To read our reviews of popular tours and excursions in Antigua & Barbuda, Barbados, Bonaire, the Cayman Islands, Dominica, Grenada, Guadeloupe (coming soon), Jamaica, Martinique, St. Kitts & Nevis, Saint Lucia and more… just click HERE
There are plenty of interesting places to explore and fun things to do in Guadeloup! One day on Basse Terre Island while we were on our way to a hiking adventure, we passed a modest little sign at the side of the road that read ‘La Maison du Cacao’. Well, that certainly piqued our interest, so we visited the ‘house of chocolate’ a few days later – What a great way to spend an afternoon. Of course, I couldn’t resist also visiting some of the island’s unique rhum distilleries as well!
After walking under the colourful entrance arch and paying a nominal fee, we wandered around the garden while we waited for our ‘English language’ presentation to begin. The small garden was packed with several different types of cacao trees along with other plants and trees as well as various informational exhibits. Reading the displays, we learned about the history of chocolate and how cacao trees found their way to the Caribbean. It was fascinating to learn that cacao trees were originally native to ancient Mesoamerica, present-day Mexico. The indigenous peoples used the cacao plant to make a drink from the dried cacao beans, typically mixed with hot water, hot peppers and sweetened with honey – Ya, sounds pretty tasty! Mesoamericans also used cocoa fat as a medicine for a variety of skin ailments.
After a few minutes, our host was ready to start the presentation. Just over a handful of us grabbed a seat and listened to our knowledgeable host tell us more about cacao, starting with the difference between it and chocolate as well as milk chocolate. Essentially, cacao (or cocoa in English) consists only of the plant’s bean and can be consumed with or without the fat, affectionately called butter. Chocolate on the other hand is cacao mixed with sugar while milk chocolate, as you guessed, consists of cacao mixed with sugar and powdered milk. She explained how the cacao bean, after drying and roasting is typically ground into a paste, then pressed to remove the fat content. The fat-free cacao can then be further ground into a dry powder for better storage and safer transportation. As I’m sure you know, cocoa butter is often used in cosmetics or other skin conditioning products.
Anyway, our friendly host told us all about the chocolate-making process, and to our delight, the presentation became more interactive. We happily sampled some raw fruit, then 100% pure cacao powder, followed by 90% cacao with 10% sugar, 70% cacao with 30% sugar, then several different 70% cacao mixtures before the piece-de-la-resistance – A warm chocolate beverage made from cacao, water and sugar.
Large cacao pods contain dozens of individual beans that are covered in white fruity flesh. This fruit pulp has a strong sweet & sour flavour and a fibrous texture while the brown seed (or bean) within the flesh tastes a bit like chocolate, but is quite bitter. The pure cocoa we sampled had an intense flavour while the 90% sample unsurprisingly tasted slightly sweeter. Our host explained that the chocolate products they sold on site were all blended with local cane sugar which provides a subtly different flavour and texture than chocolate commonly made with highly refined beet sugar. The 70% cacao chocolate we tried had a great crunchy texture and was pleasantly sweet, although the 70% cacao concoctions were even better! Some were delicately flavoured with what our host called Jamaican Allspice, which tasted to me as if contained a variety of ‘warming’ spices like cinnamon and nutmeg. Another sample was made with hot pepper – This one really awakened my tastebuds. There was also another tasty concoction that contained 50% cacao with gluten-free flour made from a cassava-like plant – This sample had an excellent crunchy texture and delicious flavour reminiscent of a typical chocolate bar. Of course, the chocolate drink we sampled was as good as expected… OK, better!
Our ‘La Maison du Cacao’ host was extremely friendly and informative – The experience was absolutely worth the small price of admission. Once the presentation was complete, we were free to wander around the garden some more before visiting their storefront where we had a chance to purchase several products locally made by artisan chocolatiers. My favourite was probably their 70% cacao bar with a little sweet heat – Yum!
FYI – Another interesting and enjoyable attraction, Jardin Botanique de Deshaies (Botanical Gardens), is just 20 minutes further up the coast from La Maison du Cacao.
For more touristy as well as adventurous ‘things to do’ while visiting the French island of Guadeloupe, check out our Guadeloupe Vacations page.
Anyone who follows our Active Caribbean Travel blog knows that I believe a vacation to a Caribbean Island is incomplete without a visit to a local distillery, and Guadeloupe was no exception!
