Martinique
is a beautiful island, but the easily accessible beaches and the souvenir shops
are actually for the tourists, who I don’t really appreciate, as I think that
they tend to ruin the authentic local culture… So let’s talk about the real
thing… guidelines for the real
travellers.
Καλές οι τουριστικόπληκτες παραλίες του νότου, αλλά εκεί πάει ο καθένας…εάν θέλεις να δεις την πραγματική Μαρτινίκα, θα κινηθείς off the road….
Καλό, αλλά πληκτικό για τα δικά μου τουλάχιστον γούστα, το άκρως τουριστικό Trois Ilets. Εντάξει, η επίσκεψη στο Les Salines είναι must, κάτι σαν τον Παρθενώνα στην Αθήνα…. αλλά εάν συνεχίσεις να κινείσαι (με τα πόδια, μιας και δεν πάει αυτοκίνητο, γιατί είναι
προστατευόμενος βιότοπος) ανατολικά της βασικής παραλίας των Αλυκών, και πάντα παράλληλα με την ακτή φτάνεις σε ένα σεληνιακό τοπίο που αποκαλείται Πετρωμένη Σαβάνα (La Savane des Petrifivations), και μετά σ’ένα μικρό ακρωτήρι με απότομους βράχους πάνω στους οποίους σκάει με μανία το κύμα ενώ μπροστά σου ορθώνεται το διαβόητο Τραπέζι του Διαβόλου (Table-au-Diable), ένας απροσπέλαστος βράχος στη μέση της θάλασσας που έχει εξελιχθεί στον τέλειο τόπο αναπαραγωγής για όλα τα θαλασσοπούλια της περιοχής. Μετά από κει θα βρεις άλλες 2-3 συνεχόμενες μαγευτικές παραλίες (όπως ο κόλπος των Άγγλων και η Παραλία Michel) όπου θα είσαι μόνο εσύ, ο ουρανός, οι φοίνικες, η άμμος και ο ωκεανός….εαν μάλιστα έχεις φροντίσει να φέρεις μαζί σου και καμία αιώρα, μπορεί να μείνεις για πάντα…..
Άλλη τρομερή περιοχή, λίγο βορειότερα, πάντα στο νότιο-ανατολικό τμήμα του νησιού, το Cap Chevalier… Το μέρος είναι θεικό….σε περνάνε νωρίς το πρωί, οι ντόπιοι βαρκάρηδες έναντι ενός συμβολικού τιμήματος, σε ένα από τα ακατοίκητα νησάκια που βρίσκονται στο βάθος του κόλπου, και έρχονται να σε παραλάβουν, ότι ώρα τους πεις (συνήθως κατά τις 5 το απόγευμα, προτού νυχτώσει)…Κάθεσαι λοιπόν όλη μέρα και βιώνεις το όνειρό σου, ως Ροβινσώνος Κρούσος…άμα είσαι αρκετά καλά προετοιμασμένος, μπορείς να διανυκτερεύσεις εκεί στο νησάκι , με φωτιά δίπλα στο κύμα, κάτω από τους φοίνικες και τα άστρα να σου κρατάνε παρέα.
Cap Chevalier is another amazing area a little further (to the North), but always in the Southern East part of the island. The place is divine… you can cross to one of the unhabitable little islands of the bay early in the morning by local fishermen, paying a symbolic amount. They will come to pick you up at an arranged time (usually around 5pm, before sunset). So you can live your dream there for a whole day, like Robinson Crusoe… if you are well equiped you can even spend the night there, kindling a fire by the sea and enjoying the company of the palm trees and the stars.
Οφείλω να δηλώσω ότι τα νησάκια αυτά, όπως και η Μαρτινίκα είναι γεμάτα από μανκούστες, οι οποίες πολλαπλασιάζονται με ιλιγγιώδεις ρυθμούς τα τελευταία χρόνια και βρήκαν άριστη δωρεάν πηγή τροφής στα αποφάγια των εκδρομέων. Οι μανκούστες είναι μικρά θηλαστικά που εισήχθησαν από τους πρώτους άποικους για να εξολοθρεύσουν τα πάμπολα φίδια που εύρισκαν καταφύγιο στα ψηλά χόρτα των φυτειών ζαχαροκάλαμου. Εντούτοις οι μανκούστες ενώ μείωσαν δραστικά τον αριθμό των φιδιών του νησιού, βρήκαν ευκολότερο να επιτίθενται στις αφύλακτες φωλιές των αναρίθμητων πουλιών που διαβιούσαν στη Μαρτινίκα και τελικά να ξεπαστρέψουν κυριολεκτικά ολόκληρες αποικίες ενδημικών πτηνών.
