Martinique Travel Information
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Martinique falls into that category of Caribbean island that Hollywood loves -- lush, green and exotic.
One of the great feelings of a relaxing vacation in the Caribbean is being able to lie beneath a palm tree waving in the gentle breezes of the trade winds.The green is thanks to 76 inches of annual rainfall, compared to about 16 inches a year for an arid island such as Aruba and 46 inches for moderate green on St. Kitts.
Martinique is ranked 17th in total tourism visits. But 84 percent of those visits come from stopovers and the other 16 percent for cruises. This eastern Caribbean island clearly a destination for long-term stays.
Most Caribbean destinations draw visitors either from a cruise or from people who come to stay a week or more. Martinique certainly attracts people for a long-term stay.
About five times as many people come for a stopover vacation than from a cruise. It is one of the highest levels of stopover to cruise visitors of any location in the Caribbean.
The attraction starts with some of the best beaches in the Caribbean, palm trees and hills made thickly green from the island's substantial annual rainfall.
Anyone wanting a break from the sun and sand can take advantage of the island's other attractions. Martinique has a lengthy history as a French territory and ties to Europe going all the way back to visits from Christopher Columbus.
Unique attractions include the capital city of Fort-De-France for its architecture and history; the statues and gardens of La Savane; the former city of St. Pierre, where 30,000 residents were killed in 1902 by the volcanic eruption of Mont Pelee; and various cities and towns including Case-Pilote, Bellefontaine and Carbet, where Columbus landed in 1502 and where the artist Gauguin lived and painted in 1887.
Tourism / When to Go
Passports are required for U.S. and Canadian stopover tourists. Cruise visitors simply need to have their ship IDs available when leaving the ship and returning.
Martinique has a strong number of continuous visits each month. Although March is the most popular month, January, February, April, July and December all bring close to the same number of visits.
Unlike most other Caribbean destinations, October is the least favorite month followed by September, which usually is the least popular.
A good Martinique vacation requires planning with weather in mind. The island's most popular months are January, February, March, April, July and December. The least popular months are September and October because they receive the worst weather of the annual Caribbean hurricane season.
The overall average temperature yearround is 79 degrees with only a 5 degree difference between summer and winter, which is reflected in the consistent yearround tourism visits.
The climate is moderated by trade winds with a rainy season from June to October. The average hurricane arrives about every eight years, which is another reason for the island's steady number of visitors.
Currency / Tipping
The official currency of Martinique is the office currency of France, which is the Euro. Unlike most Caribbean destinations, U.S. and other foreign currencies are not widely accepted. Visitors should either bring Euros or exchange their currency for Euros after arriving.
Major credit cards, however, are widely accepted. For tipping, 15 percent is the norm at restaurants, which will usually add them to a bill, and 10 percent is the norm at hotels. Tip taxi drivers 15 percent as well.
Culture / Geography
The common language is French -- reflecting its status as a dependency of France -- with some Creole patois. The economy is based on tourism, agriculture and light industry, with tourism surpassing agriculture.
Geography is mountainous with indented coastline. The island has Mont Pelee, a dormant volcano that is 4,586 feet high..
Sources / More information
