Discover Martinique

Martinique, the « island of flowers »

Nou kontan wè zot! literally « we are pleased to see you » means welcome in creole. The tone is given!

Martinique is a French overseas department since 1946, a small part of the Europe in the middle of the Caribbean arc. The island is located between Saint Lucia in the South and Dominica in the North. Its coasts are bathed in the East by the Atlantic Ocean and in the West by the Caribbean Sea. It is about 7000km from metropolitan France. The time difference with France is five hours in winter and six hours in summer.

The island is nicknamed the «island of flowers » rightly since the abundance of water promotes the growth of the lush vegetation, visible everywhere on the island but especially in the North of the island and more particularly in the garden of Balata.

Its climate is tropical, that is to say warm and humid with an average temperature of 26°c over the year. There are mainly two seasons: « carême » and « hivernage ».

• Carême: dry and hot, it goes from December to May with a period of great dryness for February to April where the when the sun is at its highest. The temperature ranges from 27°C to 34°C.

• Hivernage: this season is more humid and lasts from June to November. It’s characterized by a significant cyclonic risk.

Even if Martinique benefits from public transport, renting a car offers you a deeper discovery of the island. Our AVIS rental agencies are closed to tourist sites and hotel facilities. Book now your rental car on our website www.avis-antilles.fr.

Key dates in the history of Martinique

• Before 1493 : Arawaks and Caribbean Indians from north-eastern South America successively inhabit the island of the French West Indies.

• 1502: Christopher Colombus discovers Martinique.

• September 1635 : Pierre Belain d’Esnambuc arrives at Saint Pierre and is in charge of colonizing the island.

• 1636 : first slaves come from African continent to work in the sugar cane fields.

• 1658 : almost total disappearance of the last Carib indians.

• 1662-1848 : the plantation and slavery economy are booming.

• From 1794 to 1802: Martinique is under English occupation.

• 1848 : Abolition of slavery. Settlers call on labour from India.

• 8 May 1902: Eruption of the Pelee Mountain which completely devastates the city of de Saint Pierre known at the time as the Paris of the French West Indies. 30,000 people died.

• 19 March 1946 : Martinique becomes a French department.

• 1965 : the first wide-body aircraft lands in Martinique.

• 1982 : Martinique becomes a region. It is now both a department and a region.

• 2015 : Martinique becomes a local authority.

Also discover our page about Guadeloupe