I need to mention that all these small islands-and Martinique in general-are full of mongooses. They have multiplied rapidly during the last years and they have found a great source of food in the tourists’ leftovers. Mongooses are little mammals, brought to the island by the first emigrants, as a way to extinguish the snakes nestling in the cane plantations. Nevertheless, even though mongooses reduced significantly the number of the snakes, they also literally exterminated groups of endemic birds, as they found it easier attacking their unguarded nests.
The
touristic beaches on the North are okay, but everyone can visit them… if you
want to see the real Martinique, you need to go off the beaten track.
 |
| Trois Ilets |
The
super touristic Trois Ilets is fine, yet boring (for my taste at least). Okay,
visiting Les Salines is a must, something like the Parthenon in Athens… but if
you continue East from the basic beach of Marsh (by foot, the car cannot enter
as it is a protected habitat) and always alongside the coast, you’ll approach a
moonscape called La Savane des Petrifivations. After that, there is a small
cape with cliffs and turbulent sea, where right in front you can see the
notorious Table-au-Diable (Table of the Devil), an inaccessible rock in the
centre of the sea, main reproductive area of the local seagulls. From there you
can access 2-3 more magic beaches (like the Bay of English and Michel Beach),
where your only company will be the sky, the palm trees, the sand and the
ocean… you may want to stay there forever, especially if you bring a hammock…
 |
| Ile Chevalier |
Cap Chevalier is another amazing area a little further (to the North), but always in the Southern East part of the island. The place is divine… you can cross to one of the unhabitable little islands of the bay early in the morning by local fishermen, paying a symbolic amount. They will come to pick you up at an arranged time (usually around 5pm, before sunset). So you can live your dream there for a whole day, like Robinson Crusoe… if you are well equiped you can even spend the night there, kindling a fire by the sea and enjoying the company of the palm trees and the stars.
I need to mention that all these small islands-and Martinique in general-are full of mongooses. They have multiplied rapidly during the last years and they have found a great source of food in the tourists’ leftovers. Mongooses are little mammals, brought to the island by the first emigrants, as a way to extinguish the snakes nestling in the cane plantations. Nevertheless, even though mongooses reduced significantly the number of the snakes, they also literally exterminated groups of endemic birds, as they found it easier attacking their unguarded nests.
You
can also approach these islands with rented kayaks, even though I have to admit
that if you are not experienced, you better leave it. I’m not experienced and I
almost found myself in… Venezuela, as the ocean currents are strong there!
 |
| Anse Bonneville |
Windsurfing
lovers can find their place in Tartane area, a little Northern ahead and always
on the Eastern side (Atlantic Ocean)… especially Bonneville Beach (Anse
Bonneville) is considered to be one of the best in the world, according to
people who know about the sport (plus there is a surfing school near by).
H ανάβαση στο βουνό δεν θεωρείται επικίνδυνη καθώς υπάρχουν σεισμολογικοί σταθμοί προειδοποίησης παντού τριγύρω από το ηφαίστειο και δεν υπάρχει η παραμικρή περίπτωση κινδύνου για τους επισκέπτες. 
If
you want something different, you can visit the beaches of the North… and by
North I mean the Northern West part of the island, as it’s not permitted to
swim in the Northern East, because of the gigantic waves… so, all the beaches
in the Northern West area have black sand… yes, you didn’t make any mistake…
the sand is black because of Pelée… not the famous Brazilian former football
star, but the Mount Pelée (1397). On the top there is Pelée volcano, which is
active (really active I could say) and explodes lava from time to time,
spreading it to quite great distances. Climbing to the mountain is not
considered to be a dangerous activity, as there are seismologic stations everywhere
around the volcano, so it’s totally safe for the people who visit the area. You
don’t need to bring climbing equipment, as far as you move towards the basic,
signed walking paths. The challenging parts are adequately signed and there are
various alternative routes for people of different ages and physical condition.
