In two weeks you can see Martinique without rushing. The idea: four places to stay in turn, the Caribbean south, the far south, the Atlantic coast, then the Caribbean north, to avoid long round trips. Collect the car at the airport, where the handover is free; drive times are outside rush hours.
Week 1 — The south
Stay in Les Trois-Îlets or Les Anses-d'Arlet (nights 1 to 4), then in Sainte-Anne or Le Marin (nights 5 to 7).
- Day 1 — arrival, Les Trois-Îlets (25 to 45 minutes from the airport), a swim at Anse Mitan;
- Day 2 — the Domaine de la Pagerie, where Joséphine was born, and the Village de la Poterie; Pointe du Bout and Anse à l'Âne;
- Day 3 — Les Anses-d'Arlet (20 to 30 minutes): Grande Anse d'Arlet and Saint-Henri church, the turtles of Anse Dufour, Anse Noire;
- Day 4 — Fort-de-France without the car, by the Anse Mitan ferry: Saint-Louis cathedral, the Schœlcher library, the Savane;
- Day 5 — move along the coast: Le Diamant (15 to 20 minutes from Les Anses-d'Arlet), Diamond Rock and the Cap 110 Memorial, then Sainte-Anne (40 to 60 minutes);
- Day 6 — Grande Anse des Salines (10 to 15 minutes), the Salines lagoon, a Ramsar-listed wetland, and Pointe Marin;
- Day 7 — Le Marin (15 to 20 minutes) and its large marina, Anse Figuier, then the La Mauny distillery in Rivière-Pilote and Trois-Rivières in Sainte-Luce.
Week 2 — The Atlantic coast and the north
Stay in Le François or Tartane (nights 8 to 10), then in Le Carbet or Saint-Pierre (nights 11 to 14).
- Day 8 — Cap Chevalier and Anse Michel, on the Atlantic side of Sainte-Anne, then Le François (40 to 55 minutes from Sainte-Anne): Habitation Clément and the A1710 distillery;
- Day 9 — the Caravelle peninsula (45 to 60 minutes from Le François): reserve trails, Château Dubuc, Tartane beach, and Anse l'Étang for surfers;
- Day 10 — Sainte-Marie and the Saint-James distillery, then Gros-Morne and the HSE distillery;
- Day 11 — move to the Caribbean north: the Domaine d'Émeraude in Le Morne-Rouge, then Saint-Pierre (15 to 20 minutes): theatre ruins, Cyparis's cell, the Memorial of the 1902 disaster;
- Day 12 — Mount Pelée (1,396 m) via the Aileron trail, in Le Morne-Rouge: a tough climb, the summit often in the mist, set off early. It's an active volcano, on yellow alert since December 2020: check access before you go;
- Day 13 — the Depaz distillery in Saint-Pierre, then the coast: to the north, Anse Céron and Anse Couleuvre (35 to 50 minutes from Saint-Pierre); to the south, Anse Turin in Le Carbet;
- Day 14 — Grand'Rivière, at the end of the northern road (45 to 60 minutes from Le Morne-Rouge): no road continues to Le Prêcheur, you come back the same way. On the way back, the JM distillery in Macouba;
- Day 15 — back along the Route de la Trace: the Jardin de Balata (30 to 45 minutes from Le Morne-Rouge), Fort-de-France (20 to 35 minutes), then the airport (20 to 30 minutes outside rush hours). Allow a margin.
Rum distilleries open to visitors
Opening hours noted in September 2026; they change with the seasons, so check them before you go:
- JM (Macouba) — daily 9 am to 5 pm, free self-guided visit;
- Depaz (Saint-Pierre) — Tuesday to Saturday; free grounds, château with tasting (admission charged);
- Saint-James (Sainte-Marie) — site and museum daily 9 am to 5 pm, free;
- HSE (Gros-Morne) — daily 9 am to 5 pm, free self-guided visit;
- La Mauny (Rivière-Pilote) — Monday to Saturday, 9 am to 5:30 pm, tour by little train;
- Trois-Rivières (Sainte-Luce) — guided tour of the former distillery Monday to Saturday, and on Sundays in high season;
- La Favorite (Le Lamentin) — Monday to Friday 9 am to 4 pm, Saturday 9 am to noon, free;
- A1710 (Le François) — Monday to Friday 9 am to 5 pm, Saturday 9 am to 1 pm, free;
- Habitation Clément (Le François) — daily 9 am to 5 pm; no longer distils on site.
For tastings, the driver abstains: the legal limit is 0.5 g/l of blood, 0.2 g/l for probationary licences. Alcohol abuse is dangerous to health; drink responsibly.
Preparing your two weeks
Choosing when: best time to visit Martinique. Choosing beaches: beaches you can reach by car. Rules and roads: driving in Martinique. And if you only have a week: our 7-day itinerary.
Frequently asked questions
Where should I stay for two weeks in Martinique?
Move a few times: the Caribbean south (Les Trois-Îlets, Les Anses-d'Arlet), the far south (Sainte-Anne, Le Marin), the Atlantic coast (Le François, Tartane), then the Caribbean north (Le Carbet, Saint-Pierre). You avoid long round trips.
Can I climb Mount Pelée?
Yes, via the Aileron trail, in Le Morne-Rouge: a tough climb, the summit often in the mist. It's an active volcano under monitoring: check access before you go.
Can I drive from Grand'Rivière to Le Prêcheur?
No: no road links the two towns, only a hiking trail of about 17 km. Grand'Rivière is a dead end: you come back the same way.
Which rum distilleries can I visit in Martinique?
JM in Macouba, Depaz in Saint-Pierre, Saint-James in Sainte-Marie, HSE in Gros-Morne, La Mauny in Rivière-Pilote, Trois-Rivières in Sainte-Luce, La Favorite in Le Lamentin, A1710 and Habitation Clément in Le François. Check opening hours before you go.