There are words in the world that are understandable to everyone without exception. This is the Caribbean. You say “Caribbean” and everyone imagines paradise. But no matter how great and diverse it is, everyone will still have a favorite place in heaven. So it seemed to me that the island of Martinique in those parts is the best. And if I am ever asked to choose a Caribbean paradise for myself, I will not hesitate to point my finger at this point. Although, paradise, in my understanding, is generally on the other side of the planet, but today we are talking about the Caribbean!

Martinique, like the French part of the island of Saint Martin, is a French territory. When our cruise ship arrived at the port, we were met by a military ship. “So that’s where they are, the Mistrals,” I suddenly thought, “now they’re guarding the Caribbean.”)))

Many caribbean islands reminded me of Moscow Domodedovo airport. And why? Yes, because you go down the ramp to the ground and taxi drivers begin to surround you, ready to take you anywhere and however you want, and most importantly, for as long as you want)).

Particularly enterprising Martinicans offer large minivans at a price of 30 or 40 euros per seat per person. This is completely inconvenient; it’s much more interesting to take a whole car for 150 euros and go wherever you want, without listening to anyone). So I did. I was lucky with the driver - Lucien not only had a beautiful name, but also spoke surprisingly good English.

Fort de France is the capital of Martinique and the most Big city on the island.

Near the port of arrival cruise ships there is an old fort, where those tourists usually go who feel sorry for the money for an excursion and who want to lie on a beautiful beach. It’s just that the old fort is closer than the other “rookeries”, where you can relax, roast like a pig on a spit and reflect the clouds.

Lucien drove an old car, and the price for the sightseeing tour was at a discount. But his friend Franz, driving a BMW 5 Series in the back of an E60, asked for 50 euros more for the same excursion).

I decided to see everything significant places, and from Fort-de-France Lucien and I went deeper into the island.

When you drive through Martinique, you get the impression that you are driving through Alpine villages: the same serpentines, only under the bright Caribbean sun.
First stop is the beautiful Balata Church. Connoisseurs will easily recognize it as the Parisian Sacré-Coeur Basilica.

It’s probably bad not to understand the intricacies of the rules of behavior in churches of various faiths. But when visiting Catholic churches there are usually no problems: you do without the unnecessary attention of those present. But two weeks before this trip I had the opportunity to visit the Tula province. And in one of the Orthodox churches, a servant, seeing a camera on my neck, pounced and began to demand my mother’s blessing to take pictures.

I invited the lady to leave the temple and “discuss it in detail”: I really wanted to understand the reason. I tried to ask my interlocutor whether it is possible to order and receive Mother’s blessing online, and whether the permission is multiple, a kind of subscription), or whether it is only one-time. The servant was unable to answer, she became furious and walked away, taking with her in her hem my mood to enter the church again.

And in Catholic monasteries, take as many photographs as you like, no problems).

As soon as we drove from Fort-de-France into the mountains, our lungs immediately felt an influx of fresh air. In little Martinique, the Lord, it seems, tried to fit all his most important wealth. Snow-white beaches with blue water coexist with jungles, mountain rivers and waterfalls. And not seeing this when you get here is probably a crime.

This is the small river Alma, the same name as the one that once played one of the decisive roles in the Russian-Turkish war.

Coconut coke seller next to observation deck on the Alma River. With the help of this machete, he earned his right to sell green nuts with rich milk on the road. The cold blade became his best friend and they are together forever

Our next stop is the Gendarme's Leap waterfall or Cascad de Saut Gendame.
After walking under the hot sun, it’s nice to cool off in the cool lake, after taking the Turbine flag with you.

The island of Martinique is of volcanic origin, and the most high mountain on the island is called Pele. Highway there is no way there, but there is an excellent hiking route. Of course, there was no time to get up - on cruises, alas, only a few hours are given to each island. But I stopped in a beautiful village at the foot of this mountain.