The main problems with the climbing are the unpredictable weather conditions and the usually restricted visibility on the higher part of each route. The main advice given to all the visitors is to stop immediately as soon as a storm breaks, as they usually don’t last for a long time and the sun reappears soon.
Στο βουνό δεν υπάρχουν πηγές πόσιμου νερού, οπότε με ένα καπέλο, ένα ζευγάρι αθλητικά παπούτσια και ένα μπουκάλι νερό, μπορείς να φτάσεις αρκετά ψηλά (αναλόγως βέβαια με τις σωματικές αντοχές σου).
You can go quite high (always according to your physical condition), as far as you carry a hat, trekking shoes and a bottle of water (as you cannot find water sources there). Every conscious traveller should climb to the Mount Pelée, which is always covered by clouds. You can start from the foot of the mountain, where you can arrive by car. It’s better to start around 8 am; this will give you enough time to avoid the high temperatures and the abrupt weather changes. The trek starts with a steep, yet passable ascent, as you climb on a path with makeshift continuous steps… you can spot various endemic plants on each side, mainly ferns of different sizes and shapes. Of course, the physical exhaustion is serious, so you need to take short breaks and enjoy the magic and literally breathtaking view… you can climb up to the caldera of the volcano. The beauty of the scenery along the ridge is impressive, almost eerie, but sometimes the visibility is nonexistent because of the constant fog.
 |
| La Croix |
After a first stop, usually in Morne La Croix (1255 m), you should continue by foot in the plateau to the second reserve. A little further from the main path there is the second station, which is both reserve and seismologic station. On the peak of the dry lake’s caldera, a monument to the memory of the volcanologist Dufrénois is built, from where you can see the volcano’s dome from the explosion of 1929.
Trek
to La Croix lasts about 90 minutes and from that point you need for sure three
hours, always following a cyclical route, to approach Le Chinois. From there
you can admire a view to the whole island and the volcano, which wheezes a few
hundred metres over you. The third reserve used to be volcanic research area
until 1970. Today there is also a small unguarded building, for those who may
not manage to return on time, before dark falls. There are hooks on the walls,
where you can hang your hammock, but the lush on the ground and the strong winds
will probably prevent you from staying there.
 |
| Anse Ceron |
My
favourite beach on the North is called Anse Ceron… you can take a little van or
car, pass the picturesque fish village Precheur, continue on the rural road to
the North (no way to get lost, there is no other road to the North) and finally
approach a huge block of very high trees… Ceron beach is on your left. This
place is ideal for picknick and during weekends hundreds of people occupy the
wooden tables of the beach. I strongly recommend youto enjoy the sunset from this
coast… watching the sun sinking down the ocean, behind the Margaret Isle,
offering amazing colours to the clouds, is spectacular… for the lovers of
adventure, there is a small path that climbs to the slopes of the mountain. For
the first 500 metres everything is good… after that there is lush vegetation,
so better to avoid the area far from the main path as, among others, this is
the favourite place of bothrops lanceolatus, an endemic poisonous snake.
Even
though I initially could not believe that, after some days and while I had
become a habitue of the beach, I met a group of rastafarian (yes, you can find
people like them in Martinique, who drink rum all day for the sake of Bob
Marley, smoke ganja and play football under the palm trees) who lived there.
After a point and as I knew them well enough to get if they were serious or
not, they told me that they used to find that kind of snakes and display them
to the tourists for a small amount of money. As I had seen rastafarian who were
doing the same thing in a neighbor island, I was convinced they were telling
the truth and I decided to follow the main path !!!!
