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Martinique & Guadeloupe
November 23, 2009 by Fractional & Shared Ownership Property News & Reviews · Leave a Comment
Two Caribbean Islands with a Touch of France
Sun shines through Martinique’s rainforest canopy, lighting more shades of green than the eye can discern. Hiking paths wind among tall mahogany trees, lianas trail in rope-like ladders, giant tree ferns and fan-shaped traveler’s palms rise above a dense undergrowth where stands of bamboo seem positively frivolous.
The road that rises steeply into the mountains is lined with red-leaved Rose of India, and white begonias tumble from garden banks. We pass trees sprayed with fiery orange and red blossoms, and coconut palms flapping lazily in the breeze.
When Christopher Columbus passed this way, the Carib Indian inhabitants called Martinique Madinina, meaning Island of Flowers. It’s still an apt description for this little bit of France, planted in the Caribbean.
From the creamy, delicately waxy, frangipane blossoms to the flashy, lobster claw heliconia; alamanda bushes, their yellow flowers sunbright against glossy green and oleanders blooming in the prettiest pinks – you don’t need to look far to find natural color here. And there are delicious surprises, like coming across a shaded patch of pink anthurium when you are least expecting them, and falling asleep to the rhythmic squeaking of a tree frog.
In the village of Trinité-Tartane, fish is landed on the beach and served a few hours later in any of the numerous restaurants along a bay that’s ringed by seagrape trees. Banana and pineapple plantations reach to the Atlantic coast, and fields of sugarcane stand proud, waiting to fuel one of the island’s most famous assets – rhum agricole. Invented 350 years ago by a French explorer-priest, Père Labat, who took the methods of creating Cognac as his inspiration; the clear, white rum is made from the pure juice squeezed from the sugar cane. It is used in the powerful Tí-punch, a locals’ favorite tipple, while the rum that’s aged for several years in oak barrels really does rival Cognac.
There are several distilleries open to visit and the Musée de Rhum St James combines history with tastings in an attractive setting. Don’t miss the fascinating Musée de Banane, which has a wonderful stand of pink torch lilies in the back garden. The romantic dance, the Beguine, began in Martinique, and Napoleon’s Empress Josephine was born there. A visit to the Musée la Pagerie, on the family’s sugar estate, is a must.
In 1902, a drunk called Cyparis never imagined he’d make history, but when the volcano Mount Pelé erupted and destroyed St Pierre, the island’s former capital, known then as ‘the Paris of the Antilles’, he was the only man left alive – he survived because he was in an underground cell in the jail. It’s a rather eerie experience walking up a rather grand staircase among the ruins of what must have been a splendid theater.
You need to hire a car to get the most out of a stay on Martinique – or do as we did and hire a tour guide driver. She took us to beautiful Caribbean-lapped beaches and up into green-coated hills, and brought local history to life as we passed by coffee plants and lychee trees, cocoa beans in their hanging purses, fields of wafting tapioca, and trees heavy with breadfruit, guavas and mangoes.
In the capital, Fort-de-France, shops display French designer fashions, patisseries tempt and the cathedral inspires – as does the Schoelcher library. If you love flowers, don’t leave Martinique without visiting the Balata Gardens. They are a dream.
Guadeloupe
Descending from the air, you can see the butterfly-shaped outline of Guadeloupe – twin, yet distinctly different, islands, separated by a slim channel of mangroves. Basse-Terre (Lowland), despite its name, is the highest and wildest ‘wing’ of the butterfly, with smoldering Soufrière volcano and a jungly, rainforested National Park with dashing waterfalls at its heart. Stay here if you enjoy hiking amid tropical trees and lush vegetation, traditional fishing villages and banana plantations stretching as far as the eye can see. Heliconia and vibrant ginger flowers splash through thick fern forests, orchids cling in tree crevices and mahogany and gum trees reach for the sky.
Grand-Terre is much flatter and drier, and has sugarcane fields, windmills and rum factories – as well as long, white sandy beaches protected by coral reefs that skirt the southern coast. This is where the main hotels are located, and every kind of watersport is on offer.
Guadeloupe has much more of a spirited Caribbean feel to it than Martinique. The main town, Point-à-Pitre, is peppered with colonial architecture and buzzes with life and color. There’s a great covered market (buy gifts of
spices here) and an eye-catching open-air fruit and flower market close to the harbor, where fish is sold straight from the boats. The Carib Indian name for Guadeloupe was Karukera, which means Island of Beautiful Waters. Rimmed with coconut palms, the sea spans shades of crystal blue throughturquoise to deepest marine. Several small islands are easily reached by fast ferry from Point-à-Pitre, for days out or a short stay.
On windmill-dotted Marie-Galante, time hasn’t exactly stood still, but not a lot has happened over the years. Oxen still pull carts of cut sugarcane, fields of green are punctuated by tall palms, the pace of life is slow. While place names like Buckingham reflect a time of British rule, English is little spoken here.
The stylish place to stay is La Cohoba Hôtel on the sandy coast, or for real local atmosphere, hire a car and head inland for Habitation Grand Bassin. It’s a family home with rooms and superb traditional food. A one-night stay, with breakfast and dinner, costs about €69 for two.
We found eating out on Guadeloupe very enjoyable. Restaurants range from stylish French cuisine to Creole, a fusion of African, Hindu and Caribbean cultures and tastes. All make good use of the fresh local seafood, unusual vegetables and exotic fruits, and prices are similar to Paris. Try accras (codfish fritters), calalou (a crab soup) and colombo (curry); drink the high quality local rum and wonderful fresh fruit juices. And enjoy the antics of those busy little birds, the yellowbellied bananaquits, as they sup at any unattended sugar bowl that catches their eye.
If You Go…
Currency
Euro
What to Do
Swim, sail, windsurf, water ski, scuba dive, fish, walk, hike, ride, play beach games, tennis, golf.
When to Go
Martinique: warm all year round, with day temperatures hovering around 86° F/30° C; April is the driest month, with the lowest humidity. February to May is peak tourist season.
Guadeloupe: Like Martinique, it’s warm all year round. February to April are the driest months and peak tourist season. The wettest months are July to November (hurricane season). Both islands are cooled by les alizés, the
trade winds.
What to Buy
Rum, spices, local crafts, guava jelly, candied fruits, and the wonderfully colorful Madras fabric.
Tip
You’ll get the most out of a vacation on these islands if you are conversant in French.
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