The island is dominated by Mount Pelee, which on 8 May 1902 erupted and completely destroyed the city of Saint Pierre, killing 30,000 inhabitants. In the South of the island, there are many beautiful beaches with a lot of tourists. In the North, the rain forests and the black sand beaches are worth seeing. The interior of the island is mountainous.
'''Seasons'''
There are two climatic and three tourist seasons on Martinique. The high season is between December and the end of April, with soaring prices and great crowds of travellers. From May to the end of November, Europeans tend to go elsewhere, as the weather is fine back home and travel possibilities are numerous. Summer months (July and August) are a sort of intermediate season, as Martinique and Guadeloupe residents often take advantage of the good weather to visit the mainland. Prices and tourist services, as well as airplane tickets tend to be rather pricy, or even extremely expensive at this period, so be sure to book in advance to avoid paying double.
All in all, if you wish to avoid tourist masses but still take advantage of a pleasant temperature, we would advise you to visit the island in May and June, as the climate in this period of the year is rather dry with an acceptable level of humidity, and tariffs are still quite on the low side. July and August are hot and humid months, but don_ft be discouraged by tourist cliches saying that the so-called _gcyclone_h period is a horrible one: it does rain rather often, but the weather is still rather pleasant especially if you are planning to sightsee. Don_ft count on taking a cruise ship in September, though, as you have considerably higher chances of meeting up with a hurricane or a tropical thunderstorm in this season.
The indigenous occupants were part of two different tribes. The Arawaks were described as gentle timorous Indians and the Caribbeans as ferocious cannibal warriors. The Arawaks came from Central America in the beginning of the Christian era and the Caribbeans came from the Venezuela coast around the 11th century. When Columbus arrived, the Caribbeans had massacred many of their adversaries, sparing the women, who they kept for their personal or domestic use.
After the discovery by Christopher Columbus, Martinique remained unexplored until 1632, when an expedition led by Pierre Belain d'Estambuc landed on the island at the same time that Lienard de l'Olive and du Plessis took possession of Guadeloupe. The French settled in the north west of the island at the mouth of Roxelane and built fortifications, which later became known as Saint-Pierre. D'Estambucs nephew, du Parquet, acquired Martinique and became its first governor. He made agreement with the Caribbeans and their chief and set about developing the island. Rapidly however, the Caribbeans' territory was threatened and revolt burst out. The courageous Caribbeans were no match for the power of the muskets and they were apparently pushed back to the cliffs and threw themselves in the sea.
Some 240 years later, some say as a resulting curse, Montagne Pelee erupted causing the total devastation of Saint-Pierre. Everybody who lived in the city lost their lives, with the exception of one person held in the city's jail.
Like the other West Indian islands, Martinique experienced a large economic boom due to its tobacco, indigo, cotton production and sugar cane. The lack of labour instigated the black slave trade from Africa between 1686 and 1720. Martinique's wealth resulted in rivalry between the other European nations who shared the West Indies. In 1674 the Dutch landed on Martinique, defended by just a handful of soldiers. They attacked a storage shelter and discovered barrels of rum. Completely drunk the Dutch were thrown into the sea by defenders of Fort Royal, which later became Fort-de-France after the revolution.
The revolution in 1789 never arrived in Martinique. During the revolution they decided to hand over sovereignty to the British to avoid being attacked by the revolutionists who had already attacked Guadeloupe. The British also occupied the island in 1804 and then withdrew in 1814.
During this time a beautiful Creole girl from Martinique, Marie Josephe Rose married Napoleon Bonaparte in 1796 and became Empress Josephine in 1804. Slavery, which was abolished after the revolution, was re-introduced by Napoleon in 1802, apparently under recommendation of Josephine.
The British abolished slavery in 1833. This measure encouraged the creation of pro-abolition movements in France where slavery was finally abolished in 1848. Source: Discover Martinique [http://www.discover-martinique.co.uk/historypolitics.html]
However, if you are on a round the world trip on your own boat, and have an expired Schengen visa (while in need of a valid visa for entry into Martinique), it_fs reported that the customs officers don_ft care much about the situation and let you in ? since you are supposed to leave the island in a short time.