While we visited a few rhum distilleries while staying in Guadeloupe, including ‘Distillerie Bologne’ and ‘Rhumerie Karukera / Distillerie Longueteau’, I want to tell you about the ‘Distillerie Reimonenq and Corsair Musee du Rhum’ (rum museum) as well as our favourite distillery on the island, the totally cool and old school ‘Distillerie Montebello’. Before proceeding, I will note that French “Rhum Agricole” (‘agricultural rum’) is made directly from sugar cane juice, not molasses like most other Caribbean rums. It is also common for French Caribbean rhums to be labelled as ‘vintages’, with classifications such as VO, VSOP, and XO.
One day on our way back from an exciting mangrove kayaking adventure near Saint Rose, Basse Terre, we paid a visit to the nearby Distillerie Reimonenq and Corsair Musee du Rhum. The grounds of the museum and storefront are quite inviting, with a nice garden decorated with what I’m assuming is old distillery equipment. That said, the feature attraction has to be the massive ceiba (silk cotton) tree that dominates the landscape! As we neared the front door of the museum, I just couldn’t resist getting a photo of myself as a pirate and I have to say, it’s a good look for me (lol). Once inside, we paid the nominal entrance fee and strolled around. We started on the first floor by reading the bilingual displays that told the story of the rhum-making process in Guadeloupe. We then ventured upstairs where we found a few rooms filled with a diverse set of exhibits and interesting artifacts.
I was first attracted to the room with a wall display housing a large number of machetes from all over the world – An interesting documentation and comparison of the traditional tools used to chop down sugar cane and other crops – A fascinating collection for sure.
I was then drawn into another room filled with amazingly detailed large wooden model ships. This is the stuff of dreams, transporting me back several centuries to imagine taking part in adventurous journeys at sea! They have displays of schooners, sloops, and large three-mast ships, mostly French, although I also noticed a model of the ship that Sir Francis Drake captained as well as the famous Mayflower (of American pilgrim lore. Yet another room was home to display cases filled with colourful insects and butterflies… It’s incredible to see such vibrant colours that exist in nature! When we had our fill of viewing all these curiosities, we went back downstairs to a small viewing room and watched a short video in English about the history of Guadeloupe, including, of course, the island’s storied rhum-making plantations. Upon leaving the theatre, we then had an opportunity to taste and purchase some of Distillerie Reimonenq’s finest.
One slightly overcast day, we knew the hiking and snorkeling wouldn’t be very good, so we headed to the other side of the island from where we were staying to visit the charming rustic Distillerie Montebello and we were glad we did. We showed up just in time as a small gathering was encircling an animated man standing in the middle of the open-air rum distillery factory floor. He started to give us a tour, although unfortunately for us, he gave the presentation entirely in French. While we have a basic understanding of the language, we were unable to discern most of what was being said – Too bad because our host seemed extremely passionate about what he was saying and showing us.
Anyways, he started by showing us a large mound of sugar cane that was just on the other side of a half-wall from all the distillery equipment, then pointed to a conveyor belt that fed short sections of sugar cane into the first machine. An old steam-powered engine was noisily powering equipment that was crushing the sugar cane and we watched as the juice flowed out into a large funnel and pipe. He also pointed to an escalator belt that was filled with the recently crushed cane known as bagasse that was being removed from the area – I suspect that he was telling us that the leftover cane was dried and then used as fertilizer as well as fuel for some of the machines in the factory.
Our super-friendly host, who I assume was an owner or senior manager of the company, then showed us a handful of large metal tanks where the fermentation of the cane juice was taking place as well as the tall column still they use for the distillation process. The amazing thing about this tour is that we were right in the middle of a working distillery, free to wander around to take a good look at all the noisy, steam venting machines. It appears that the majority of their whole rhum-making process takes place right here, except for the bottling and aging areas that we did not see. Eventually, we left the noisy factory floor and stepped outside where our host talked to us about, I don’t really know. What I can tell you is that he had a friendly but serious passion for what they do at Distillerie Montebello. His facial expressions and body language moved from exuberant, to playful and joking, then very serious and professional. At one point he went to his car and returned with a small metal case that contained little fancy curved drinking glasses. He seemed to be spending a considerable amount of time telling us about how to properly smell and taste fine cane syrup based rhum, then describing what we should expect to recognize when doing so – I believe I heard the French words for vegetal, floral, and sweet, as well as something related to the aging of rhum in American oak and French cognac barrels. It was then that I wished that I understood French better, as I felt that I could have learned a lot from our knowledgeable host.
