, it is the only decorated gate in the city. It opened the access to the port. This is where goods and travellers entered the walled city. The gate is also called Puerta de la Mar. At the back stands the Fort of San Diego, whose two-level structure protruded into the waters of the Ozama River and which has undergone several destructions and reconstructions. The Calle de las Damas, which overlooks the San Diego gate, offers a beautiful view of the river and the Alcázar.

The three houses that make up the palace were built by Nicolás de Ovando, founder of the city, during the first decade of the sixteenth century, when the governor general lived in Santo Domingo. The long and low façade is faithful to the austere gothic style of the time. The houses were attached to the Davila house at number 57 of the street when they were restored, and transformed into a tourist hotel in 1974 by the Dominican government.

The Palacio Consistorial was built in the 19th century to house the town hall. It is located near the Parque Nacional, a place where the local population lives and passes through. The Palace is today the cultural center of the city with a museum (free) which recalls the history of Santiago through photographs dating from the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century. Unfortunately it is not very well furnished, nevertheless you will observe an exhibition on the costumes of the famous carnival. From the floor, beautiful sight on a part of the city.

Symbol of the city of Santiago, planted in the center of a flowery esplanade, on a hill at the periphery of the city center, it was erected in the 1940s as a monument to the Peace of Trujillo. It is a 67 m high white marble structure topped by a column. The interior has four levels that house a series of small museums without real interest. From its top (which can be reached on foot or by elevator), one discovers a superb view of Santiago and the Cibao valley.

This six-storey palace, built on Trujillo's orders on a hill overlooking the city in the 1930s, is a massive concrete building with no particular charm. Its construction was entrusted to the engineer Henry Gazón. The dictator never occupied the place, but he had the walls decorated with frescos of the famous Spanish painter José Vela Zanetti (1913-1999). The palace was transformed into a hotel in the 1970s and then abandoned in the late 1990s, before renovations were undertaken.

For those curious about the Trujillo era, the dictator's country house, once lined inside with mahogany (hence the name "mahogany house"), contains an important collection of objects that once belonged to him. It can be found a few kilometers from the town, at the end of a stony track that should be restored. To get there, you'll have to head towards La Toma and turn left at the aqueduct. Not a priority visit on your trip, but one that can be organized while exploring the surrounding area.

The building, which houses the headquarters of the San Cristóbal Town Hall, was inaugurated in 1937. Easily recognizable by the small tower - on the top of which stands a clock - flanked by a one-story building, it was built entirely of reinforced concrete, in an architectural style of baroque-victorian inspiration, typical of the beginning of the last century. Because of its design and its representation in Dominican architecture, it has been declared "Cultural Heritage of the Dominican Republic". A construction that deserves a quick look.

These are the remains of the ancient town, located 10 km south of Azua. Oral tradition has it that the remains of the cacique Enriquillo were buried in the colonial church of Santa María de Azua. El Pueblo Viejo de Azua is still inhabited (around 6,500), and its population continues to grow. But it's in the new Azua that the main activities are concentrated, of course. It's not a very interesting passage, but it could prove to be a good stop-off point on your way to discovering the Dominican Republic.

Formerly a courthouse built in the heart of the city between 1905 and 1907, the building now houses the municipal department of culture of Fort-de-France. The neoclassical academic style architecture (columns, architraves, pediments, pilasters) presents an ordered façade on the upper part on which are engraved “Liberty, Equality, Fraternity”. In front of the building is a statue of Victor Schoelcher, made in 1900 by a Parisian sculptor, commemorating the abolition of slavery. Rest in its park to the rhythm of its fountain.

At the exit of the village in direction of north, you will be able to admire the vestiges of the old fort built in 1658 at the time of the foundation of the city. It was that year that the borough of Trinité was built, with the colonists settling at the entry of the peninsula. There, they chose to build a wooden chapel, at the foot of the hill where the Fort Sainte-Catherine is located. Even if it is not visited, its ruins evoke the time when La Trinité was a prestigious military garrison, the scene of many confrontations between the English and French troops.