What to know to rent a boat in Martinique
Boat rentals in Martinique. The most French island of the known Lesser Antilles. It is located southeast of the Caribbean, between Saint Lucia and Dominica. Because of its location, it is wetter and with a thicker and more tropical vegetation than the others in the Caribbean and is the most important seat for boat rentals in Martinique.
Within Martinique, the south is somewhat drier and more touristy. The north is volcanic and of a spectacular nature. In general, Martinique is a natural paradise of exceptional beaches with unique landscapes, where Creole hospitality and French distinction come together. And that you can meet with the motor yacht rentals in Martinique.
A few miles from Guadalupe and Las Grandinas
If you are a navigator, renting a boat in Martinique allows you to enjoy a destination like no other. The island has one of the most fabulous and safest bays to navigate. You can take different routes to visit the neighboring Guadalupe or the Grenadines, or start a journey around the island with the catamaran rentals in Martinique.
Both for those who are looking for attractive beaches to relax – white sand in the south and black sand in the north – and for those who want to dive or fish, visit reefs, discover hot springs, travel mountain trails, visit ravines, know jungle places … Martinique has many options and one of the best is the boat rentals in Martinique.
Culturally it is an island full of contrasts that mixes the French administration or education system with a history of pirates or slaves brought for the cultivation of sugarcane, all embellished with the charm of the Caribbean.
Sailing in Martinique
Remember that its windward Atlantic coast is somewhat difficult because sometimes its coral reefs and cliffs channel strong gusts of wind. It is much more pleasant to navigate in the tranquility of its leeward shores protected by the orography of the area, where the sea descends sharply preventing the growth of corals and great for the sailboat rentals in Martinique.
Unlike other Caribbean islands, the ports of Martinique are more separated from each other than usual, although, if you love the sea, this is no problem. The great geographical conditions of Martinique make it easy to shelter and anchor directly in its bays, without the need for marinas, which makes it one of the favorite areas of the Caribbean to navigate with the boat rentals in Martinique.
The best marinas
Ports to rent a boat in Martinique are the Marina Pointe du Bout and Port du Marin. Choose the latter if you sail south on the Rum Route (Sta. Lucia, Mustique, Becquia, St Vicent and Tobago Keys) reaching the Virgin Islands or making stops in nearby islands such as Caicos, to see Dominican Republic and Cuba with the gulet rentals in Martinique.
The possibilities are varied. Different countries with unequal cultures that offer a differentiated flavor for each place, despite being very close and a few miles of navigation with each other.
Weather to sail in Martinique
Sailing season
As in the rest of the Caribbean, the best time to boat rentals in Martinique is between January and March, in the dry season. You can also sail peacefully in December, April or May, although punctually in these months the bad weather might surprise us. The months to avoid are those that go July to October, hurricane months, although they can last from June to November or even reach May and December.
Inexperienced sailors are recommended not to choose the waters of the Atlantic Ocean, if not those of the Caribbean Sea, much quieter. On the contrary, in these waters you have to be alert to your coral reefs.
Temperature in Martinique
Martinique, like the entire Caribbean, has no summer and winter, but rainy season and dry season. Its temperatures do not change much throughout the year and range between 22 and 31, perfect for the rib rentals in Martinique.
Rainy season
The rainy season is concentrated between June and November. Martinique, similar to its neighbors Santa Lucia or Dominica, is rainier than the northern Caribbean islands. Therefore, during the dry season there may also be rainy days.
Sea temperature
The water temperature on this island is quite warm and somewhat higher than that of other places in the northern Caribbean. Normally it is situated in an average between 27o and 29o. It is somewhat superior in the rainy season, but in both the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, renting a boat in Martinique allows you to enjoy great water conditions with motor boat rentals in Martinique.
Wind
Except for the hurricane season, winds in Martinique during the sailing season are usually moderate. Throughout the year they accompany the trade winds, ideal for sailing. In the rainy season the important ones are from the northeast and from the southeast, between 10 and 20 knots. During the dry season they tend to be stronger, between 15 and 20 knots, blowing especially from the northeast.
Martinique Beaches
The island of Martinique is known for the contrast between its golden sand beaches in the south, and the gray and black sand beaches in the north, originated by the volcanic ash of Mount Mont Pelée, and also known for the tropical forests that protect them.
