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Guide to Fort De France, Martinique
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Click to go to Flight Prices for Fort De France
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Fort De FrancePart of the Caribbean group of islands known as the Lesser Antilles, Martinique is an overwhelmingly French dreamland of lush landscape coupled with a coastline where pockets of towns and cities coexist with sand, cove, and sea. The capital of this tropical island goes by the name of Fort De France and boasts a charming blend of waterside oases, an operational port, and a cityscape of residential and commercial districts that seem to have borrowed much in the way of architectural accoutrements from the Mediterranean region. A mixture of African and the French languages, Creole appears to be the most prevalently spoken dialect in the capital, one that you may find easier to pick up (at least the basics) than you'd expect. A necessary tool for making travel convenient if relying on others to get you around town, spending a few days amongst locals inside cafes and along the harbor will almost guarantee your having "au revoir" down pat. If you're here to see impressive megaplexes of historic proportions or ancient remnants, you'll be deeply disappointed, but the casual traveler will surely enjoy the sights Fort De France does have. More a place for interaction than passive spectatordom, Fort De France is only a wonderful place to visit if one allows it to be so.
When to go:
Positioned at the tip of Flamands Bay, Fort De France is roughly the same distance from the northernmost point of Martinique as the south, which, evidently, made it the perfect candidate for the island's most important functions. Facing the Caribbean (the eastern coast of Martinique touches the Atlantic), gorgeous waters lap at the city's piers, though understandable is the fact that the depths immediately offshore aren't quite so clear (pollution). Martinique is home to a climate of only slightly shifting temperatures, therefore it's difficult to harbor any significant favor toward one season in particular, however, with a susceptibility to an encounter with a tropical storm, it's simply good reasoning to stay clear of the island in late spring and summer. Not to worry, autumn and winter are hardly hosts to extreme chills; sunny skies and tours of the bay are always possible.
Getting there and around:
Lamentin Airport, the only international flight center (offering access without the Caribbean circle) on Martinique, is relatively close to the capital. While buses and taxis are available for transit between town and terminal, rental vehicles are best for tourists. In order to view the capital, there's hardly anything you'll need more than a good pair of walking shoes - and rarely anything else. Our recommendation for a rental car goes hand in hand with peoples' impulses to see beyond the city limits.
Attractions:
One would normal expect a capital city to be a concoction of a compact center with little room for anything other than concrete edifices and possibly a few ornate squares, however, Fort De France takes on a different approach. Journey to center of this ornate complex and you'll come to find that a beautiful garden, La Savane, has made a home for itself here. Comprised of walkways, general sporting fields and, yes, a square (host to a statue of Napoleon's Josephine), La Savane is often the meeting place for many, and is continually visited and revisited by tourists, seemingly in love with its variety.
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