Martinique is an island in the Lesser Antilles which is part of the French West Indies, in the eastern Caribbean Sea. Its nearest neighbours 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 part of overseas France, lies about 75 miles (120 km) to the north
As an overseas region of France, its culture reflects a distinctive blend of French and West Indian influences. Its largest town, Fort-de-France, features steep hills, narrow streets and La Savane, a garden bordered by shops and cafes. In the garden is a statue of island native Joséphine de Beauharnais, first wife of Napoleon Bonaparte.
Martinique is in effect a dependant region of France and therefore enjoys the same European Union benefits as the French Mainland. Unlike a lot of Caribbean islands It has the same modern day infrastructure, education, health and welfare system as France.
It’s a delightful island to visit. We have been fortunate enough to cruise into port here on several occasions. On one occasion we decided to explore the heart of the island in a 4-wheel-drive vehicle to the interior rainforest and backcountry. Our tour took us passed banana and sugar cane plantations, fording streams and encountering all variety of vegetation en route to a river deep in the rainforest. Upon arrival, we experienced the peace and tranquility of a remote, hidden spot deep in the inner forest.
We listened to the sounds of the jungle and observed nature’s beauty all around us.
We sat and relaxed in the inner forest area known as Coeur Bouliki. The rich volcanic soil nourishes banana plantations and pineapple fields as well as mangoes, papayas, lemons, limes, and West Indian cherries and we sat enjoying a fruit drink and eating fresh fruit off banana leaf platters.
The only thing which impeded the peace and tranquility was a cat having an altercation with a cockerel ….Surprisingly the cockerel came off the best and the cat legged it …
Exploring the area by having a short walk to the river we saw some superb plants and magnificent flowers. We also saw land frogs and lizards
Your return drive took us on another route which took us through banana plantations.
We stopped at a Rum Distillery and tasted some of the islands rums. They are known as some of the best rums in the world on the island of Martinique. Many have been bestowed with the Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée (AOC) award.
We continued our sightseeing on the way back to the Cruise Ship.
2 J's World of Adventure 