An International Aviation Event bringing 25 aircraft, crews & media originating from different continents will proceed across Martinique enjoying local hospitality, culture and more… The International Air Rally aims the participation of 35-40 teams with planes, seaplanes and helicopters. International Air Rally is not a race! The winners of each leg are tested on different skills: navigation, physical skills and general knowledge (survival, first aid, etc..). The most efficient and complete team will be rewarded! Not the fastest! Each team is composed of minimum two participants.

There are no restrictions as to which kind of electronic navigation equipment can be used by the teams. Competitions are created to bring out the particularities of the region: After each leg, the total of accumulated points designates the winner of this particular leg. The winning team receives the honours during the evening reception. The winner of the challenge will have accumulated (total) the highest number of points.

Participants will enjoy welcome receptions organized by our Hosts: Guided tours combined with ground competitions prepared daily by our hosts.
Dear pilot and adventurer, now it is your turn to join us in this new concept of adventure. Whether you register as a competitor or as a passenger, from the time of your confirmed reservation to the end of the international Air Rally our team will take care of all the details and assist you with any formalities if required. The International Air Rally team wishes to make this travel experience one of the greatest adventures you ever had.

www.airrally.com

Anytime you would like additional information about traveling to Martinique, please visit www.martinique.org

Don't stop the Carnival! Martinique offers bonus days of revelry

Unlike other Carnival hot spots, the party in Martinique extends into Ash Wednesday… and beyond.

From Rio to Trinidad to New Orleans, the world’s most celebrated pre-Lenten Carnival fetes all pale in comparison to Martinique’s Carnival in one key area – length.  Each year as revelers in other Carnival hot spots wind down with the close of Shrove Tuesday, the party in Martinique keeps going, reaching a decadent climax on one of the most solemn days on the Christian calendar, Ash Wednesday.  The fitting theme for Martinique’s “bonus” days of revelry – “Rejoice Today, Repent Tomorrow.”

The official dates of the 2010 Martinique Carnival are March 5-9, though the celebration actually begins many weeks prior with Carnival parties taking place across the island each weekend in January.

Officially, Martinique’s Carnival ends at the close of Ash Wednesday.  However, in the island’s inimitable celebratory spirit, Carnival is revived three weeks later with a second bonus day of revelry known as Mi-Carême, or mid-Lent.  Vaval remains buried, but cities and towns across Martinique spring to life again with colorful costumes, rum and parades combining again to engender non-stop revelry amid a Carnival-like atmosphere – a mini-Mardi Gras in the land where the party never stops.

Check MARTINIQUE CARNIVAL 5-NIGHT PACKAGES to celebrate with us!

www.martinique.org

2010 has been a year full of joy for Martinique and its visitors. The Caribbean island with French flair, The Isle of Flowers, The Rum Capital of the World, The Isle of the Famed Poet (Aimé Césaire). By any one of its many names Martinique remains one of the most alluring and enchanting destinations in the world.

Named “Best Gourmet Island of the Year” in 2008 and 2009 by Caribbean World Magazine, Martinique is ready to surprise you in 2011. This overseas region of France stirs the passions with distinctive culinary delights, awe-inspiring natural beauty, a rich cultural history, warm smiles and so much more.

Napoleon’s bride, Empress Josephine, was born and raised here. Majestic Mt. Pelée and The Pompeii of the Caribbean, Saint-Pierre, is found here. The finest French products, from Chanel fashions to Limoges porcelain, are readily available here. La Route des Rhums, a tour of the world’s finest rum distilleries based on France’s famed Route des Vins, is offered here. A special place, to be sure, with so much to offer each year.

Happy New Year 2011!

www.martinique.org

Martinique has hotel choices for everyone—including one of the finest getaways in the Caribbean. Cap Est Lagoon Resort and Spa recently earned a coveted 5th Star, the highest rating, from Le Comité Français d’Accreditation (COFRAC). This honor confirms the hotel’s ranking as Martinique’s top luxury property, a  status it has held since opening in 2002. Cap Est Lagoon Resort and Spa features 50 ocean view suites, 35 with their own private pools. Complete information is available at capest.com

Why not make learning French your New Year’s resolution for 2011? Centre International de Sejour, a budget-conscious hostel on the outskirts of Fort de France, is offering a 6-night package (arrive Sunday-depart Saturday) that features 20 hours of language courses, with instruction available in beginning through advanced levels of French. The package includes all meals, 5 half-day excursions around the island and airport transfers. All rooms at the hostel have private baths, satellite TV and WiFi. You will find more details at cis-martinique.com

The 2010-2011 cruise season is expanding choices for Caribbean cruise enthusiasts who want to put Martinique on their itineraries. Three new ships are calling at Fort de France—Carnival Victory, Celebrity Century and Disney Magic join the list of cruise vessels that already visit our capital’s port.

Whenever passengers arrive they quickly discover why Martinique is judged the Caribbean’s top dining destination. New restaurants are always opening–recent additions include Le Cesaire in Fort de France, from Chef Harold Jeanville who worked in Paris with Pierre Herme and Alain Ducasse, and Lili’s at La Batliere Hotel on the beach in nearby Schoelcher, with a menu that strongly embraces fresh, local ingredients.