This is how people live next to a volcano. There is always a risk that he will wake up and hide a small settlement under a thick layer of ash.

Martinique, like many other Caribbean islands, was discovered by the famous Christopher Columbus. This happened back in 1502. At that time the island was inhabited by Indians - the Caribs. The Spaniards did not find gold here and did not show much interest in the island, and in 1635 the French came here. The French knew very well the ancient wisdom “A good Indian is a dead Indian,” so they quickly exterminated all the Caribs, and brought black slaves from Africa to work on the plantations.

Initially, cotton and tobacco were grown on the island, and then sugar cane and coffee.

Rum is made in Martinique. Our next stop was a demonstration factory where the pirate drink is made. I didn’t even know that little Martinique produces such a huge number of brands of one of my favorite alcoholic “delicacies”.

Work is in full swing here. Tractors carry sugar cane almost continuously, and local “wizards” turn the plant into a “noble drink.” But rum connoisseurs, like your humble servant, are becoming fewer and fewer every day. Drinking alcohol is no longer fashionable. Young people are increasingly looking for their bodies, while away their time on treadmills in gyms, and taking selfies. Went to the gym - selfie, ate - selfie, drank tea - selfie.

American "telephone picture" servers are literally exploding with daily faces, breakfasts, dinners and everything else.))

And I love the “classics” - in the evening, with a glass of noble drink, write or read something on the Turbine).

So from this thick foam you get Hemingway’s strong, oily, throat-burning drink.))

Well, after such a pleasant walk around the distillery, how can you not go into the store and buy a couple of bottles of dark Martinique rum for home? I still drink at home in the morning with a hangover mineral water from a glass of "Rhum Depaz". A very pleasant and worthy drink - I recommend it.

The next stop in Martinique was the town of Saint-Pierre. It is located in the north-west of the island, and once upon a time it was called the “Paris of America”. Saint-Pierre is located right at the foot of the aforementioned volcanic mountain Montagne Pelée ("bald mountain"). This volcano has always been restless. He was puffing all the time. And when he really woke up in April 1902, the city residents did not even think about fleeing.

The entire population remained in the city. And on May 8, a disaster occurred: a cloud of suffocating hot gases, stones and ash descended on Saint-Pierre and took the lives of almost 30 thousand people. The only survivor was the prisoner who was imprisoned in a deep basement.
Dima described this story in detail. I highly recommend reading it.

All that remains of the old city now are black, charred stones.

There are no plans to remove them. This is the memory of that distant tragedy.

103 years ago there was nothing here, but now here you are - a new Saint-Pierre. Everything is cyclical in this world, as in the classic song “Red red blood, in an hour it’s just earth, in two there are flowers and grass on it, in three it’s alive again...”

Martinique is an island of volcanic origin in the Windward Islands of the Lesser Antilles archipelago. The island is washed in the west by the Caribbean Sea, in the east by the waters of the Atlantic, in the north the strait of the same name separates Martinique from the island of Dominica, and in the south the Strait of Saint Lucia separates it from the strait of the same name. After its discovery, the name of the island was given by the Spaniards in honor of the Catholic saint.

In shape, Martinique is a piece of land in the shape of an almost regular oval, elongated from north to south. The coastline of the island is very indented with bays and bays, some of which are quite convenient for berthing and mooring of ships. There are a lot of rocks and small islands off the coast of Martinique, among which the islet of Ramville and the rocks of Le Douz, Le Fevre, and La Misieur are worth highlighting. The total area of the island of Martinique with its surrounding islands and rocks is more than 1,100 square kilometers.

