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Getting wild on Caribbean water

anses d arlet - Martinique
Anses d'Arlet

Wind surfing from Meridian Hotel - Martinique
Wind surfing near Le Kalenda Hotel

Sports

Martinique - Caribbean Scuba Diving, Caribbean Golf, Caribbean Yachting, Caribbean Sailing, and Much More...


Canoeing

Family Vacations - Adventure for All Ages

If you’ve never described any of your family vacations as “paradise,” it might be time to treat them to a real tropical paradise.

Martinique is not only breathtakingly beautiful, the island also offers many activities that will delight every member of your family. Besides the endless beautiful beaches, plus the incredible boating, swimming and fishing opportunities, there is all sorts of fun in the sun for the whole family¬––water and adventure parks, horseback riding, even paintball.

If your family loves water games splash down at Aqualand, the latest water park in the international French chain. Located on 10 acres of tropical garden, the park features a choice of eight attractions, including three especially designed for children.

There are super slaloms, water slides, a huge swimming pool with artificial waves, and all the adult water attractions exist on a smaller scale for children.

For eco-minded tourists who want a few thrills, Mangofil and Domaine Sigy adventure parks are set up for outdoor games, workshops and exciting activities that allow visitors to experience a different way of discovering the country––jumping from rope to rope, from tree to tree!

Domaine de Sigy has a choice of three itineraries that take you above rivers and through the forest from footbridges to lianas on a superb treetop canopy tour. Visitors can try the famous “Tarzan jump.” which lets them land 53 feet below in a safety net.

Scaled down versions are offered for children.

Most children enjoy making a mess and paintball offers a fun, but harmless way to experience the colors of Martinique.

It’s an outdoor team sport with members of each team trying to “eliminate” the opposing side by pursuing them through the forest with paintball guns, then zapping them with biodegradable paint.

Last but not least, Martinique offers many opportunities for horseback riding along scenic beach routes and through the countryside. There are several equestrian clubs and stables offering excursions led by trained guides.

From mountain trails to beautiful beaches and unique amusement parks, you can hike, ride, slide, fish, sail, swim, work out—or just work on your tan—when you make Martinique the destination for your family vacation.

Tennis

Among the hotels with tennis courts, most lighted for night play, are:

In addition, there are three lighted courts at Golf de l'Impératrice.
Also, many private clubs welcome guests as temporary members when courts are available.

Contact the Tourist Office,
or La Ligue Régionale de Tennis, Petit Manoir, Lamentin
Tel: (596) 596 51 08 00

Caribbean Golf

A magnificent 18-hole Robert Trent Jones Sr. course, the Golf de l'Impératrice Joséphine, is at Trois Ilets, one mile from the Pointe du Bout resort, 20 miles from Fort-de-France.

This excellent course has English-speaking pros, a fully equipped pro shop, bar/restaurant, as well as 3 lighted tennis courts. A David Leadbetter Golf Academy operates onsite to provide personalized training. Special greens fees accorded for hotel guests and cruise passengers.
Tel: (596) 596 68 32 81
Fax: (596) 596 63 38 97
www.golfmartinique.com

Caribbean Sailing

Martinique is a paradise for sailing, whether on boats rented at hotels by the hour or aboard yachts - either bareboat or crewed - chartered by the day, week or month at the marinas of Le Marin, Le François, Pointe du Bout, Le Robert or Ste-Anne.

For full day outings around the island

For fun half-day trips with drinks and snorkeling stops

Other outing possibilities

Deep-Sea Fishing

Hotels will help set up deep-sea fishing excursions if given a day or two's notice.
The most popular catches: dolphin, kingfish, bonito, barracuda, and tuna.

For surf casting, the best bets are Cap Macré, Cap Ferré and Cap Chevalier
in Sainte-Anne.

Wind Surfing

All beachfront hotels have wind surfing gear for use by guests and many offer lessons.

Water Sports

Canoeing and kayaking are available through:

Additional kayaking opportunities include:

Canyoning

Beach Facilities

The sand on the beaches south of Fort-de-France is white, while the sand on beaches to the north is grayish in color. Outstanding in the south is Plage des Salines, a short drive from Ste-Anne, with tall coconut palms and miles and miles of beautiful white sand. During summer holidays and weekends, this beach is busy with families and children; during the week, it is quiet and uncrowded. Other lovely beaches in the south include Anses d'Arlet, Le Diamant, with the landmark Diamond Rock offshore, Anse Figuier, Ste-Luce and Ste-Anne, all popular with families, and Cap Chevalier, and Cap Macré largely undiscovered by tourists. Tops in the north are Anse Céron, St-Pierre and Carbet.

There are no nudist beaches on Martinique, although the European custom of topless bathing is not uncommon. Public beaches do not, as a rule, have changing cabins or showers. Some hotels charge non-guests for lockers and changing cabanas.

Caribbean Yachting

Martinique's capital, Fort-de-France, one of the safest, most beautiful bays in the Caribbean, has long been a favored port of call with yachtsmen. Over the years, as Martinique's popularity in the yachting world has grown, marinas have opened in other parts of the island - at Pointe du Bout across from the capital, in Le Robert and Le François on the Atlantic coast, in Sainte-Anne down south, and, most notably, in Le Marin, also in the south, where "Port de Plaisance" is now the island's largest and best-equipped marina.