'''Public transport''' in Martinique is very limited, which could explain the reason why there are more cars registered in Martinique per person than anywhere else in France.
Despite the traffic, if you are going to make the most of your stay in Martinique, it is recommended that you '''hire a car'''. Without a car you will miss some of Martinique's best landscapes and scenery.
Due to the Taxi Union demands, there is no public transport from the airport, which means that you can either hire a car or take a taxi.
'''Taxis''' in Martinique are not cheap. The taxi fare from the airport to Fort-de-France is around 20 euros, 38 euros to Pointe du Bout and Le Francois and 55 euros to Sainte-Anne. Be warned that taxis operate an extortionate 40% surcharge between 8pm and 6am as well as on Sundays and public holidays. To call a taxi 24hrs dial 0596 63 10 10 or 0596 63 63 62.
'''Buses''' There are very few buses in Martinique. Most bus services are mini buses marked "TC", which stands for "Taxi Collectifs". The destinations of the buses are marked on a board either on the front window or on the side door. Bus stops (arret autobus) are normally a square blue sign with a picture of a bus in white. Most Taxi Collectifs depart and arrive at the Taxi Collectif Terminal at Pointe Sinon in Fort-de-France. They cost approximately 5 euros to Saint-Pierre, Pointe du Bout and Diamant, 7 euros to Sainte-Anne and 9 euros to Grand-Riviere. There are no timetables and the service can be unreliable. Most services are finished by 6pm weekdays and 1pm on Saturday. There are no services on Sundays.
'''Shuttle Boats''' There are shuttle boats every 30mins from Pointe du Bout and Trois Ilet to Fort-de-France. It is a very pleasant way of getting to Fort-de-France and also avoids the traffic. Services finish between 5:45 and 8pm depending upon the day.
'''Hitchhiking''' Hitchhiking is very common in Martinique, although like anywhere in the world not recommended. If you are going to hitchhike, take lots of water and try to stay out of the sun. There are very few footpaths in Martinique, so be careful and take the usual precautions that you have to take when hitchhiking anywhere. If you are unsure about getting into a car, just keep walking or wait for another car.
'''Driving in Martinique''' Driving in Martinique will be a pleasure in comparison to other Caribbean islands. The majority of roads are of an excellent standard.
Your driving license from your home country is valid in Martinique. Driving laws are the same as in France and you have to drive on the right hand side of the road. Distances and speed limits are in Km and Km/h. There are several speed cameras on the island and the Gendarmerie are carrying out an increasing number of speed checks, so you should always watch your speed. Unless otherwise stated, the speed limit is generally 50km/h in towns, 90km/h on major roads and 110km/h on the autoroute between the airport and Fort-de-France.
When travelling to the airport during rush hours, allow plenty of time. The N5 and Lamentin can get very busy. It is particularly busy between 06:30 and 09:30 and between 15:30 and 18:30. Source: Discover Martinique [http://www.discover-martinique.com]
Martinique is unique in contrast to the majority of the other Caribbean islands in that it has a wide variety of dining options. The Ti Gourmet Martinique (2000) lists 456 cafes and/or restaurants on the island ? not including the various bars some of which serve food as well as alcohol. The 1998 brochure produced and published by the ARDTM counts up to 500 food-service related establishments (this corresponds to over 3,000 jobs). Restaurants in Martinique range from the exclusive high-end gourmet restaurants to the crepes, accras, boudin, fruit juices, and coconut milk one can purchase from food merchants on the beach or at snack stands/restaurants in town.