The island of Martinique was discovered during the fourth expedition of Christopher Columbus in 1502. Before the discovery of the island by Europeans, it was inhabited by Carib tribes. Since the island was not rich in either resources or gold, Spain did not pay attention to it, which France took advantage of in 1635, which founded the first European settlement on the island - Saint-Pierre. Since the Carib tribes were quickly exterminated, the colonial administration of Martinique began importing slaves from Africa to work on the plantations. In the 18th and 19th centuries, Martinique was captured by the British several times, but invariably returned back to French control. At the beginning of 1902, a catastrophic eruption of the Mont Pelee volcano occurred, destroying almost the entire population of the city of Saint-Pierre.

From 1946 to the present, Martinique has been an overseas department of France and has the right to elect its deputies to the parliament of this country.

The monetary unit in circulation on the island of Martinique is the euro (EUR, code 978), consisting of 100 euro cents.

Martinique's population exceeds 400 thousand people. In ethno-racial terms, almost the entire population of the island (97% of the total) is mulatto and black, the remaining small part of the island's inhabitants are descendants of Europeans, Indians and Arabs. The official language of the island, as in all territories of France, is French, but in everyday life you can often hear Creole speech.

The administrative center of Martinique is the city of Fort-de-France, located on the west coast of the island. The city is inhabited by about 90 thousand inhabitants. To other significant ones settlements The islands include the cities of Saint-Pierre, Le Marigot, Tartana, Saint-Joseph and others.

The island's economy is built mainly on tourism and the tourist services sector. It is these industries that bring the lion's share of revenue to the local territorial budget.

Numerous tourists and guests of the island can get to Martinique by air and sea transport. Most often tourists use, of course, by air transport. Not far from Fort-de-France there is the largest airport in the region, Aimo Cesare, which has international status. Although the airport was built with one terminal, it is capable of providing quite a significant passenger turnover from both Europe and the countries of the region. Seaports Martinique, of which Fort-de-France is the largest, is capable of receiving regular flights sea passenger transport and provide reception services for vessels of various classes, including low-draft cruise ships.

There are 61 hotels of various service classes available to those arriving on the island. Among them there are not large hotels by the sea for just a few guests, but there are also fashionable hotels in administrative center islands and on the coast near the beaches. Among the most prestigious establishments of this kind, five-star hotels should be noted, such as HotelLa Pagerie, Residence Oceane Hotel, Le Cap Est Lagoon Resort & Spa, Hôtel Corail Résidence and others.

The climate on the island of Martinique is tropical trade wind; there are no significant fluctuations in air temperature depending on the season, therefore all year round the temperature is kept between 25-28 °C. Precipitation on the island falls in the form of rain mainly during late summer and early autumn in quantities ranging from 1,700 to 2,000 millimeters per year. Sometimes tropical hurricanes hit the island, but they do not cause significant damage to the island's economy. In general, the climate is very favorable both for everyday life on the island and for recreation.

Almost along the entire coast of the island there are the most beautiful beaches with the purest dazzling white sand and emerald colored coastal waters. Here the beaches are divided into developed and wild. Each of them has its own charms. So, for example, there are hotels, bars and restaurants nearby near organized beaches, and wild beaches, as a rule, have sufficient privacy from civilization, being away from the infrastructure of the island. The 12-kilometer beach of Pointe de la Cherry is rightfully considered the largest in size.

The beaches of Martinique attract not only lovers of passive beach holiday, but lovers of sea sports. The island hosts annual regattas for sailing in various classes, yachting and windsurfing, some of which are even considered World Cup stages. Martinique is a real find for divers who come here from all over Globe. All conditions have been created here to meet their needs. These include coral reefs, located in some places near the coast, and a large number of sunken ships from different time periods and eras, which have been preserved in fairly good condition. A particularly good place for diving and underwater fishing is the coast of the island of Rocher du Diamant, where the coral reefs are extremely beautiful and full of marine life.

Fort-de-France will more than satisfy the interests of lovers of local attractions and architectural monuments. Here you just need to see the original building of the Scholscher Library with a Byzantine-style dome, the old Catholic Cathedral of Saint-Louis built in 1895, the Palace of Justice built at the beginning of the last century, the Museum of Archeology, which has a sufficient number of interesting exhibits, regional museum ethnography and history of Martinique and the Oceanarium, where samples of marine life living in the waters adjacent to the island are collected.

