Martinique Yacht Charter

Yacht charter in Martinique, French flair in the Caribbean

You get the best of two worlds on Martinique: a rugged island of the Lesser Antilles with a wonderful mix of West Indian and French culture. The French influence is clear in the largest town, Fort-de-France, with its narrow hilly streets and a garden with a statue of Josephine de Beauharnais, the local beauty who became Napoleon’s first wife. Bring your spare euros, as they work here, along with your school French.

We sail from the harbour at Le Marin, a natural anchorage on the island’s south coast, with comfortable passages to St Lucia, St Vincent and Mustique, famous jewels of the Caribbean. Add the island’s own long coastline, especially the sheltered Caribbean side, and there is plenty for up to 14 days’ cruising. Martinique is volcanic, with Mont Pelée rising to 1,400 metres; the Atlantic coast deserves respect for its shallow reefs and stronger winds, while the lush north has rainforest and black sand and the south has white sandy beaches.

Life ashore is cosmopolitan, with highly rated restaurants, local Creole cuisine and, of course, rum. Sailing here is for intermediate to experienced sailors, with winds regularly between Force 3 and 6 and some open water, so Day Skipper standard is recommended, along with a competent crew. Daytime temperatures are a steady 30°C all year, with short tropical showers and a steady north-east trade wind from December to June.