Usually from May to June, the "Club Nautique du Marin" is organizing its annual yachting festival, the June Regattas, a week of exciting day races and entertaining evening events.
Tel: (596) 596 74 92 48
Fax: (596) 596 74 62 02
To contact the Capitainerie of Le Marin
Tel: (596) 596 74 83 83
Fax: (596) 596 74 92 02

For yacht charters and boat rentals, which are plentiful, contact:Catamaran Delphis

A comprehensive bilingual yachting manual, the 140-page "Guide Trois Rivières: A Cruising Guide to Martinique" sells at local bookstores and ship chandlers for $35, as does the 14th edition of the Annuaire Nautique de la Martinique, which costs $5.
For detailed information, call 212 838.7800 ext 228 or fax 212 838 7855

Tropical Adventure In The Rain Forest

You only need a few hours to travel hundreds, even thousands of years back in time with a 4-wheel drive excursion through Mt. Pelee's tropical rainforest. The unspoiled natural beauty of Martinique's rain forest will give you visions of the lush Caribbean landscape from centuries ago. If you think the Garden of Eden is gone forever, you haven't seen the wondrous plants and wildlife in a perfectly preserved tropical rain forest.

Caribbean Hiking

Of all the sports on Martinique, one of the best organized and most popular is hiking. With so many natural treasures - a tropical rain forest, a world-famous volcano, alpine peaks (or pitons) and rocky hills (or mornes), as well as wide stretches of virgin beach, especially in the southeast - hiking is by far the best means of discovering the true beauty of the island.

These three outdoor organizations have developed a network of more than 30 trails, all well marked and maintained, designed for hikers to use on their own. The trails are described in two excellent guidebooks published in French: 31 Sentiers Balisés, available at local bookstores for about 10 €, and Belles Balades de la Martinique, that sells locally for about 28 €.

Inexpensive hikes costing about $15 a person are conducted for local citizens year round by Parc Naturel guides, but visitors also are welcome to participate. Commentary is in French.

Among serious hiking tours is a two-hour climb, with guide, up Mont Pelée Volcano through thick foliage and overgrown trails.
Less difficult, but still requiring skill, is the trek through a dense coastal rain forest between Grand Rivière and Le Prêcheur.
Fairly easy are hikes at Les Ombrages, a nature trail at Ajoupa-Bouillon, or along the Gorges de la Falaise, a ravine leading to a waterfall where guided canyoning is the local sport.
Presqu'île de la Caravelle, a peninsula jutting into the Atlantic near the town of Trinité, has safe beaches and well-marked paths to historic Château Dubuc's ruins.

Level 0
Walking: Caravelle, Piton Creve-Coeur at Sainte-Anne, Montagne du Vauclin, Gorges de la Falaise.
Level 1
For all: Trace des Jesuites (Morne-Rouge), Hot Springs (Prêcheur), Morne Larcher (Diamant.)
Level 2
Hikers: Mont Pelée par Nord (departure from Aileron), Prêcheur in Grand-Rivière, Canal des Esclaves (Carbet.)
Level 3
Difficult: Path of the Pitons du Carbet.

Caribbean Scuba Diving

Caribbean Scuba Diving

Fascinating dive sites, ideal water temperatures, abundant marine life, and incredible shipwrecks make scuba diving an ideal island sport in the waters off Martinique.

In the resort area of Trois-Ilets, among many fine facilities with licensed instructors are:

On the southwest coast are Anses d'Arlet and Cap Salomon, while further south are Diamond Rock and Ste-Anne. There are scuba operations at:

All offer dive trips around the Diamond Rock

In the North

Memorable dive spots in the north include Ilet la Perle and the shipwrecks off St-Pierre. Solo dives average 31-34 €, but most places offer full scuba packages.

Snorkeling

Fish, coral and ferns thrive in the waters near Pointe du Bout and Anse Mitan, plus the small bays around Anses d'Arlet and Ste-Anne offer snorkeling of a truly superior quality and variety. Some hotels have glass-bottom boats for snorkeling trips; most have fins and masks to rent.

Caribbean Mountain Biking

In cooperation with local bike clubs, the Parc Naturel Régional, has designed several unusual itineraries 9 Blvd Général de Gaulle, Fort de France 97206.
Tel: (596) 596 64 42 59

All have bike or motorbike rentals.

The 18-speed VTT (vélo tout terrain or all-terrain bike) makes for great cycling.
For bike tours, contact:

Tours, with a guide and meal, cost on average of approximately 43 €.

Flying and Ultra Light Aircraft

Flying

ATIS (Air Tourism Instruction Service)
Tel: (596) 596 51 66 88
Fax: (596) 596 51 33 03
Caters to reporters, cameramen, etc., but also takes tourists.
A 3-seat Cessna 172 costs 205 €/hr, with pilot, and has removable panels to permit aerial photography.

To fly solo, a French equivalent of your back-home pilot’s license is needed. Present it to the CAB at International Airport Aimé Césaire, then contact local plane owners through the Aéro-Club de la Martinique for aircraft rentals.

Sightseeing by airplane or helicopter

Sightseeing trips by plane are available through

For helicopter tours, contact

Caribbean Horseback Riding

Martinique offers many equestrian itineraries, some for riding along scenic beach routes, others through tropical hillsides.

For excursions and/or riding lessons

A one-hour lesson on a horse is 23 €, on a pony 15 €. A pony ride: 5 €.

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Copyright pictures by Jean-Marc Lecerf, David Sanger, Michel Bocandé