The Indians who inhabited Martinique in the pre-Columbian era called it the island of flowers, which is quite true to the essence. The island is literally buried in the greenery of tropical forests and blooms before our eyes in the spring and summer. The lack of mammals on the island is compensated by the huge number of birds that nest both on the coast and in the tropical forests of the island. Numerous forest and mountain trails are available for lovers of cross-country hiking. While walking around the island, you can also admire the slopes of the grandiose volcano Mont Pele.

Martinique is an island in the Caribbean Sea, which is an overseas department of France in Caribbean region, north of Saint Lucia and south of the Dominican Republic.

The island is home to the Pelée Mountains, whose volcano erupted on May 8, 1902, completely destroying the city of Saint-Pierre, killing 30,000 people. In the southern part of the island there are many beautiful beaches with a lot of vacationers. In the north it is worth seeing tropical forests and amazing beaches with black sand. The interior of the island is mountainous.

Mentality and climate of Martinique

Martinique is an overseas department of France and preserves the dishes of French and Caribbean culture. The main national dishes are an excellent combination of French and Creole cuisine, which are definitely worth trying.

The northern part of the island attracts tourists who want to climb the mountains and explore the rainforests. In its turn, South part islands - offers a wide range of shops and beaches for those who decide to just relax.

The climate is tropical and humid, with average temperatures between 24°C and 30°C, moderated by the trade winds. The rainy season lasts from June to October, and the island is vulnerable to destructive cyclones (hurricanes) on average every eight years.

Tourist seasons

There are two climatic and three tourist seasons in Martinique. The peak season comes from December to the end of April, with high prices for goods and services, and huge crowds of tourists.

From May to the end of November, tourists tend to relax in other places, since during this period it is the rainy season on the island. The summer months (July and August) are something of a shoulder season when tourists often take advantage of the good weather to visit the island's excursions and attractions.

Prices and tourist services, as well as plane tickets are usually quite expensive, so before going to the island, it is worth booking your seat in advance so as not to overpay twice.

Overall, if you want to avoid the tourist crowds but enjoy pleasant temperatures, we recommend you visit the island in May and June, as the climate during this period of the year is quite dry, with reasonable humidity levels, and rates are still quite low.

July and August are quite hot times of the year on the island, but do not rush to get upset if you are planning a vacation on the island during this period. Despite the fairly frequent rains at the beginning and end of summer, this is a fairly favorable period to visit local attractions. Not worth taking a cruise ship in September, as you will be much more likely to encounter a hurricane or tropical storm.

Excursions around the island of Martinique

The best way to fully see Martinique is by car (or rental or taxi). Even if you plan to spend most of your trip at the beach, you will at least have to take a taxi from international airport Martinique named after Aimé Césaire (FDF), to the city of Fort-de-France or the resort areas of the island.

Using a taxi for sightseeing is not a good idea budget option. Instead, it's better to rent a car and start exploring the island on your own.

To take a break from driving, you can order a boat (ferry), from which you can see the wonderful atmosphere and beauty of the island, with its long sandy beaches and tropical forests.

Must-sees in Martinique

Anse Cafard Slave Memorial
Schoelcher Library
Les Salines

The besthotelsMartinique

Cap Est Lagoon Resort & Spa
Club Med Buccaneer's Creek
Hotel La Pagerie

/ Martinique

MARTINIQUE

Martinique is located on the island of the same name in the West Indies, which is one of the largest in the Lesser Antilles archipelago. A hilly plain divides the island into two parts - the flat southern and northern, occupied by volcanoes, among which the active Montagne Pele volcano stands out. West Coast It is washed by the waters of the Caribbean Sea, and the eastern part by the Atlantic Ocean. Total area 1.128 thousand square meters. km. . In the north of the island there are mountains covered with dense tropical forests. On the southern plains there are successive plantations of sugar cane, bananas, pineapples, coffee, cocoa and spices that overlook golden beaches with turquoise water.