Another unique, happening spot is bringing extra energy, and a hip young crowd, into downtown Fort de France-Le Gossip is a combination restaurant, boutique and art gallery. Besides the good food, Le Gossip is a hot venue for artists’ receptions, poetry readings, fashion shows, wine tastings and more.

Visitors who want to venture farther into the island and do a bit of water-borne exploring should check out the catamaran tours offered by Les Ballades du Delphis. Each boat carries 24-27 passengers, departing from Le Françoise or Anse Spoutourne on the east coast, with stops at Isle Loup-garou, a sea turtle preserve, the iguana habitat of Isle Chancel, Bai de Tresor (Treasure Bay) and the white sands of Baignoire du Josephine.

Cost for the catamaran tour, which includes a shipboard Creole lunch, is around $100 depending on the exchange rate. For more info, go to catadelphis.com

And, one of the island’s popular attractions has more to offer as well:
The lush, tropical Balata Gardens in the mountains north of Fort de France has added aerial paths so visitors can get overhead, panoramic views the gorgeous plants and flowers.

We sincerely hope your holidays are happy and the New Year fulfills your dreams!

Anytime you would like additional information about traveling to Martinique, please visit www.martinique.org

Martinique is truly “a little bit of France in the Caribbean Islands”. Martinique exudes a distinctly French feeling in the excellence of its Caribbean cuisine, the beauty of its language, the grace of its streets and gardens. Yet Martinique has a cachet all its own, an endearing West Indian warmth in its personality, a special spice in its Caribbean music and dance, its local dishes, and its way of life. This is an island with style: Martinique c’est Magnifique!

www.martinique.org

Best Gourmet Island

Every year during May, the region around Sainte-Marie on the northeast Atlantic coast of Martinique devotes a full week to celebrate its rich agricultural bounty and the vibrant food culture that thrives in the area.  The annual event is known as Semaine Gastronomique (or Culinary Week, in English) and features cooking demonstrations, gala dinners, promotional parties, and international competitions between top chefs not only from Sainte-Marie and Martinique, but also well-known master cooks who are invited to come from other parts of the Caribbean and even regions of France to show of their skills with local ingredients.

The contests are not confined to the kitchen.  Besides the competitions for main dish cooking, desserts and baking excellence, there are prizes for decorating banquet tables beautifully and the fine art of formal napkin folding.  Expert bartenders vie for the coveted Golden Shaker award, so you can be sure that flavorful rum punches and cocktails prepared by talented “mixologists” will be flowing.

Since its beginning more than a decade ago, one of the goals of Semaine Gastronomique has been to raise awareness of Martinique’s unique tradition of Creole and French cuisine as a core asset for the island’s tourist industry—so visitors are welcome and there are always plenty of opportunities for guests from abroad to sample the delicious tastes and sensations that abound throughout the week.

In 2010, the event is scheduled for Monday, May 10, through Saturday, May 16.  The food is good in Martinique any time of year, but you will never find a better way to discover the pleasures of the table as they are celebrated on the Island of Flowers than Semaine Gastronomique in Sainte-Marie.

If you would like more information about travel, accommodations and other tourist attractions near Sainte-Marie or any region of Martinique, please contact the Martinique Promotion Bureau/CMT USA at info@martinique.org

Bon appetit!

Club Med Buccaneer's Creek

This year the calendar offers a rare opportunity—the perfect chance to mix an evening of romance with endless days and nights of revelry at Carnival!

In 2010, Valentine’s Day arrives during the peak of Carnival season.   On Martinique, Cupid and King Carnival will share the island on February 14 as the intimate pleasures of an evening devoted to lovers combine with Dimanche Gras or Big Sunday, the official start of nonstop Carnival festivities that reach their joyous climax on Ash Wednesday, which falls on February 17 in 2010.

Big Sunday marks the beginning of daytime street parades with thousands of marchers in colorful costumes and the first public appearance of a giant effigy of King Carnival, known as Vaval.  Music and merriment will carry on deep into the night of course, but couples who are seeking a quiet spot where they might share Valentine sentiments will have no problem finding a secluded place for romance–

You can be sure that nowhere else on earth will be more prepared for this fortunate blend in the 2010 calendar than Martinique, where French passion meets the Caribbean party spirit.

"Lundi Gras"

The morning after Valentine’s Day, February 15, may be the perfect, hilarious sequel to a night of promises and sweet kisses.  By long tradition, the theme of Lundi Gras or Big Monday is comical, mock weddings.  Men dress as caricatures of women, while women get even by wearing costumes that poke fun at men.  Wherever you look, it may seem like Cupid and Vaval have teamed up to play a joke about marriage that has everyone on the island laughing.