Regardless, after about an hour or so of the tour, we walked around and entered the other side of the building that houses the Montebello Rhum “boutique” where we sampled various rhums that were of interest to us. I sampled a 3-year-old and a 6-year-old, while a few other visitors experienced their special 8-year-old rhums.
While we had a great time on the tour and appreciated the tasting, it was too bad for us that we didn’t understand more of what our gracious host had been saying. He spoke with intensity and passion about the distillery’s tradition and products – I felt robbed of some of the overall experience. At least I walked away with a bottle to help remember our enjoyable experience!
FYI – This blog provides just a small taste of some of the places to visit on Guadeloupe’s Island of Basse Terre. We also enjoyed the Musee du Cafe (Coffee Museum), and the impressive Fort Delgres, as well as recognizing the struggles of the island’s slaves at the Memorial de la Liberte!
ACT Staff
For more touristy as well as adventurous ‘things to do’ while visiting the French Caribbean Island of Guadeloupe, check out our Guadeloupe Vacations page.
Saint Lucia is a favourite Caribbean destination for many, equally popular for romantic getaways, family vacations, foodie experiences as well as appreciating tropical nature. Situated in the Caribbean’s southern Windward Islands, Saint Lucia is easily recognizable by her twin Pitons. While staying on the island recently, we stumbled across what might be the most photogenic place on St. Lucia, and perhaps even all the Caribbean.
I’m always looking to get away from the beaches and tourist crowds to explore nature and appreciate beautiful places in the Caribbean. This trip, my wife and I were joined by my sister, parents and adult children as well as a couple of friends. This St. Lucia vacation was truly a family trip, so I was looking for something very cliché sounding – An outing that is fun for the entire family. Well, I actually found something that met that criteria! We were staying in the Anse La Raye area, so the excursion started with a delightful drive down the west coast towards Soufriere. It was fun driving on roads that wind around and up and down the mountainous coastline. We stopped a couple of times along the way at popular viewing areas, including one with a magnificent view of Soufriere with the twin Pitons and Tet Paul in the background. A good segue into what was to come.
Just south of Soufriere in the Fond Doux neighbourhood is a wonderful and unassuming place called the Tet Paul Nature Trail. It is located within Saint Lucia’s ‘piton management area’, part of the UNESCO recognized world heritage site. After passing through Soufriere, we headed inland, then eventually drove up a sideroad that gained elevation along the way. The parking lot is located fairly high up on the mountain of Tet Paul, conveniently reducing the amount of altitude that has to be gained on foot. Don’t worry, this isn’t a “hike” per-say, its more of a relaxing walk in nature to some areas with great views of St. Lucia’s natural beauty. If you want to see the island’s famous pitons up-close-and-personal, but aren’t able to take on the challenging hike of the Gros Piton itself, this is a great alternative. After we paid the nominal admission fee, we were assigned a local guide to take us on a tour. Awesome… It’s a great start…
Our walk started by viewing a garden with a wide variety of plants, including some attractive flowers. We then strolled along a natural dirt path to see more of what the natural beauty of the island has to offer. The trail was a little rough, but manageable by my parents in their late 70s. Throughout the tour, our knowledgeable guide identified native plants, explaining their use in traditional medicines, as well as naming the beautiful flowering plants we encountered, including colourful Pink Ginger Lily, Lobster Claw and Chenille.
We passed through an organic farm growing vegetables and tropical fruits such as bananas and pineapples. While these fruits themselves are well known, I found the plants they grow on fairly foreign-looking. Pineapples growing like a small bush right out of the ground, and the fantastic “one-shot” banana plant bends under the weight of all that fruit, ready to plant the giant seed for the next generation. We also saw more familiar-looking fruit trees, albeit with exotic and somewhat unfamiliar fruit such as papaya, guava and avocado.
