Fort-de-France, Martinique

The capital of Martinique, Fort-de-France is the largest city in the French West Indies. Located just off the western shores, this cosmopolitan city looks a bit like New Orleans in some ways. There are a good handful of sights to explore in Fort-de-France, especially the various markets from where you can buy spices, produce items and island grown veggies and fruits.

Your best landmark to navigate the city is the La Savane Park, which lies on the eastern end of the harbor. Go northwest from here and you will find the Cathedral St Louis with its 187 foot high steeple and neo-Byzantine style construction. To the south of the park is the Fort St Louis, parts of which were built as early as 1640. This fort is an active French military base.

Along the Rue de la Liberte that runs east of La Savane is the Bibliotheque Schoelcher, the most popular tourist attraction in the city. Also on this road is the archeological museum, where you can see numerous Native American artifacts and pottery.

One of the best times to visit Fort-de-France and Martinique is during the Mardi Gras Carnival, which takes place 5 days before Ash Wednesday. The entire city turns into one huge party with lots of loud music and dancing in the streets and costume parades. Most of the reveling tends to center in and around the La Savane.

After the sun sets, there is still plenty to enjoy in Fort-de-France. There are a number of restaurants and cafes in the city, all of which serve French and Creole cuisine. If you like music then you can find several piano bars in Fort-de-France, which offer jazz, French and zouk music. L’Atrium is a favorite hangout for jazz lovers, while for some more modern tunes head over to Coco Loco. There is also a cinema in town as well as a couple of excellent theatres.

If you are into shopping downtown Fort-de-France is the place to be. However, if you are looking for some boutiques and the more exclusive stores head to Rue Victor Hugo.