The abundance of both Creole and French restaurants reflects the predominance not only of French tourists in Martinique but also of the island_fs status as a French DOM. There has been a growing interest in the traditional dishes of the island, and therefore, a more recent profusion of the number of Creole restaurants. Many of the restaurants tailor their menus to cater to both Creole and French tastes
In the 2000 edition of Delices de la Martinique (Delights of Martinique), the guide put together by the island_fs restaurant union, the editorial given by the then Prefect and director of tourism, Philippe Boisadam, describes the contribution that _eMartinique_fs cuisine makes to the culinary arts._f Olivier Besnard, the commercial director of the long-haul airline division of Air Liberte, wrote the preface to this same edition. He states that this Creole restaurant and recipe guide is _ea tourist souvenir that you are welcome to take home with you._f Francis Delage, a culinary consultant who assembled most of the recipes for this guide underlines the fact that the island_fs restaurateurs are the gastronomic ambassadors of Martinique and that they in particular represent the _equality of the welcome,_f _ethe products_f and _ethe savoir-faire of Creole cuisine, which is truly part of France_fs culinary heritage._f
The changes in tourist composition (behavior, interest) may very well account for the evolution in the culinary offerings in many of today_fs restaurants. Restaurants in Martinique offer not only French and other International cuisines , but also the possibility of consuming the foods that the Other eats. In this case, the Other refers to the Martiniquans. Visitors can catch a glimpse of the behind the scenes reality regarding Martiniquan culinary practices through an _eauthentic_f Creole cuisine. An investigation of the new tourist, or _gpost-tourist_h phenomenon (Poon 1999) venturing off the _eeaten trail_f in search of something that is more authentic.
Restaurants, Creole cookbooks, public fairs and festivities, and the expensive dining rooms of foreign-owned luxury hotels where food is served, all present themselves as crucial staging grounds where ideas about Martiniquan cuisine, and therefore, identity, authenticity and place are continuously tested.
December 2008/2009 a website was launched Club Gastronomie & Prestige [http://www.club-gastronomie.com/index.php] Look under the tab ''Partenaires'' to find the top restaurants in Martinique.
Fresh fruit juices are also very popular on the island along with jus de canne which is a delicious sugar cane drink which is often sold in vans in lay-bys off the main roads. This juice does not stay fresh for long, so ask for it to be made fresh while you wait and drink it as quickly as possible with some ice cubes and a squeeze of lime.
Martinique is famous for its world class rums and the island today still hosts a large number of distilleries inviting tourist to explore its history. Please see the rum page to view a guide to the local distilleries.
Although rum is far more popular, the local beer in Martinique is Biere Lorraine.
'''Source:''' Discover Martinique [http://www.discover-martinique.com]
'''Camping''' is available in both mountain and beach settings. Setting up just anywhere is not permitted. For details call '''Office National des Forets''', Fort-de-France, (33) 596 71 34 50. A small fee is charged.
In addition there are hotels, bed and breakfasts (French: ''gites''), villas and even private islands, '''Ilet Oscar''' and '''Ilet Thierry''', for rent.
And Hold Tite Rudeey + Melbow + Katy-lou
For European people coming from an EU country, working in Martinique isn't a problem. If you're from outside the EU, you will probably need a work permit - check with the French Embassy in your country. Do not forget though that the unemployment rate is high. But if you work in the health sector (doctor, nurse), it will be much easier.
Voluntary service: Volontariat Civil a l'Aide Technique (VCAT). Only for EU/EEA-citizens. You must be over 18 and under 28 years old (inclusive). You must not have had your civic rights revoked by a court or have been convicted of certain offences.
Note: There are Metropole-style pharmacies which carry top of the line French sunscreen, often a higher quality than you could get at home, but with the strong Euro, these products can be expensive.
Also, keep hydrated, especially when hiking in the mountainous areas. A hat is often a good thing to have because the sun can get extremely hot.
See the above mentioned section. Heat prostration and sunburns can be a real threat to those not used to the climate.
Mosquito repellent is a good thing to have if you are sensitive to bites. There are no malaria or other mosquito-born diseases on Martinique.
Unaccompanied women in tourist and beach areas are likely to experience frequent cat-calling and similar attention from men. A popularly stated reason for this is that there are a greater number of women than men on the island. The best way to deal with unwanted attention is to ignore the attention or firmly state a lack of interest.