We seemed to be walking clockwise around the mountain, gaining in altitude as our tour progressed. Our next stop was at a look-out area with sensational views of the south end of the island. To the south-west, we could see Choiseul and to the south-east Vieux Fort and Maria Island. Unfortunately, it was a little overcast, however the landscape was still amazing. Back on the path, we continued on a series of gradual steps up the mountain top to the west side of Tet Paul.
We followed a short trail that branched off towards the left. Wow – This viewing-area had amazing south-west views, specifically of the green Gros Piton spire, impressively standing out against the contrasting backdrop of the rich blue (and bright white) Caribbean sky. We took multiple photos highlighting 3 generations of family, and oh ya, the iconic piton in the background! From here we went back to the main trail, following it eventually to another staircase – This one accompanied by the cheerful and promising sign “stairway to heaven”.
We climbed the dirt and wooded stairs to the top of the mountain peak. My parents took their time and made it up without much of a fuss. The steps were solid and there were sturdy wooden railings for them to hold on to. The stairway led to another viewing area, this one the literal pinnacle of the tour. We were immediately in awe of the truly ‘heavenly’ panoramic views of both the partially obstructed Gros Piton as well as the Petit Piton, which was clearly the main attraction! We could also see Jalousie Bay along with an inviting glimpse of the famous Sugar Beach below us. The viewing platform was kind of like a corral, providing us with solid footing as well as railings to keep us from wandering off and falling over the edge. Not sure if it always like this, but the wind was blowing pretty strong. Not enough to make it uncomfortable, but enough to make us aware that we were exposed to the elements on top of this mountain. From here, we also had views inland across the island. Looking north-east I could see the multiple peaks of Mount Gimie with its knuckle-like tops reaching up into the clouds. To the east, the scattered houses on the mountainsides really put the dramatic hilly nature of Saint Lucia into perspective. The views from the top of Tet Paul were absolutely spectacular. This is one of those locations where I could have just ‘hung out’ for hours. A dream location with picturesque views and photo ops galore.
Eventually, we left the viewing area down another set of semi-natural stairs, winding our way down around the north side of the mountain back to our original starting point. Resistant to leave the place, we wandered around the nice little souvenir shop looking for a keep-sake. Among the local products on display, I picked up a nice set of hand-crafted coasters to help remind me of this outing.
FYI – The nature trail is just over half a mile (1km) in length and will take less than an hour to complete, even at a very leisurely pace. There’s no rush – Linger and savour the experience. I understand that the Tet Paul Nature Trail also features a couple of rustic pavilions to explore. The Traditional House is a cultural-historical site to learn about the islands’ earliest inhabitants, including the peaceful Arawaks and the warrior-like Caribs. Meanwhile, at the Kaye Kassav, you can watch Cassava breads being made. There’s also a picnic area for those looking to extend their visit.
For information about Saint Lucia Attractions, as well as a list of Tour Operators who can get you to and from various attractions on the island, click on our Things to do in St. Lucia page
ACT Staff
If you’re looking for other fun and relaxing vacation ideas, take a look at our St. Lucia Attractions blog post
If you’re looking for more exciting activities to experience on the island, check out our St. Lucia Adventures recommendations
For an overview of the beautiful island, click on our St. Lucia Vacations page
While it is awesome to relax and unwind on a beach when vacationing on a Caribbean island, after a while we get the urge to turn it up a notch by getting out and exploring the island. On this day, we pretty much travelled the full length of Grenada, venturing from our resort on the southwest tip of the island, all the way to the northeast corner of the island, taking in many amazing sights and experiences along the way.
Our first main stop was at Belmont Estate, an amazing cocoa plantation with a boutique chocolate factory. We were excited to try some chocolate, but first, the hostess who greeted us at the entrance asked us to join a few others in an unassuming building on the Estate near the road. There, we met Belmont’s friendly and knowledgeable host Kelly, who was just about to start a tour with a handful of other tourists – Perfect timing. Kelly took us outside for a casual stroll around the plantation, showing us some of the plants that grow in the area. We smelled some aromatic plants including Thai basil, lemongrass, and a dandelion-like plant – They all had distinctive and powerful odours – Pretty cool. We then headed across the road to a stand of cocoa trees where Kelly searched for a nice ripe pod to show us. He quickly found one, picked it from a tree, then cracked it open on a rock. After carefully opening up the cocoa pod shell, he offered us the pulpy kernel-like seeds to suck on – very fruity tasting with a bit of a sour tang.
