Located in the heart of the Caribbean archipelago, Martinique is one of the Windward islands in the Lesser Antilles group. Its eastern coastline borders the Atlantic Ocean while its western coast is flanked by the Caribbean Sea. The island is 4 350 miles away from France, 1 950 miles from New York and 275 miles from the closest South American coastline.
The closest neighboring islands are to the north: Dominica, 16 miles away, Guadeloupe, 75 miles away, and to the south: Saint Lucia, 23 miles away. Martinique is equidistant from the coasts of Venezuela and Haiti/Dominican Republic (497 miles).
The most well-known and frequented is Anse Bonneville (plage des surfeurs) on the Caravelle Peninsula. If you are lucky enough to be near Anse Couleuvre (northern tip of the Caribbean coast) at just the right moment it’s possible to surf some of the best waves on the island: a strong, fast tubular right of up to 3 meters with a shallow bed.
Those who seek maximum thrills in Martinique are urged to try the long waves that form a point break at the entrance to the Basse Pointe port flanked by high cliffs. As you can see it’s impossible to be bored if you come with your board in Martinique.
Landscape
At its greatest points, Martinique measures 50 miles long and 24 miles wide, delivering 425 square miles of rugged mountainous landscape, dense forests, rivers, waterfalls, rolling hills,and – most importantly – many picturesque bays and coves.
Martinique is truly a land of tradition and culture, with a rich history of crafts and literature by renowned authors and famous poets, music and dance, lifestyle and gastronomy. Its multi-ethnic population stems from the cultural mixing of the island’s successive inhabitants: Amerindians, Europeans, Africans, Indians, Levantines and Asians.
