Holidays in the Caribbean on a yacht. Martinique. A piece of France in the Caribbean. Developed tourist infrastructure

Martinique, a small island in the Caribbean Sea covered with lush tropical vegetation, has never been inhabited by poisonous snakes. But at the beginning of the last century, the jararaka, one of the most terrible poisonous snakes, appeared here.

Skillfully camouflaging itself in the grass, it quietly creeps up to its prey and rushes at it with incomprehensible speed. A snake bite is fatal. The circumstances under which this terrible poisonous jararaka snake appeared on the island are unusual.

This was in the 20s of the last century. Almost all the plantations in Martinique, as well as on the other islands of the basin Caribbean Sea, at that time belonged to Spanish and French colonial landowners. The plantations were worked by blacks brought from Africa and sold into slavery to wealthy landowners.

Work on plantations is hard and exhausting. The overseer's scourge knows no mercy. The abuse and atrocities are unbearable. And the bravest blacks fled to impenetrable forests islands.

Slave owners sent punitive expeditions into the jungle many times, but to no avail. The blacks felt at home in the forest and were elusive. And then the planters, blinded by hatred, decided on unprecedented cruelty. They brought jararaku from Brazil and released several hundred snakes into the forests where the blacks were hiding.

The slave owners achieved their goal - many runaway slaves died from snake bites. The planters were jubilant. “Now,” they said, “not a single Negro will dare to run into the forest.” But the joy of the slave owners was short-lived. They did not foresee all the consequences of their terrible idea. And the irreparable happened. Jararaka acclimatized very quickly and spread throughout the island.

Now the most dangerous snake, the jararaka, was found everywhere - on plantations, in gardens, on the streets of villages and cities, and even crawled into houses. There was no escape from it even in the palaces of slave owners. The snake spared neither the rich nor the poor. Everywhere she brought death. A real disaster has befallen the island... All attempts to destroy the jararaku and cleanse the island of the poisonous snake have failed.

Some mammals and birds are known to kill venomous snakes. For this purpose, several dozen animals were brought to Martinique - mongoose. In their homeland, India and Ceylon, mongooses are known as excellent snake fighters. They emerge victorious even in a duel with a spectacled snake. But in the fight against the jararaka, the mongooses unexpectedly retreated - they had no experience in fighting.

Several years ago, the people of Martinique tried once again to declare war on the Jararaca. They brought secretary birds from East Africa. These large and hardy birds boldly enter into battle with poisonous snakes, tear them to pieces and eat them. But oddly enough, the secretaries did not save the situation.

It turned out that they could not meet with the jararaka. The secretary is a diurnal bird, she sleeps at night. But the jararaka, on the contrary, hunts only at night, while during the day it skillfully hides and rests. So far it has not been possible to destroy the terrible snake. To this day, this terrible poisonous snake, the jararaka, threatens the inhabitants of the island of Martinique.

On small island Martinique in the Caribbean is home to several dozen rum factories and their slogan: “We will become the rum capital of the world!”

The Caribbean Sea is part of the Atlantic Ocean, named after the "Caribs" - the indigenous peoples who inhabited this territory before the arrival of the Spanish conquistadors at the end of the 15th century. Since the introduction of European culture and mechanization, these lands have become a center for growing sugar cane And rum production .

The first mentions of rum date back to 1650 in documents found in Barbados. A little later, rum production appeared in Jamaica and France. Martinique . They quickly learned to produce this drink industrially, by distilling the fermented juice of sugar cane, the plantations of which were planted on these islands.

The island of Martinique is a French colony since 1635 , has an area of 1100 sq. km., and the population is about 450,000 people. This is one of the richest islands Caribbean, after the Cayman, Bahamas and Virgin Islands. Almost the entire population of Martinique works in tourism or rum production.

Interestingly, the island’s tourism activities are closely connected with the history of Roma. For example, one of the most popular excursions is a trip to Sainte-Marie , V Roma Museum located on a sugar plantation St. James .

Today, there are dozens of rum factories operating in Martinique, and the island’s slogan is: “We will become the rum capital of the world!”

Among the island's most famous rum productions are:

Distillerie Dillon Fort-de-France

Distillerie Depaz Saint-Pierre

Habitation Clement François

Trois-Rivières Sainte-Luce

La Mauny Riviere-Pilote

Rhum Neisson Le Carbet

St. James Rum Museum Sainte-Marie

Bally (Habitation Lajus) Le Carbet

Distillerie JM Macouba

Distillerie St.Etienne Gros-Morne

Distillerie La Favorite Lamentin

Due to the fact that Martinique is one of the departments of France, local rum is produced under very strict control. WITH 1996 Martinican rum awarded an honorary title A.O.S. It is awarded to rum if the entire production of the alcoholic beverage, from the moment the cane is grown to bottling, is carried out to the highest standards, and the distillate strength is at least 65-75 degrees.