When we returned to the main building, Kelly showed us where workers had picked ripe cocoa pods, removed the seeds and stacked them to ferment in wooden bins covered with banana leaves. He explained that the beans are regularly transferred by hand from bin to bin for a few days to help ensure an even fermentation. Wow – What a powerful smell! Kelly took us back outside to show us the large drying racks on rollers just above the ground where the beans dry for a few days more. Not sure if it’s really required or not, but he had the women take off their shoes and gently flip the beans over with their feet to speed the drying process – OK, that was interesting.
We also took a quick look into one of the more modern greenhouse-like drying buildings, although it was way too hot to stay in there for too long. From there we went back into the main building one last time for a sample of hot cocoa tea. Kelly made it very clear that it was not hot chocolate – It was a blend of dried roasted ground cocoa nibs mixed with cinnamon/nutmeg, bergamot (an orange-like fruit), and bay leaves. There must have been some sugar in there too – I have to tell you, even in the tropical heat, this hot beverage was absolutely delicious!
After looking at some samples of local fruit and spices on display, Kelly took us up to the nearby Chocolate Factory building where he showed us the grinding/mixing machines and the workers packaging the previously formed chocolate creations. After a brief explanation of the ‘tree to bar’ chocolate-making process, noting that the cocoa is organic and that pretty much every step along the way is still done by hand, with very few machines used. Kelly then took us next door to a showroom/gift shop where we sampled 100% cocoa nibs, 80% dark chocolate, 60% Dark Chocolate with ginger and cinnamon, and some real white chocolate. Personally, I thought the spiced chocolate was outstanding, so we purchased one of those along with some cocoa powder, cocoa tea balls, and another dark chocolate bar flavoured with salt. We really enjoyed our visit to Belmont Estate – A nice, small boutique Grenadian chocolatier making chocolates the old-fashioned way!
For other popular Tourist Attractions on the island, check out our Things to Do in Grenada page
For an overview of the “Caribbean Spice Island”, feel free to check out our Grenada Vacations page.
Our next stop was less than 10 minutes away… Where we took a rum tour the likes of which I’ve never experienced before…
Entering the grounds of the River Antoine Estate Rum Distillery, I have to say was not very glamorous. There’s no big gate or grand entrance, there’s not even a prominent sign announcing that the oldest rum distillery in Grenada is located here. Regardless, we drove right up and parked next to one of their main buildings. We wandered over to their storefront to request a tour, and a friendly staff member agreed to take us and another couple of tourists for an informative walk around the facilities, and as we were about to find out, a journey back in time! The first thing I noticed was a subtle campfire smell in the air as we walked past a massive mound of chopped sugar cane. The tour started by taking a look at the distillery’s feature attraction – A giant water wheel embedded into a cement wall. Apparently, this water mill wheel was installed in the early 19th century and powers much of the mechanical equipment at the distillery. Our guide explained that water is diverted from the nearby River Antoine and is channeled to the top of the giant wheel via a trough, providing natural ‘renewable’ power to a sugar cane conveyor belt and cane crushing machine we were about to see.
We visited River Antoine around noon so most of the guys were on lunch break, however, it’s not hard to imagine workers feeding sugar cane stalks onto a conveyor built that feeds the crusher, separating the valuable juice from the stalk. A staff member was kind enough to peel a piece of cane with his machete, then cut it into 3-inch lengths for us to sample – Always tasty as the sweet cane juice filled my mouth with the very first bite. Meanwhile, workers remove the spent stalks from the crusher and load them into what looked like an old miner’s cart that ran on a short set of railway tracks. Apparently, the crushed stalks, referred to as bagasse, are piled up and then laid out to dry in the sun before being burned as fuel for heating the evaporators. After the cane is crushed, the cane juice flows through a trough to the evaporator room next door.
The evaporator/boiler room can only be described as ‘rustic and traditional’. It actually reminded me of my grandparent’s smoking shed that doubled as a maple syrup boiling shed back in Canada. River Antoine’s evaporator, or boiler room housed a series of 5 old open-air steel pans/bowls, each one with a more intense fire under it than the previous one. A worker uses a long ladle to manually pass the hot liquid from one bowl to another until the cane juice is concentrated down to syrup. Again, not much has changed over the past 200 years or so. After several hours of evaporation, the cane syrup is fed next door to one of nine cement storage tanks for fermenting – a natural process where nothing, not even yeast, is added. After about a week or so, the fermentation process is complete and the liquid is piped to 2 large copper pot stills, referred to as kettles, for distillation.
