Martinique

Martinique—just the name evokes connotations of the exotic beauty and culture of the French West Indies. This stunning island in the Lesser Antilles is a fantastic place to base your Sunsail yacht. Martinique is famed for its dining, shopping, white and black sand beaches, rugged natural beauty, rainforests, and, of course, its melange of French-Caribbean culture and life.

The Sunsail base is on the island’s south end in Marina Marin, in Le Marin. This full-service marina caters to local sailors, visiting cruisers, and the extensive charter fleet. There is plentiful dining and shopping nearby, as well as hotels and accommodation for the start and end of your trip.

From North America, you can fly directly to Martinique from Miami, Toronto and Montreal. From Europe, flights out of Paris, Nantes, Dusseldorf, and Frankfurt are direct, with connections from other cities available. The Moorings charter base is less than an hour by taxi from Martinique Aimé Césaire International Airport (FDF) in Fort de France.

Spending a week or more on the inviting west coast of Martinique is easy. Only two hours sail out of Le Marin lies Grande Anse D’Arlet, a quaint waterfront town with a gorgeous beach and plentiful places to dine on shore. A little further north, you’ll find Fort de France, the epicenter of French-Caribbean culture. Visit the market, tour the historic cathedral and fort, or grab an excellent meal.

Up and down the coast, you’ll find smaller villages with various attractions. Most anchorages have mooring buoys, dinghy docks and facilities to welcome visitors. Excellent snorkeling and diving are found all over the island, with reefs, wrecks, plenty of wildlife, and an underwater sculpture park.

The top attractions on shore are the beaches and dining spots, but be sure to venture inland for hiking, eco-tourism, and visits to museums and historical sites. And don’t miss the famed rum distilleries for tastings of rhum agricole, the distinctive French-Caribbean version of the classic sailor’s drink.

The prevailing winds make for easy sailing, but they also make the eastern windward coast a challenge, so most folks cruise the western side. Martinique’s central location makes it easy to sail north to Dominica or south to St. Lucia. The adventurous can reach St. Vincent and the Grenadines or Guadeloupe with a little more time.

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