Yuri Dymov
Especially for CIGARTIME ©

Understand the admiration of Columbus, who discovered this Caribbean island, it’s not difficult - a corner of Eden, framed by satin beaches, is surrounded by greenery and flowers. Modern tourists are attracted not only by the charm of Martinique; here they find everything they need for a rich and vibrant holiday.

Martinique on the map

Martinique island on the world map or detailed map The islands can be viewed using the navigation buttons (+/-). Caribbean islands on the map

Martinique is located in the central part of the Petit ridge Antilles, is a French overseas possession. From above it is easy to see that Martinique is divided into two territories: the relatively flat south and the mountainous north. On the second is the notorious volcano Mont Pele (Bald Mountain), whose height reaches 1397 meters.

The island of flowers is washed by the Caribbean Sea from the west, majestic Atlantic Ocean- from the east. Martinique has four districts: Le Marin, Fort-de-France, Saint-Pierre, La Trinite. The size of the entire territory is almost 1130 km², the hospitable population is just under 400 thousand people, the capital is Fort-de-France.

capital – Fort-de-France

Travelers who choose Martinique can envy: developed infrastructure, gorgeous beaches, excellent roads, fantastic Caribbean Sea, fashionable resort areas, high-quality service, entertainment for the most demanding needs. It’s not for nothing that rich French citizens come here to relax in their own villas.

There is something for everyone, since on the island it is possible to combine solitude, extreme sports, promenades along numerous attractions, and explosive fun. French and Creole cuisine, culture, music, and traditions are surprisingly intertwined.

Aesthetes will not be disappointed in the spectacular performances and exhibitions; gourmets will appreciate the taste of tart rum and spicy dishes based on meat, seafood, and vegetables. Those eager for ecotourism will add to their collection of impressions with forays into nature, and they will put absolutely everything highest mark beach holiday, since marine leisure in Martinique is varied, rich, and of high quality.

Nature of Martinique

Judging by scientific descriptions, the flora and fauna in Martinique does not shine with wealth, but the eyes refuse to believe it. The foam of the clouds in the endless blue of the sky is reflected in the bottomless surface of the sea, the vegetation glitters with all sorts of shades of green, the mountainous slopes of the volcanoes are covered with forests, flowering fruit trees exude a delightfully intoxicating aroma. Sugar, coffee, cotton plantations, flowers from tiny to giant, replace each other on the southern side, and they delight the eye not only in protected areas, but also in populated areas, near hotels, on beaches.

The rivers do not differ in depth and width, but this is compensated by their quantity. Moreover, not every Caribbean island boasts fresh water bodies, but Martinique also has waterfalls. Undersea world I definitely wouldn’t call him poor! You can easily verify this by renting equipment for diving and similar hobbies. For lovers wildlife you should be careful, since in tropical thickets it is possible to encounter snakes, but there are none in cities and towns.

Sights of Martinique

If we continue the conversation about nature, then it is considered one of the main attractions of the island. All you need to do is sign up for an excursion along the Route de la Traz route. The lucky ones admire the tropical shady bushes, real forests of tree-like spreading ferns, carved palm trees, walk through the fairy-tale botanical garden of Jardin-Balata, take photographs against the backdrop of waterfall cascades, and relax on the banks of the Alma River.

To complete the experience, it is advisable to dilute unity with nature with other excursions and entertainment, of which there are many offered in Martinique:

a functioning museum in the house of the first wife of Napoleon I;
Banana and Butterfly Museums;
climbs to Montagne Pelée and Pitons du Carbet;
festive processions marking the opening of the carnival season;
Bay of Fort-de-France;
Trabo, Noir and Dufour bays;
beaches of Anse Tartan, Salines; Enns Bonneville, Enns Létan;
sugar cane and coffee processing workshops;
salt lake Etang de Salines;
Chateau-Dubuque castle;
volcanic island of Rochers du Diamant.

A little about the northern part of Martinique, the west coast above the capital of the island - Fort-de-France and the fishing village Grand Riviere.

Trying to go to St. Lucia

This morning we went to Fort de France - the capital island state in the Caribbean - Martinique. The task was simple at first glance: buy tickets for a high-speed ferry to the island of St. Lucia to spend two days there, and then from there via a stopover in Martinique to fly to the island of Guadeloupe.