The kettles are built on top of cement fireboxes, where local hardwoods are burned to provide direct heat to the kettles – Not something you see today in modern distilleries. That explains the piles of chopped wood nearby, and the constant smoky smell. After distillation and filtering, the rum is sampled and adjusted for strength. River Antoine white rum comes in two varieties, a strong 69% (138 proof) version and the powerful 75% (150 proof) variant. I understand that their 75% rum has so much alcohol in it that it is considered a flammable substance and hence cannot be transported by airplane. River Antoine Estates also produces a wide variety of rum punches, depending on what fruit is ripe on the island at the time of making. The bottling and storage room is once again, plain and simple. Three staff members take rum from previously filled large water coolers and fill each bottle by hand, label them, and complete the process with the help of a small capping machine.
To complete our tour, we sampled the 69% and 75% white rums. While the smell, especially of the 69% rum was quite funky and inviting, they were a bit too strong, with a fiery after-burn, for my taste. I imagine serious rum enthusiasts would appreciate the ‘high-ester’ rums more than I do. That said, I did purchase a bottle of their Passionfruit flavoured rum which I drank with friends when I got home. I have to say it was very enjoyable, with a bit of a funky ‘sweet and sour’ vibe going on – yum.
Wow – What a unique experience! Their whole process is just incredible. I’ve been to many rum distilleries throughout the Caribbean over the years, yet, I have never seen an operation that pretty much hasn’t changed in over 200 years! I suspect it would be tough to find this type of facility anywhere else in the world. Starting in 1785, River Antoine Estate is still making small batch rums the old-fashioned way – A must-visit on your next trip to Grenada.
If you’re interested in reading more about the Caribbean’s golden elixir, then check out our Caribbean Rum page as well as our Grenada Rum page, which includes a list of Tour Operators who will help you sample what Grenanda has to offer!
From there, we traveled about 15 minutes further north, for the literal “high-light” of the trip!
With the help of some friendly locals pointing the way, we eventually found the road that would take us up to the Telecom tower area which we had heard offers spectacular views of Grenada. The final stretch of road to reach the peak was absolutely wild – It must have been on a 60° angle, so our little rental car was straining to make it up the hill. At the dead-end at the top of the road, we came to the realization that there is really only room for a single vehicle in the tiny parking area off to the side of the road – Regardless, that didn’t stop three of us from ‘finding a way’ to get our cars off the road. Anyways… We were about to discover that the Welcome Stone is well worth all the parking drama.
After parking the car, we followed a dirt trail that started alongside the fenced-in Telecom facility, to the other side of the mountain peak. The short hike started off on a bit of a steep boulder-strewn slope before transitioning to a nice leaf-covered trail through the forest. After a short 5-minute stroll we arrived at the scenic look-out area where there are a number of massive but climbable boulders to mount. From our rocky perches, we were treated to some truly sensational views of the northeast tip of Grenada and the Caribbean Sea, dotted with several islands protruding out of the endless blue. Directly below us, Levera Pond provided a nice dark watery contrast with the surrounding green/brown landscape. The offshore islands of Sugar Loaf, Green Island, and Sandy Island seemed so close, while Ronde Island and further in the distance, the outline of Grenada’s sister islands, Carriacou and Petite Martinique mysteriously were barely visible in the background. Enough said – I’ll let the pictures speak for themselves… After absorbing the incredible views for a while, we left the boulders to allow recently arrived folks to have an opportunity to enjoy the tranquil scenery.
Did I mention there was only enough parking at the top for a single vehicle? Well, when we got back to the top of the road, there were 3 other cars and a small van now bravely parked along the side of the road, all with large rocks under their tires to ensure they wouldn’t roll down the hill – Good idea! Another interesting Grenada attraction for sure!
For the more adventurous, this area is a good place to explore while hiking or snorkeling – For more info, including a list of local tour operators to get you on the trail or in the water, check out our Grenada Hiking or Grenada Snorkeling pages.
