Why Martinique for a Honeymoon
Martinique rewards couples who like to explore. In one day you can sip a ti-punch at a 19th-century rum estate, walk the ruins of a city buried by a volcano and swim off a black-sand beach where sea turtles graze on the seagrass. The next day can be pure beach on the southern coast, where the water is calm and the sand is pale.
The island also avoids the sameness of many resort islands. There are few big all-inclusives. Instead you get small hotels, family-run guesthouses and rental villas with plunge pools, plus restaurants where locals eat. The French influence shows up in the bakeries, the wine lists and the long Sunday lunches, while the Creole side runs through the music, the markets and the language. Couples who speak a little French will get the most out of it, though a translation app covers the basics. It is a destination with real texture, which is rarer in the Caribbean than it should be.
Best Time to Visit
Locals talk about two seasons. Carême, the dry season, runs roughly from December to May, with the most sunshine and the strongest trade winds. It is the best time for a honeymoon and the busiest, especially around Christmas, New Year and the February school holidays in France. Carnival takes over the island in the days before Lent, ending on Ash Wednesday when crowds dressed in black and white burn the effigy of King Vaval.
Hivernage, the wet season, runs from about July to November and overlaps the Atlantic hurricane season, which peaks from August to October. Showers are frequent and heavy, humidity climbs and some hotels close for a few weeks in September or October. Late July and early August bring the Tour des Yoles Rondes, a week-long race of traditional sailboats around the island. May, June and early July often give the best value, with fair weather and lower prices than winter.
Where to Go
Most honeymooners split their time between south and north. Our Sainte-Anne guide covers the southern tip, home to Les Salines, the yacht harbor at Le Marin and the calm shallows of the east coast lagoons. Nearby Les Trois-Îlets, across the bay from Fort-de-France, has the island's densest cluster of hotels around Pointe du Bout and Anse Mitan, a golf course and the birthplace of the Empress Joséphine.
Our Saint-Pierre guide covers the north: the ruins and museums of the old capital, rum estates on the slopes of Mont Pelée, black-sand beaches like Anse Couleuvre and the rainforest along the Route de la Trace. The Atlantic side has its own draws, including the Caravelle peninsula with its hiking trails and the Fonds Blancs off Le François, white-sand shoals in the middle of the bay where boats anchor so you can stand waist-deep in clear water with a glass of rum. Go on a weekday, ask the skipper to stay on for sunset and it becomes one of the most romantic afternoons on the island.
Sample 10-Day Itinerary
- Day 1: Land at Fort-de-France, pick up your rental car and drive about an hour to the south coast.
- Days 2–3: Beach days at Les Salines and Anse Michel, then a sunset dinner in Sainte-Anne village.
- Day 4: Hike the coastal Trace des Caps or take a catamaran day trip to the Fonds Blancs off Le François.
- Day 5: Snorkel at Anse Dufour and Anse Noire, then visit the Anse Cafard slave memorial near Le Diamant.
- Day 6: Move north. Drive the Route de la Trace through the rainforest with a stop at the Jardin de Balata.
- Day 7: Explore the ruins of Saint-Pierre and tour the Depaz distillery above town.
- Day 8: Hike Mont Pelée early in the morning if the summit is clear, or swim at Anse Couleuvre.
- Day 9: Visit Habitation Clément for rum and art, then dinner in Les Trois-Îlets.
- Day 10: Fly home from Fort-de-France.
Budget and Costs
All figures are approximate. Martinique prices follow mainland France, plus the cost of shipping everything in, so expect European rather than bargain Caribbean costs. Simple guesthouses and studio rentals run around $100–180 a night, comfortable boutique hotels about $200–400 and the top resorts and private villas with pools $450 and up in high season.
Food is the good news. A lunch of grilled fish or chicken colombo at a beach shack costs around $20–30 per person, while dinner for two with wine at a good restaurant runs $90–160. Supermarket rum and wine are cheap. A rental car costs about $40–70 a day, more in winter. It is close to essential. Plan on roughly $300–500 a day as a couple for a comfortable trip with a car, a good room and one nice meal. Prices are in euros and cards are widely accepted, though small vendors and markets prefer cash.
Getting There and Around
American Airlines flies nonstop from Miami to Martinique Aimé Césaire International (FDF) in about three and a half hours, typically a couple of times a week. Other US travelers connect through Miami, San Juan, Guadeloupe or Saint Lucia, or through Montreal on Air Canada. Air France, Corsair and Air Caraïbes fly from Paris if you are combining the trip with France. Schedules change by season, so check before you plan around them.
On the island, rent a car. Driving is on the right, roads are generally good and traffic around Fort-de-France is heavy at rush hour. Mountain roads in the north are steep and winding. Rural roads are narrow and poorly lit, so try to be back before dark. Small ferries cross the bay from Fort-de-France to Les Trois-Îlets in about 20 minutes. Fast ferries run to Guadeloupe, Dominica and Saint Lucia for an island-hopping extension.
Culture and Etiquette
Greetings matter. Say "bonjour" when you walk into a shop, a bakery or a restaurant. Switch to "bonsoir" after late afternoon. Skipping it is the quickest way to get cool service. A few words of Creole, like "mèsi" for thanks, earn a smile.
Martinique has a strong sense of its own history, from slavery and abolition in 1848 to the writing of Aimé Césaire, the poet who helped found the Négritude movement. Sites such as the Anse Cafard memorial and La Savane des Esclaves are worth visiting with respect. Topless sunbathing is accepted on many beaches, but cover up once you leave the sand. Mosquitoes can carry dengue; if you're pregnant or hoping to be soon, check CDC travel health notices for Martinique. Service is included in restaurant prices by law, so tipping is optional; rounding up or leaving a few euros for good service is appreciated. Protests over the high cost of living sometimes bring roadblocks, so watch local news and ask your hotel if plans look affected.
Quick tips
- Rent a car: buses are sparse and the best beaches and distilleries sit far from Fort-de-France.
- Learn a few French phrases and greet shopkeepers with 'bonjour' before anything else.
- Many restaurants close on Sunday evenings and Mondays, so book weekend dinners ahead.
