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FRENCH ANTILLES / Martinique comes in all colors
FRENCH ANTILLES / Martinique comes in all colors
Lush greens, turquoise blues, tropical reds, dark volcanic gray, rainbows after a storm, the multicolored stalls of the markets: the palette of Martinique knows no bounds.
Text : Didier Forray - Photos : Patrick Forget
Text : Didier Forray - Photos : Patrick Forget
Nicknamed "Madinina" (island of flowers), Martinique is like a fireworks display with its bougainvilleas, anthuriums, hibiscus and torch ginger. The vegetation is even more luxuriant along the picturesque Route de la Trace in the heart of the island. Don't skip a stop at the Balata Garden, one of the most beautiful gardens in the Caribbean.
Martinique also comes in a range of turquoise blue along its seemingly endless, fine sandy beaches. For the perfect postcard picture, go to the Salines beach, all the way to the south of the Island, with its languidly curving coconut palms and the view of the Diamond Rock on the horizon.
Moving inland, out come the greens and pale yellow of the sugar cane used in the making of rum. Two places you can visit are the Saint-James distillery in the northwest and the Clément plantation, not far from Le François. The tours are perfectly organized and very informative.
Another color, more surprising but unmissable, is the ash gray. The town of Saint-Pierre still bears the stigmata of the terrible eruption of Mont Pelée in 1902 and the volcanic sands beach of Le Carbet breaks with the traditional image of the Antilles.
For the grande finale, head to the market in Fort de France. The stands of bananas, mangos, chilli peppers and other island vegetables make a painter's palette pale in comparison.
Martinique also comes in a range of turquoise blue along its seemingly endless, fine sandy beaches. For the perfect postcard picture, go to the Salines beach, all the way to the south of the Island, with its languidly curving coconut palms and the view of the Diamond Rock on the horizon.
Moving inland, out come the greens and pale yellow of the sugar cane used in the making of rum. Two places you can visit are the Saint-James distillery in the northwest and the Clément plantation, not far from Le François. The tours are perfectly organized and very informative.
Another color, more surprising but unmissable, is the ash gray. The town of Saint-Pierre still bears the stigmata of the terrible eruption of Mont Pelée in 1902 and the volcanic sands beach of Le Carbet breaks with the traditional image of the Antilles.
For the grande finale, head to the market in Fort de France. The stands of bananas, mangos, chilli peppers and other island vegetables make a painter's palette pale in comparison.