On the other hand, it is important to note that, with exceptions such as Le Diamant, Martinique’s beaches are small and hidden, which sometimes causes the only way to reach them is by sea. We list some of the best, from the north and the south, so that you arrive with your boat rental in Martinique and enjoy them to the fullest.
Les Salines
On the south coast, in one of the less urbanized areas, the beaches of Sainte Anne appear, known for their bohemian atmosphere. Among them is that of “L’anse Michel Cap” or “La Plage des Salines”, considered one of the most beautiful in the Lesser Antilles.
It is an ideal postcard beach to relax. The water is transparent and the sand fine. But without doubt the best is its leafy line of palm trees a few meters from the water, growing steeply and trying to touch the water.
Trabaud
Very close to Les Salines, Trabaud is one of the few long beaches in Martinique. The weekend is usually filled with tourists or families residing on the island. Therefore, Mondays and Fridays are the best days to enjoy this beach in tranquility.
L’Anse du Carbet, a unique and idyllic beach full of coconut trees and beach bars to recreate at the end of the day discovering cocktails.
Fonds Blancs
This beach in the east, is one of the most emblematic areas of Maritinica. To enjoy it, it is necessary to do it on a boat. Of very calm waters, with little depth, and with the white sand at the bottom that gives it its characteristic name, “White Funds”, it looks like a swimming pool in the middle of the sea. It is an ideal place to visit with boat rentals in Martinique.
Couleuvre
In the northwest of the island, it is the most famous black sand beach in Martinique. It is very complicated to access, so it is usually very little crowded. Few miles around it appear other coves very similar to those that you can also approach by browsing.
Finally, we also highlight in the north those of Anse Ceron and Anse des Gallets.
Things to do in Martinique
Martinique is a tropical colony that still belongs to France, like Guadalupe, so its inhabitants use French as their official language, use the Euro and eat baguettes, but at the same time they have their own culture marked by the Creole customs of the Antilles . The best example of this is that everywhere you hear the “zouk” a rhythmic and sensual Antillean music, which translated from Creole means “party.” It is therefore a fusion of European, African, Indian and Caribbean aromas that gain more or less weight depending on the area of the island where you are. Most martiniqueses have African or mestizo ancestry with French, Chinese, Lebanese, or Amerindian. Whites only reach 5% of the population.
Among the multicolored yolas, the musical bars of the Antilles and the market stalls with their original aromas, Creole magic soaks everything.
Local Culture
Next to her, French culture coexists throughout the island. A good example of this is the capital, Fort de France, which boasts its name displaying its style and culture. It has a lot of art galleries, museums and theaters. The profile of the city has as its main characteristics the multicolored houses with different levels, the garden “La Savene”, the diversity of cultures of its boardwalk, the market for fruits, fish and species, the stamp of its bay … or go Shopping along the main main street, Rue Victor Hugo, an amazing experience.
The road that takes us to the northwest, in the direction of the Peleé volcano, hides a treasure with stunning views, the “L’Iglise du Sacre Coeur”.
Mountains
“Route de la Trace” is a road that surrounds the Carbet Mountains, and was built by the Jesuits in the 18th century. They are about 30 km between Fort-de-France and the village of Morne-Rouge landscape and the simply stunning tropical forest. Huge trees, lianas, bamboos, ferns, the waterfalls of the “Saut du Gendarme”, the Rivera Blanca, a special place to rest and sometimes bathe in the river, “Le Parc d’Emeraude” …
The highest point that emerges from these mountains dominating the entire island and conditioning all its orography is the famous Mount Peleé. The last eruption dates from 1902.
Near the capital is the city of Le Marin, a mixture of tradition and modernity and with strong French roots as well.
If the Pelée mountain is an invitation to take height, the seabed is to take a bath.
The best plan if you visit Martinique is to relax and navigate the many beaches and coastal towns, discovering the hills and islets that stand in front of the coast.
You can practice all water sports such as surfing, kayaking, kitesurfing, or scuba diving, discovering its fauna or the remains of sunken pirate ships in Saint Pierre.
Martinique is also known as the “Island of flowers” for the large number of varieties it has, making it a “garden” in the middle of the Caribbean.