What a great day – and it wasn’t even over yet… We then drove down the west coast road, enjoying the amazing views of the Caribbean Sea with quick stops in Victoria, Gouyave, and St. George’s to pick up some spices for our trip home.
ACT Staff
For a more complete review of Grenada’s Attractions and things-to-do, along with a list of local Tour Operators who can help you get the most out of your day, check out our Top 6 Attractions in Grenada post
If you’re looking for something more active, check out our recommended Grenada Adventures blog
For an overview of the beautiful and diverse islands, click on our Grenada Vacations page
Located just north of St. Lucia, the French island of Martinique is a relatively large Caribbean Island, perhaps best known for its many unique rhum distilleries as well as its fusion of Caribbean and French culture and cuisine. Martinique has a diverse landscape with rugged green mountains dominating the north end of the beautiful island, with a dryer and flatter south end, all connected with one of the best road systems in the West Indies! The “flower Island of the Caribbean” is home to many beautiful plantations, gardens and historical sites as well as a fascinating assortment of natural wonders to enjoy. Martinique has plenty to offer sight-seeing travelers if you know where to look – Our personal favourite “things to do” while visiting this French Caribbean gem include:
While many islands produce Rum, Martinique just might be the rum, or shall I say Rhum, capital of the Caribbean. The island is home to over a dozen rhum distilleries, most of which are open to the public, and offer free or reasonably priced plantation/distillery tours where you can see historical memorabilia including old rhum-making equipment along with tons of information on Martinique, sugar cane, as well as the French Agricole rhum-making process. Martinique distillers take their rum-making seriously – From growing their own sugar cane on the “terroir” of their region to producing ‘vintage’ rhums and classifications such as VO, VSOP, and XO, similar to brandies or wines. Of course, many rhum estates/distilleries offer rhum tasting and have stores to purchase the rhum(s) of your choice. Some of the more notable distilleries in Martinique include:
Other rhum distilleries in Martinique, from north to south, include: Rhum JM; Distillerie Hardy; La Sucrerie du Galion; Neisson; Rhum HSE; Distillerie La Favorite; Maison La Mauny; Rhum Dillon; A-1710 (at Habitation du Simon); and Braud & Quennesson
Please note that many of the actual distilleries are not in operation outside of ‘harvest season’, although the plantations, gardens, museums and storefronts are always open!
For more detailed information on Martinique’s rhum distilleries along with a list of tour operators who will get you there, click on our Rhums of Martinique page. For a more colourful review of the many rhums of Martinique, including first-hand accounts of distilleries visits, check out our Martinique Rhum Tour blog post.
History buffs and the curious alike will enjoy looking through ‘a window to the past’ by visiting one of many historical sites in Martinique.
Anyone interested in the history of Martinique must visit the ruins of Saint-Pierre, a stark reminder of the powerful volcanic eruption of Mount Pelee in 1902 that buried most of the island’s then-capital city under lava or ash.
For an example of 18th-century life on Martinique, check out the remains of several plantation buildings at the remarkable Château Dubuc, located on the Caravelle Peninsula, or experience the Creole history and architecture of the Pécoul Habitation/Greathouse located at the northeast end of Martinique. Of course, the Habitation la Sucrerie and House of Sugar Cane (Maison de la Canne), both located just south of Les Trois-Îlets will also transport you back to life in the sugar cane (and rhum) industry.
Also located south of Les Trois-Îlets is the Musee de la Pagerie, the birthplace-turned-museum of the Empress Joséphine de Beauharnais, the first wife of Emperor Napolean. We would be remiss to not also highlight La Savane des Esclaves, a reconstruction of a large 17th-century slave village, also in the area.
For information on available tours in Martinique, check out our Martinique Land Excursions page.
It should be no surprise that the “flower Island of the Caribbean” is home to some spectacular gardens and arboretums. Jardin de Balata (Botanical Gardens), located just north of Fort-de-France, showcases a lovely Creole-style house surrounded by incredible flora along with incredible views of the island. Habitation Anse Latouche, located just south of Saint Pierre is home to the remains of a 17th-century plantation as well as a fantastic garden and much more (including the Zoo Martinique).
To enjoy more of Martinique’s rich plant diversity and amazing scenery, visit St. Pierre’s Domaine d’Emeraude, a large 25-hectare arboretum featuring a pavilion, many greenhouses, and several walking paths, or the relaxing garden and walking trails of Céron Habitation, located just north of Le Precheur.