The island of Martinique was called by Christopher Columbus "the most beautiful country in the world". And this is not surprising. The island is replete with spectacular scenery and is considered one of the most beautiful in the group of Windward Islands. Superb beaches, secluded coves, lush tropical forests, and numerous scuba diving and other sports destinations attract tourists from all over the world.

Martinique has everything excellent developed infrastructure recreation - numerous fashionable hotels, small colorful towns with colonial architecture, well-developed transport and communications, as well as traditional distilleries and nature reserves. The stormy ones are especially beautiful mountain rivers, forming numerous waterfalls - it is not often on the Windward Islands that you can find such an abundance of fresh water as in Martinique. Despite the omnipresent French influence on the island's culture, Creole traditions are highly visible and practically dominate the cuisine, language, music and customs.

The main attraction of Martinique is nature - excellent beaches, hidden bays, tropical forests, nature reserves, numerous places for scuba diving and other sports, hotels for every taste from inexpensive to luxurious. Here you can do water sports and snorkeling... or just laze around enjoying the blend of clove, cinnamon, vanilla and nutmeg aromas. The small towns with colonial architecture are lovely. Tasting rooms at rum factories are open to tourists. The mountain rivers are especially beautiful, forming numerous waterfalls. Beautiful sandy beaches"Caribbean Riviera", old French urban architecture, developed area services with magnificent hotels, beaches, many cafes, bars, discos, casinos, truly French and Creole cuisine (and for exotic lovers, Chinese, Italian and Vietnamese cuisine) will not leave even an experienced traveler indifferent. The capital of the island of Fort-de-France.

Martinique - the island of flowers. The overseas department of France is the island of Martinique, located on the island of the same name in the West Indies and is one of the largest in the Lesser Antilles archipelago. The West Coast is washed by the waters Caribbean Sea, eastern – Atlantic Ocean. Area ~ 1.1 thousand sq. km.

In the famous picturesque resorts of Martinique, with its relief coasts of incredible beauty, covered with tropical forests and volcanic massifs, thrills and discoveries await you. Admire the magnificent Bay of Fort-de-France, Dufour, Noire and Trabo bays. Taking excursions to lakes, hills, plantations and the slopes of Mount Pele, you will see nature in all its splendor. Follow the Flower Road to Red Hill. If you go fishing, stay away from swordfish and barracuda. Relax on Salin Beach in the shade of coconut palms...

This small island in the Caribbean has a special merit in the spread of coffee. It is from Martinique that all coffee production begins. Central America. The first coffee tree was brought here by the French captain Gabriel de Clieu, and from here the coffee trees were transported to Guadeloupe, Haiti, Dominican Republic. Unfortunately, coffee is not produced commercially these days in Martinique, an overseas department of France.

Martinique is an island of eternal summer with magnificent hotels (voltage - 220 volts), beaches, truly French cuisine along with Chinese, Italian, Vietnamese, Creole. Lots of cafes, bars, discos, casinos. Great opportunities for sports and recreational recreation - golf, tennis, scuba diving, sailing, horseback riding and cycling. Martinique is covered with tropical forests. Coastline abounds in picturesque bays and bays. A hilly plain divides the island into two parts: a low southern part and a northern part, occupied by old volcanoes, among which the active Montagne Pele volcano stands out.

CLIMATE:

Tropical trade wind, sea. Average annual temperature is about +26 C, while temperature changes during the season are small ( average monthly temperature almost never drops below +20 C). The hottest month is August (up to +31 C), but sea winds blowing from the northeast soften the heat even at this time. The “coldest” is January (about +22 C). In the southern part of the island, average daily temperatures are slightly higher, in the north, where weather noticeably depend on the altitude of the place (but it is warm here all year round).