Activities in Martinique
- Stroll through Fort de France, Saint-Pierre, and the village of Sainte-Anne.
- The municipality of Grand-Rivière and Le Carbet.
- Go through Cap 110, the memorial monument of Ensenada Caffard, and the main square of the slaves.
- Enjoy the breathtaking views of Morne Gommier.
- Know the Gorges of the Cliff and the protected nature reserve of La Caravelle.
- Anchor by sailboat in the bay of Trésor.
- Take a risk and enter the cave of bats.
- Take the Trace route in the heart of the rainforest.
- Visit “The Butterfly Garden”.
- Attend the start of the Tour des Yoles regatta between July and August.
- Dare to climb the active volcano of Mont Pelée.
- Practice hiking or mountain biking on the Pelée or another of the multiple areas of the island, especially in the south.
- Diving in Punta de Borgnèse or in the Diamond Rock.
- If you are a fan of wild flowers and fruits, do not miss the thousands of species of tropical plants and flowers on the island, or deprive yourself of visiting the botanical gardens of Balata.
- Learn banana cultivation in Habitation Belfort.
The gastronomy of Martinique
The Creole cuisine of Martinique is one of the best in the Caribbean islands that you can visit with the boat rentals in Martinique.
It has many influences beyond the European cuisine brought by the French and the Dutch: African, Indian or Jewish are the most important. All of them have outlined their own style of Creole cuisine formed with the best vegetable and animal products of the island, capable of integrating traditions of many years and cultures.
We invite you to taste it, for example, in the colorful and characteristic restaurant Le Bambou in Morne Rouge, the town of soccer player Raphael Varane. There are typical cod fritters (accras), roast chicken, stuffed crab or conch stew.
After the meal, we propose a fun activity: visit a rum distillery, which is normally inserted in a house. Here are a couple of options: the “Habitation Clement” where the Clement rum is distilled, and the Rhum Depaz distillery with an extraordinary rum.
How to get Martinique
By plane
Getting to Martinique by plane is easy and also the best way. You can land at the only airport on the island, the Aimé Césaire International Airport (FDF) in Lamelin, near the capital, Fort-de-France, starting from several European and American cities, as well as from other Caribbean islands. There are direct flights from the Paris Charles de Gaulle (CDG) and Paris Orly (ORY) airports in France. From Miami International Airport (MIA) and from Montréal – Pierre Elliott Trudeau (YUL) in North America, and from Cuba, Puerto Rico, Saint Lucia, Barbados, and other nearby islands in Central America.
Taxis outside the terminal cost around € 30 for a trip to Fort-de-France, € 45 to Pointe du Bout or Anse Mitan and € 75 to Ste-Anne. Unfortunately there is no bus service from the airport.
By Ferry
Martinique can be reached by ferry from the nearest islands of the Caribbean, and arriving at the inter-island terminal of Fort-de-France, which is located right in the center of the city.
There are lines that connect the capital Fort-de-France with other French islands such as Les Saintes, Guadalupe, or Marie-Galante, and with the adjoining territories of Saint Lucia and Dominica. If you want to do it with a rental boat in the Caribbean it is very easy to do it from any of its neighboring islands. There are only about 18 miles from the north of Saint Lucia or about 22 from the south of Dominica.
Contact our expert team
If you want to expand this information of the boat rentals in Martinique or if you have any doubts of any kind about the sailing boat rentals in Mallorca. Do not hesitate to contact us and an expert advisor will be happy to help you at any time without any commitment on your part.
Nautic Adventure will help you therefore to choose the best destination and the best boat at the best price. We will also make things much easier from the moment you arrive at the destination airport, until you return home after your vacation on the chosen boat.
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We provide you with all the services you may need at all times. We provide you with the choice of an expert crew if you do not have nautical qualifications, transfers from the airport to the port, purchase of food and drink. As well as, rental cars, restaurant reservations, travel insurance, boat bail insurance and many other services. Visit Nautic Experience Plus.
In Nautic Adventure, we will make your holiday on the boat more comfortable and safe with your family or friends. And maybe, this vacation on a boat becomes the best adventure of your life. Trust the best! Trust Nautic Adventure!