Λίγο βορειότερα από την Anse Ceron, και αφού περάσεις από τα ερείπια ενός παλιού αποστακτηρίου ρουμιού, κι αυτό μέσα στην τρελή βλάστηση (ένα περίπου δεκάλεπτο μέσα στο τροπικό δάσος), βγαίνεις σε μια μικρή γραφική παραλία που λέγεται Couleuvre (Anse Couleuvre). Τώρα πλέον βρίσκεσαι στο βορειοδυτικότερο τμήμα του νησιού και όταν έχει καλό καιρό (δηλαδή σχεδόν πάντα) μπορείς να διακρίνεις στο βάθος προς βορράν, την νήσο Dominica. Οι κατάφυτες πλαγιές του βουνού πέφτουν κατακόρυφα στη θάλασσα ενώ ο βυθός προσφέρεται και για καταδύσεις….Γενικά μιλάμε για μια από τις πιο ήσυχες παραλίες του νησιού, απόμακρη και παραδεισένια …..εσύ κι η φύση…
Πάλι στο βορειοδυτικό τμήμα του νησιού, αλλά περίπου 15 χλμ νοτιότερα, λίγο πριν φτάνεις στην πόλη του St.Pierre, (ακριβώς πριν από το τούνελ) υπάρχει και η παραλία του Turin. Καλή παραλία, με λεπτή μαύρη άμμο, μεγάλο πλάτος και ελαφρύ κυματισμό (Καραιβική γαρ) αλλά ο αυτοκινητόδρομος είναι ακριβώς από πίσω σου, και κει που λες τι ωραία είμαι δω, περνάνε 2-3 φορτηγά και ξενερώνεις……Φυσικά, εάν πας βορειότερα, στις παραλίες Ceron και Couleuvre, δεν υπάρχει περίπτωση να σταματήσεις ξανά για μπάνιο στην Turin.
Again in the Northern West part of the island, but 15 km South ahead, a while before the town of St. Pierre (exactly before the tunnel), there is Turin beach. It’s a good beach, with thin black sand, enough width and ripple (as it’s Carribean), but the motorway is exactly behind you, so the one moment you are happy, the other some tracks are passing by and you stop enjoying it… of course if you go to the North, in Ceron and Couleuvre beaches, there is no reason to swim to Turin again.
Γιατί στην Turin σταματάς και για άλλους λόγους… βασικά και κύρια το μουσείο. Σε απόσταση 150 μέτρων από την παραλία, βρίσκεται ένα μικρό μουσείο αφιερωμένο στο μεγάλο Γάλλο ζωγράφο του Paul Gauguin, ο οποίος πέρασε ένα μέρος της ζωής του, σε ένα καλυβάκι σε τούτη ακριβώς τη γωνιά της Μαρτινίκας., ζωγραφίζοντας ηλιοβασιλέματα, τροπικά δάση και γυμνόστηθες μιγάδες καλλονές….
A
little Northern ahead from the Anse Ceron and after passing the ruins of an old
rum distillery (again into lush, approximately 10 minutes walk through the
tropical forest), you end up to small picturesque beach named Anse Couleuvre.
Now you are in the foremost Northern West part of the island and when the
weather is good (almost always) you can discern far ahead on the North the
island of Dominica. The wooded slopes of the mountain fall vertically to the
sea, while the bottom is ideal for diving. It’s one of the most quiet beaches
of the island, remote and heavenly… you and the nature.
 |
| Anse Turin |
Again in the Northern West part of the island, but 15 km South ahead, a while before the town of St. Pierre (exactly before the tunnel), there is Turin beach. It’s a good beach, with thin black sand, enough width and ripple (as it’s Carribean), but the motorway is exactly behind you, so the one moment you are happy, the other some tracks are passing by and you stop enjoying it… of course if you go to the North, in Ceron and Couleuvre beaches, there is no reason to swim to Turin again.
 |
| Diamant |
You
will stop to Turin for other reasons and mainly for the museum. Just 150 metres
from the beach there is a small museum dedicated to the French painter Paul
Gauguin, who spent a great part of his life in a cabin on this exact side of
Martinique, painting sunsets, tropical forests and topless mulatte beauties…
(Jardin de Balata, μερικά μόνο χιλιόμετρα έξω από το FdF) που φιλοξενεί πάνω από 200 είδη τροπικών φυτών και δένδρων (πολλά εξ αυτών ενδημικά). Ο απόλυτος βοτανικός παράδεισος που θα σε κάνει να μην θέλεις να φύγεις από κεί ακόμη κι αν δεν είσαι βοτανολόγος...In general there are thousands of things to see and do in Martinique, like Diamant beach in its the Southern part, but I find inconceivable leaving from the island without visiting the magic Jardin de Balata, just a few km far from Fort De France. You can see more than 200 specie of tropical plants and trees (some of them endemic) there. It’s the absolute botanic paradise and you won’t wish to leave, even if you are not a botanist.....