The climatic rhythm is determined by the change of two seasons - the dry season (“karem”), lasting from December to May, and the “hivernage” season, warmer and wetter, lasting from July to October. The local climate is characterized by high humidity - from 80% (March) to 87% (September-October). Precipitation falls 1500-2500 mm per year, mainly in the form of powerful but short tropical downpours between May and September. The driest month is April, the rainiest month is September. Destructive tropical hurricanes are quite common.

EXPORT:

Sugar cane, bananas, and pineapples are grown for export; local rum is also popular. The income from tourists, who are primarily attracted by the nature of Martinique, is significant. The mountain rivers are especially beautiful, forming numerous waterfalls. The beautiful sandy beaches of the "Caribbean Riviera of France", old French urban architecture and a developed service sector attract many tourists.

WHEN IS THE BEST TIME TO GO:

The best time to visit Martinique is the dry season between February and May.

MARTINIQUE - COUNTRY INFORMATION:

Capital
The administrative center and main port is Fort-de-France.

Geography
The island of Martinique is one of the Lesser Antilles, a group of Windward Islands, and lies between Dominica in the north and Saint Lucia in the south. It is washed by the waters of the Caribbean Sea in the south and west, and the Atlantic Ocean in the north and east. The total area of the territory is about 1.1 thousand square meters. km.

Population
About 429 thousand people. The majority of the population (90%) are Martinicans - blacks and mulattoes, descendants of slaves brought from Africa, as well as people from South India, Chinese, Italians and other ethnic groups.

The majority of the population professes Christianity - Catholics are about 85%, Protestants - 10.5%, Muslims (0.5%), Hindus (0.5%) and representatives of other faiths also live here

Difference in time
Time lags behind Moscow by 8 hours in summer and 7 hours in winter.

Language
The official language is French, but the spoken language remains mainly the local dialect "Patois" (French Creole

mobile connection
GSM 900/1800 cellular coverage covers the entire island, the neighboring French Antilles and even Guiana. Roaming with local operators Orange Carapbe and Bouygues Telecom Carapbe is available to subscribers of the largest Russian communications companies.

Visa
A visa and passport are required for entry. To obtain a visa, you must submit documents to the consular section of the French Embassy at least 30 days before departure. To obtain a visa, you must submit 2 completed forms, 2 passport-size photographs, an invitation or travel voucher, an insurance policy, photocopies of the first, second and third pages of your internal passport and a foreign passport with at least one blank page (must be valid for at least another 3.5 months after the end of the trip), as well as round-trip tickets and proof of sufficient financial resources for not the entire period of stay in the country at the rate of $100 per day of stay.

Customs
The number of imported and exported means of payment is not limited. An amount of more than 7,000 euros must be included in the declaration. Foreign currency converted into euros can only be re-translated into foreign currency up to the equivalent of 500 euros. Up to 1 liter of strong alcoholic drinks are imported duty-free; drinks with an alcohol strength of less than 22° are up to 2 liters, up to 200 pcs. cigarettes, 500 grams of coffee (or 200 grams of coffee extracts), up to 50 grams of perfume ( eau de toilette- up to 250 g), tea - 100 g (or 40 g of tea extracts), as well as food (fish - up to 2 kg, caviar - 250 g, animal products - up to 1 kg) and other goods - for persons over 15 years for the amount of 15 euros (for children - 10 euros). Labeling expiration dates on food products is mandatory!

Tips
In most hotels and restaurants, tips are already included in the cost of service; if not, then it is customary to leave a tip of 10% of the total cost.

The import and export of drugs and psychotropic substances, objects of historical value, weapons and ammunition, as well as animals and plants included in the list of endangered species is prohibited.

Entertainment
In January, the official opening of the carnival season takes place, during which a ceremonial procession in carnival costumes and street dancing are held. The island attracts enthusiasts aquatic species sports from all over the world. Also popular sightseeing tours around the island in jeeps, horse riding and walking.