If you’re looking for a more natural experience in Martinique’s wilderness beauty, take a drive on the Route de la Trace (highway N3) through the tropical rainforest between Fort-de-France and L’Ajoupa-Bouillon, filled with incredible scenic stops along the way. Along the southeast coastline of the island, take a walk through the unique Savane des Petrifications, a desert-like rocky landscape one wouldn’t expect to see on an otherwise lush Caribbean Island.
If you’re visiting in the February/March timeframe, you must visit the Tombolo of Sainte-Marie to experience an amazing natural phenomenon – The seawater between Martinique and the island of Sainte-Marie (almost) disappears, making it possible to walk the 200 meters across a large sandbar.
For more information on Martinique’s attractions along with a list of tour operators who will show you around, click on our Things to Do in Martinique page
For more information related to the monumental event in Martinique’s history, there are a couple of museums to explore. Learn more about the 1902 volcano eruption that wiped out St. Pierre at the Centre de Découverte des Sciences de la Terre (the earth-science museum), which includes an exhibit and film, or the Franck Perret Volcanological Museum (Musée Volcanologique), which is dedicated to explaining the Mount Pelee eruption. Both are located in Saint Pierre.
There are plenty of other interesting attractions on the island, depending on what you’re looking for.
For all things bananas, you have to visit the enjoyable Banana Museum, located near Sainte Marie. The museum displays tell the story of the history of one of the original crops of the island. There’s also a short walking path showcasing a large variety of banana species. For more of Martinique’s rich history of the sugar and rhum trades, be sure to make a stop just south of La Trinité at the Habitation le Galion, the last sugar factory operating in Martinique, now replete with a touristic village and factory tours.
If you’re into architecture, check out the Sacré-Coeur de Balata Cathedral (Sacred Heart Church) just north of Fort-de-France. You’ll quickly realize that the building was inspired by Montmartre’s Basilica of the Sacred Heart Cathedral in Paris. If you enjoy old fortresses, wander around Fort Royal (Fort Saint Louis) in Fort-de-France. Although now an active naval base, they still offer tours of the remains of the 17th-century defensive structure.
If you love the Caribbean Sea, browse through Le Musée de la Mer, located just southeast of Les Trois-Îlets. As you can guess, the museum is dedicated to the ocean and features a large collection of shells and marine life artifacts. A little further south, the Diamond Rock makes for a favourite photo stop along the southern coastline – The stunning view is punctuated by the rock jutting out of the Caribbean Sea. While you’re in the area, be sure to pay your respects at the Memorial de l’Anse Caffard (Mémorial Cap 110), a sculpture-based art display preserving the memory and history of slavery, specifically a boating accident in 1830 that resulted in the death of dozens of slaves just of the coast.
For more information on Martinique’s attractions along with a list of tour operators who will show you around, click on our Things to Do in Martinique page
There is also a wide variety of things to do on the seas surrounding Martinique. Enjoy a day of boating and sightseeing along the coast, or perhaps a romantic sunset cruise – Savour the unique perspective of the island from the sea. Take in Martinique’s ruggedly beautiful mountainous north end, the popular inlets and bays on the southwest coast, and of course the famous landmark of Josephine’s Bath and the islets of Le Robert and Le Francois on the Atlantic side of the island.
For more information on Martinique’s ocean excursions along with a list of boat/tour operators who will get you on the water, click on our Martinique Ocean-Based Excursions page
Of course, there’s always the cuisine and beaches of Martinique. As a long-time French colony, Martinique offers a unique gastronomic experience with a wide selection of Caribbean-Creole-French fusion foods served in restaurants across the island. After a tasty gastronomical experience, you can relax on one of Martinique’s beautiful soft white sand beaches along the southwest and southern coasts, or explore an intriguing black sand beach along the northwest and southwest coasts. Some of the more popular beaches include the Plage de l’Anse Mitan, Grande Anse d’Arlet, Sainte Luce / Sainte-Anne, and of course the Plage des Salines.
La Martinique est Magnifique! – Enjoy!
ACT Staff
If you’re looking for a more active vacation, check out our Martinique Adventures blog post for some great ideas (coming soon)
For more information on this amazingly diverse island, take a look at our Martinique Vacations page