The vessel used is high-speed catamarans and the travel time to Saint Lucia is 1:30 hours. To begin with, some trouble was within reach of the company's office: Fort-de-France as real colonial city completely devoid of signs and parking.

But, as a rule, in such places the car can be abandoned near the fire station or at the port, so, focusing on the cruise ship’s chimney, we got to the steamship departure pier through numerous traffic jams on the narrow roads of Fort-de-France.

Such traffic jams are created by the residents of this city themselves: at the moment when they stop for a coffee break to chat with friends, a decent tail accumulates behind them.

Throwing the car in a storage facility next to the parking lot cruise ships, it was not without difficulty that we found the office of the Express des Illes company, where we were disappointed: ferries to Saint Lucia run 2 times a week: Wednesday and Friday. Neither of these suited me, and besides, tickets for the next flights were sold out.

We had to redo the program, so we stay in Martinique for another 2 days, and then move to Guadeloupe by air.

Air tickets for flights to islands in the Caribbean are searched and purchased through.

Northern part of Martinique

There is a volcano in the north of the island.
They say that at the beginning of the 20th century it puffed so much that from the city - the former capital of Martinique - Saint-Pierre All that was left were the horns and legs.
It was covered with ashes and even now some islands of buildings from that era are visible.

I don’t understand why Columbus, landing on the island of Martinique in this very place, exclaimed: Martinique (land of flowers!).
In my opinion, the north is much more sparse in terms of vegetation in this place: the mountains and hills are brown in color, and after the blooming and green south, this place seems boring and miserable.

There are many tourists with cameras in Saint Pierre.
The place is popular.
But what interested me more than the ruins was this question: the narrow roads in the city have deep drainage ditches along the edges.

The slightest deviation from the axis of the street is fraught with the car falling into these ditches.
But the cars of local residents are parked so that the ditch runs under the bottom of the car.

How so? How do they park? The answer was quickly revealed visually: a local resident, approaching his house, takes out a shield from the gateway -> covers the ditch with it -> then calmly drives his wheels to the other side of the ditch, and then removes the shield and hides it again in the gateway.

After some time, you will be faced with a choice: drive north along the road passing in close proximity to the volcano, or, slightly increasing the mileage, drive along a good road immediately to north coast, then turn left towards the most fishing village of all fishing villages Grand Riviere.
We had the second option - the specificity of the island at this moment was as follows: a cloud constantly hangs over the volcano, so there is no point in driving past it on the road: wandering in the fog along a damp serpentine road is a waste of time and energy

English-language sites describe the delights and wonderful views of the north of Martinique, but I drive and see nothing but brown hills.
I’m driving and thinking: Why the hell did I come here?
I would be lying on white sand right now south beach and enjoyed the gentle and clean sea.

But at some point the car crosses a border: the landscapes change dramatically.
The forest tangled with vines and shaggy rocks give way to neat banana plantations.

This is what foreigners write about – it’s really very beautiful.
A bit reminiscent of the tropical jungle of Panama...
Like in the movie Predator with A. Schwarzneger...
But there is one problem: the roads are narrow, winding and there is no way to stop and photograph this riot of flora...

The roads are nevertheless good, asphalt, markings and signs.
All this creates a completely comfortable mood for moving along east coast.
And here is the village...

Village of Grand Riviere

The village of Grand Riviere is described on Western tourism sites as a wild fishing village with many taverns serving fresh fish and seafood prepared according to Creole recipes.

In fact, the village seemed nice, quite civilized and completely deserted.
Well, it’s not the season - what can you do about it?...
Smoothly moving on to Creole cuisine.
The word “Creole/Creole” is on every other billboard here on the island.

But the guys don't know how to cook.
Show me all those spices that are depicted in cookbooks dedicated to Creole cuisine!

Creole cuisine

The basis of the dishes: meat and to a lesser extent fish and seafood.
The means to achieve a Creole-like dish is a pressure cooker, where meat or seafood is stewed.

The sauce uses tomatoes, carrots and onions.
Beans and rice are used as a side dish.

In several places I was offered sweet potatoes, lettuce, scalded and finely chopped onions.
But these are already different trends, like the ubiquitous mayonnaise in Martinique.

Real Creole dishes are something stewed in grevy + rice or beans.
The local specialty is the so-called black pudding, which, despite its foreign name, is an ordinary blood sausage.
Also popular are deep-fried balls of a mixture of ground fish meat with sweet potato or banana... in short, rubbish.

Martinique is considered one of the exporters of bananas.
Of course, it is far from Ecuador, but nevertheless, banana plantations in the north of the island, where land is not as expensive as in the resort south, are very widely represented.
Almost on a par with sugar cane plantations - the main agricultural crop of the island.