RESTAURANTS:

The cuisine of Martinique is quite clearly defined by a mixture of French and Caribbean culinary traditions. Moreover, cooking methods were inherited from French cuisine, and products and an abundance of tropical fruits were inherited from local, Creole cuisine. A characteristic feature is the abundance of all kinds of seafood, rice and various exotic fruits - local eggplant "belanger", guava, anona, cassava, pumpkin "girumon", cassava, paradise banana, fruits breadfruit, pineapples, okra and others.

SPORT:

The island attracts water sports enthusiasts from all over the world. Sightseeing tours of the island by jeep, horseback riding and walking are also popular.

HOLIDAYS:

March-April - Good Friday.

April - Easter.

end of May - Spiritual Day and Trinity.

IN holidays museums are closed, but some shops are open.

SAFETY:

Martinique has a relatively low overall crime rate, but theft of personal property is quite high. You should especially beware of pickpockets, who often “work” at airports, ports, in public institutions and in crowded places. You should not carry valuables, documents or large sums of money with you; there are hotel safes for this. Do not take out your wallet in crowded places or leave things in the front seat of the car.

The island was discovered by Columbus in 1502, but the Spaniards did not explore it because they did not find gold on Martinique. And only in 1635 the first French settlement appeared on the island, called Saint-Pierre. The indigenous islanders called their flourishing home Madinina - Flowering Island, but were quickly exterminated by the colonists or died out from European diseases, and the French imported slaves from Africa to work on cotton plantations. By the end of the 17th century, planters switched to the more popular sugar cane and coffee.

Most of all I was fascinated by the history of the 20th century. Did you know that in 1902, one of the largest disasters of the last century happened in Martinique? On May 8, at 7:50 a.m., the Montagne Pelee volcano, which had been dormant for many centuries and was considered a kind uncle living next door, split in two. The mountain spewed out a cloud of hot ash and gas, which in a few moments reached Saint-Pierre and wiped it off the face of the Earth along with all its inhabitants, a French government commission that arrived to study the state of the volcano and, among other things, the famous artist Paul Mervart, as well as 17 ships docked in the port.

Of the 30,000 people, only one resident survived - a prisoner named Siparis, who had been imprisoned the day before in an old thick-walled casemate.

Saint Pierre
Now, the city has been practically restored and only rare ruins remind of the tragedy...

Photos of eyewitnesses...

Yes black volcanic sand... but the capital was moved to Fort-de-France.

Saint-Pierre, like a Phoenix, was literally reborn from the ashes...

But every day he remembers that Montagne-Pelé is not at all the kind uncle living next door. And the next moment can change everything!

It is not for nothing that at the foot of Montagne Pele there is kept a Bible, open to the Book of Psalms of King David.

There are few roads, but the quality of the surface is good enough, so we were able to drive around the small island in two steps.

The people of Martinique are very religious, as evidenced by the numerous temples and alcoves of the Virgin Mary or Christ that are found literally everywhere (even in the forests), but which have proven extremely difficult to photograph at speed. But I was lucky to take a short walk around the local cathedrals and cemeteries :)

Sacré-cœur de Balata

The interior decoration, however, is quite modest...

But the views...

By the way, in the central part of the island the roads are unpleasant. A narrow serpentine road with a monotonous view of the forests... For the first 3 hours, the scale of the local “houseplants” is surprising. And then he falls uncontrollably to sleep.

But the local towns are worth the long, long drive... They are so similar and so different. Class!!

And also the beaches...

Martinique is beautiful! The beaches are deserted, and the climate is pleasant with comfortable humidity and temperature. What was most striking was the absence of insects and all kinds of living creatures characteristic of this type of area. The only difficulty is the language. The locals speak French and do not understand English even if they want to. But should I get used to it :)