Making Memories in Martinique
Exploring the birthplace of Négritude
Clicking on a Secret Flying twitter post just before Christmas 2016 led me to one of the most beautiful, educational, and affordable island vacations I have ever experienced. Three short weeks later, I escaped from the cold, wet, hustle and bustle of JFK International Airport to the serene beaches and stunning volcanic overlooks of Martinique for less than $250USD.
I consider myself to be an avid traveler, but Martinique is a great destination for the most novice nomads. Martinique checks off all the boxes: affordability of flights, accommodation options for every budget, lively entertainment, historical importance, and fresh food for every palate. The people are as warm as the never-ending ocean breezes, and there is no shortage of Ti Punch to make you feel like dancing as you stroll on the sand or hike through along the mountainside.
Martinique is a French territory in the eastern Caribbean Sea, in the Lesser Antilles island chain. Its nearest neighbors are the island republics of Dominica, 22 miles (35 km) to the northwest, and Saint Lucia, 16 miles (26 km) to the south. Guadeloupe, another territory of France, lies about 75 miles (120 km) to the north. The island is volcanic in origin, and has 8 different centers of volcanic activity. The oldest rocks date to 24 million years ago.
The northern coastline of Martinique is characterized by steep cliffs; farther south, however, the cliffs become lower, which make for great hiking trips. It seems that everywhere I looked, there was another Instagrammable vista. There are two large bays — Fort-de-France and Marin — on the western coast, and coral reefs, headlands, and coves line the eastern coast, great for boating and scuba diving day trips.
The island’s dry season (and in my opinion, the best time to visit) lasts from December to June, and the rainy winter season stretches from July to December with the highest rainfall occurring in July and September. My five day, mid-January trip was breezy, warm and included overnight rain showers, which left a glorious mist in the morning that the sun burned off before I could finish my breakfast of fresh fruit, coffee and French bread. My AirBnB was on a hill tucked halfway between the mountains and the sea, and the views were incredible. If your preference is something more like a resort or highrise hotel, you won’t be disappointed. I preferred to stay off the (tourist) beaten path, and Martinique’s low crime rate made me feel comfortable everywhere I went.
Public transportation in Martinique is very limited and taxis and shuttles can get very expensive, very quickly, so it is highly recommended to reserve a rental car, in advance, if you plan to explore any part of the island. While there are full size sedans, vans and SUVs available to rent, most Martinicans drive compact, manual transmission vehicles, and those are also the most commonly available rental cars. If you don’t drive stick, make sure you reserve a car with an automatic transmission IN ADVANCE. Even though one drives in Martinique on the same side of the road, and on the same side of the car, as in the United States and Canada, driving in Martinique may take some getting used to. There are very few traffic lights. Instead, the flow of traffic is directed by an abundance of roundabouts and road signs written au francés. If possible, plan to arrive early enough in the day so that you can practice driving in the daylight before having to navigate twisting, mountainous roads at night. Pay close attention to the signs, and don’t be alarmed when locals honk at you for driving slow because you don’t know when to go, merge, or change lanes.
Martinique’s history is one of sadness and ultimately of recovery. Most of the original Arawak Carib people who lived on Martinique were killed by disease and conflict when Europeans colonized the island in the 15th century. By 1658, there were 5,000 French settlers on Martinique, and virtually no native Caribs left. Slaves brought from Africa over the next few centuries greatly changed the make up of the Caribbean nation, and now the population is primarily Black, including Napoleon’s bride, Empress Josephine, who was born and raised in Martinique.
Slavery finally was abolished in Martinique, Guadeloupe, French Guyana, and Réunion by the government that came to power after the 1848 revolution, spurred by slave uprisings in the colonies. A year later, legislation passed granting the owners of France’s 248,560 slaves compensation from a sum of $120 million francs. From 1850 to 1870 some 18,400 Africans were carried to the French West Indies illegally, presumably by Cuban slavers. Despite an end of slavery and a majority Black population, the island’s current economy is largely controlled by the small proportion of people of European descent.
While the island’s official language is French, most people speak a Creole similar to that heard in Haiti. Martinican people embody the time honored-endurance and resilience of Africans, and this jewel in the middle of the sea is the birthplace of the concept of Négritude, created by the island’s beloved poet and elder statesman Aimé_Césaire. This cultural movement was launched in 1930s Paris by French-speaking Black graduate students from France’s colonies in Africa and the Caribbean territories. These intellectuals converged around solidarity and the common ideal of affirming pride in shared Black identity and African heritage, and reclaiming African self-determination, self–reliance, and self–respect. The Négritude movement signaled an awakening of race consciousness for Blacks in Africa and the African Diaspora. This new race consciousness, rooted in a (re)discovery of the authentic self, sparked a collective condemnation of Western domination, anti-black racism, enslavement, and colonization of Black people. Still a cornerstone of the foundation of modern Martinican identity, Négritude is embraced by people of the Diaspora, all over the world.
Despite being rich in natural resources and largely untouched by massive industry, Martinique’s economy is “upside down” and heavily dependent on supplemental financing from France. Martinique spends more on importing agricultural machinery, cars, construction equipment, etc., than the money it makes from tourism and from exporting agricultural products like rum, sugarcane, bananas, refined petroleum products, and processed fruit-based food and beverages. Fortunately, the overall standard of living is high, as wages are paid on a French wage scale.
One of the many things I enjoyed about Martinique is that the landscape varies greatly based on your location on the island, but lush flora and clean breezes are a constant. Night air is filled with chirping crickets and in the daytime, you will see chickens and goats along the roadside, and you may experience a traffic jam caused by a cow or two crossing the street. Martinique’s history is very much part of their present, and visitors can go back in time by visiting any one of the many banana plantations, rum distilleries and museums.
For $12USD, you can tour the Saint James Rhum Agricole Plantation on a restored steam engine, and wander on foot around the the distillery grounds that are open to the public. The Saint James Rhum distillery’s museum includes massive barrels full of rum that have been untouched for over a century, as well as hundreds of photos, drawings, and paintings from the original advertisements and labels of Saint James Rhum. These depict day-to-day scenes and caricatures of the slaves, indentured servants and the freed people who worked on the plantations. Even though I have studied the history of the Trans Atlantic Slave Trade and chattel slavery for decades, I am never not taken aback when I see images of anti-Blackness.
Because the island of Martinique is relatively small, one can explore multiple landmarks and visit more than one beach in one day. After exploring a distillery one morning, I enjoyed a seaside lunch, then took a short drive and spent the afternoon walking along the beach and among the hauntingly beautiful stone relics of Anse Cafard, a tribute to shipwrecked slave ships.
This Caribbean island with French flair is known variously as “The Isle of Flowers,” “The Rum Capital of the World,” and in literary world “ The Isle of the Famed Poet (Aime Cesaire)” — by any one of its many names Martinique remains one of the most alluring and enchanting destinations in the world.
Martinique’s diverse topography and her warm people make this a great destination for first time travelers and experts, alike. Food and fun are in great supply, and Google Translate with a smile will help you in times when your native language isn’t spoken. Be prepared to be pleasantly surprised, and don’t forget to bring your patience, a backup battery for your phone and camera, comfortable walking or hiking shoes, and lots of sunscreen.