Three parts of Martinique

I would divide the island of Martinique into three parts:

The first part is the south of the island: the location of the beaches and calm sea. The most expensive land. The highest density of population and roads.
The second part is the capital of Fort de France, a place where you should not appear in dark time days = robbed
Third part – north and east of the island: agricultural areas and places compact living black population

The main products on the island are imported.
The main industrial goods are Chinese.
Cosmetics, perfume, hygiene products - from the metropolis, from France.
Alcohol: your own, local.

It has been noticed today that the white population of Martinique is mainly employed in various jobs, from weeding to road repair.
The black population at this time sits with beer or a baguette with ham and enjoys their free time.

Despite the fact that the surrounding waters are full of fish and shrimp, all this is brought from France.
Locals they are reluctant to catch what is under their noses.
Well, this is all familiar and not surprising: in the conditions of the development of social guarantees, the interest in work among the working population decreases.

Questions that interested me before traveling to this island:

where are the best beaches
Which part of the island is best to stay?
what to see on the island besides the beaches
logistics of travel from Martinique to other islands

I found answers to these questions and shared this information above and in the first part of my story.

Prices in Martinique

How much does it cost on the island of Martinique bothered me and worries me least of all, since I know what a vacation is like on the Caribbean islands belonging to the territories or under the protectorate of France or Great Britain.

Judge for yourself: the islands do not produce anything and live exclusively on tourism, through the sale of living space to citizens of the metropolis.
All goods on the island are imported, so if you know, take prices in France or Great Britain and add transportation costs to get to the islands.
Therefore, the cost of a holiday here is higher than a holiday on the Cote d'Azur.

The average bill in a cafe on the beach for two is 60-80 euros.
The cost of a night in a hotel or apartment depends on the season and how far in advance you book it.
In September I booked an apartment on the island of Guadeloupe for 70 euros.
Now these same apartments cost 170 euros.

The same thing in Martinique: I was now finishing off 2 nights - I got it for 110 euros and then with a 50% discount, since I got it a few hours before check-in...
Here's something like this in terms of prices.

Therefore, holidays in Martinique are not available to everyone: the French come here on social vouchers (free or with a very big discount) or come for the winter to purchased apartments and villas.
They don’t care about prices - they don’t go to good country restaurants (the bill starts from 150 euros for two) here - they sit at their hotels and drink a cup of coffee all evening.

But you can minimize food costs while in Martinique.
If you have housing with a kitchen (apartment), then you can stock up on groceries in supermarkets.)

Amazing Martinique is one of the islands that are part of the Lesser Antilles archipelago, and it is under the jurisdiction of France, being its department. The island itself is not large and is divided into two parts: the southern - with plains and beaches, and the northern - the territory of volcanoes. One of the biggest active volcanoes north of Martinique - Montagne-Pelée. The coasts of Martinique are washed from the east by the Atlantic, and from the west by the Caribbean Sea.

Martinique is an amazing island - real paradise for vacationers. H. Columbus once said that Martinique is most beautiful country in the whole world! Now along the entire coast of the island there are several cities with amazing architecture in colonial style and the largest of them is Fort-de-France. IN island capital a great many beautiful old mansions, churches and parks. There are business centers and office buildings here, surrounded by greenery - a truly incredible sight! There are also many small shops and cafes in the French style, where tourists are always fed with the delights of local cuisine.

By the way, speaking of cuisine, it is very diverse here! It combines the best culinary traditions of the Caribbean and France! Particular preference is given to seafood and fish. Also in great variety here are fruits: soursop, guava, tangerines and passion fruit - here you can try excellent freshly squeezed juices and cocktails made from them. They also make fresh sugar cane here! Martinique loves coffee - it is the best-selling drink here. But still, the main glory on this island is rum! Martinique rum is one of the best in the world, and one of the most expensive.

In addition to rum, Martinique is famous for its noisy carnivals, the number of which is by no means inferior to Brazil and Cuba. The largest festival is the five-day Mardi Gras festival. It is held in early March. Grand street processions, parades, dances - this festival is a tribute to local traditions, music and rituals.

People who prefer leisure- fly to Martinique for diving. Around the island, the bottom is strewn with the wreckage of many ships that once sank off Martinique. In addition, there are excursions on horseback or jeeps to northern part Martinique.

Souvenirs you can bring from the island include, for example, unique quilts made using the patchwork technique, spices, shells and local dolls. Here you can buy real French perfumes at an incomparably low price. But what you must bring from Martinique is rum!

This island is a real highlight of the Caribbean.

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