"Mardi Gras"

But the fun is far from over because Tuesday, February 16, is Mardi Gras.  On Martinique, this is Red Devils Day with children putting on bright red costumes, often decorated with beads and shiny mirrors, to look like sparkling, mischievous demons.  You really may believe that Vaval, and the wild spirit of Carnival, have transformed the cute little cherub Cupid into a fun-loving prankster.

Ash Wednesday

With most Carnivals around the world, midnight on Shrove Tuesday will bring the long party to an end as Lent begins.  But Martinique always adds an extra day.  The slogan on Ash Wednesday is “Rejoice Today, Repent Tomorrow!”   While Carnival in New Orleans or Rio de Janeiro are over, the celebration in Martinique does not reach its peak until Ash Wednesday as the effigy of Vaval and his alter ego Bwa-Bwa are set aflame in a huge funeral pyre.  The blazing fire lights up the Ash Wednesday night as the crowd chants “Vaval, pas quitté nous,” which means “Carnival, don’t leave us” in English.

Check out our
MARTINIQUE CARNIVAL SPECIAL PACKAGE

We urge everyone to provide assistance that may begin to relieve the awful suffering in Haiti.  In this hour of great need, money is the most important donation.  With your financial support, emergency responders in Haiti will be able to acquire medical supplies, food, clothing, sanitation services and shelter when and where they are most necessary.

Both UNICEF and the Red Cross have already established emergency relief funds.  In the United States, these funds are easily accessible 24 hours a day on the internet to accept donations—as well as provide information and updates about the situation in Haiti–at the following links:

www.RedCross.org
www.unicefusa.org

For Canada, please make donations and view more information at:

www.RedCross.ca
www.unicef.ca

Although financial donations are most critical, any and all support that you can give is welcomed and encouraged.  Please keep the people of Haiti in your thoughts and prayers.

Thank you.

Saint-Pierre Beach

The upgraded site will provide you with the latest hotel and vacation packages.  The updated website lists new accommodation options, including a full array of hotel choices from world class luxury beachfront resorts to charming inland hotels that will give adventurous travelers fresh insights into the islands way of life, its extraordinary history, its special rhythms—as well as unique backcountry excursions for explorers and eco-tourists.

Listings on the updated www.martinique.org site include new hotels, restaurants, along with services that offer the most popular tourist activities from sailing, scuba diving, horseback riding, hiking, canyoning, fishing—and shopping!

We sincerely hope that you will visit our updated website.  And even more, we hope that you will visit us on Martinique in the very near future so we can extend to you our warmest welcome.

We wish you and your loved ones the most joyous holiday season—and a prosperous, rewarding 2010.

Happy New Year!  Bonne Année!  Bon Lanné!

As always, if you would like to receive additional information and details about traveling to Martinique, please contact the Martinique Promotion Bureau/CMT USA at info@martinique.org

Yoles Race 2008 - Yole Mirsa winner 2008

One of the most exciting and festive events of the year is almost here.

The 25th Annual Tour de Martinique des Yoles Rondes–along with all the parties, food and fun that go hand in hand with the boat racing–will be happening from July 26 through August 2.  The 2009 regatta is the silver anniversary of this week-long competition that celebrates the  distinctive type of yawls known as yoles-rondes that have been developed and perfected for sailing the waters around Martinique over hundreds of years.  These sleek, wind-driven vessels are powered by brightly colored sails and manned by crews who display strength, skill, acrobatic dexterity  and incredible teamwork to keep them going at maximum speed.  Every summer, for the past quarter century, the Tour de Martinique has marked the peak of the boating season with a prologue and seven stages of racing that circles the entire island.  This year’s tour will begin and end with events near  the southern township of Vauclin.

Besides the racing on the water, every stop along the way plays host to dockside parties that welcome sailors and spectators alike with music, dancing, food and lots of the local rum that has earned its own coveted AOC designation from the French Institut National des Appellations d’Origine. A trip to the Tour de Martinique des Yoles Rondes offers visitors a chance to see a unique, daring style of boat racing–while enjoying the delicious Creole/French/Caribbean cuisine and unrivaled rum of Martinique in an unforgettable week of music and merriment.

The crews of each yawl represent their home regions and strive hard to prove that they are they best by beating their neighbors, as well as longtime opponents from opposite sides of the island.  In the same friendly spirit of competition, every town along the regatta course goes all out to show off its own brand of hospitality by throwing the best party.  At the Tour of Martinique, the competition is always fierce–out on the water, on the dance floor, in the kitchen, and at the parties where everyone is a winner.

Tourists and locals alike can watch the racing from on shore or join the flotillas that sail out for a closer look.  Last year’s General Classification was won by Mirsa-Dr. Roots, which finished the entire week of racing with a total time that was less than four minutes ahead of the second place team, UFR-SIAPOC, who were back to back champions in 2006 and 2007.  UFR-SAIPOC could be the crew to beat again this year, the team has won the most recent two events after a slow start when five different teams won the first five regattas of the 2009 season.

To learn more about the 25th Tour de Martinique des Yoles Rondes, go to www.yoles-rondes.org.  For information about tourism and more attractions in Martinique, please contact the Martinique Promotion Bureau/CMT at info@martinique.org.