History and Culture in Martinique

"Most visitors toMartinique head forsun and sand onthe island's southern coast. Thoselooking for history should consider a tour ofLa Pagerie, the plantation home of Napoleon's Empress Joséphine. An old stone cottage at the site houses a museum, and amassive sugarcane processing plant still stands in ruins. Another good sightseeing stop is the nearby La Savane des Esclaves, a museum in a recreated slave village. The exhibits cover not just the island's connections with the slave trade, but alsoMartiniquetraditions andculture. Founder Gilbert Larose is likely to be in the kitchen, showing visitors how to make cassava bread over a fire. A small shop sells crafts and artworks."

"Cruise ships often sail past the village of Le Carbet, near where Christopher Columbus briefly landed in 1502. Nearly three centuries later, the village became the temporary home of French artist Paul Gauguin, who spent six months here painting the volcanic landscapes, just a few years before his first trip to Tahiti. Today, Le Carbet has a small museum focused on Gauguin's time on Martinique."

"On the northeast coast, the diminutiveMusée de la Banane is as fun a museum as you'll find anywhere. Set in an old stone banana-packing house, ittells the story of this major Caribbean cash crop. You'lllearn about the many different varieties andhow bananas aregrown and consumed, and you can tour the grounds to seetrees laden with the fruit. Brightly painted Creole cottageshouse a small gift shop and a restaurant where you can sample cocktails anddishes made with the world's most popular fruit (banana ketchup, anyone?)."

"Carnival and Jazz à la Martinique From racy zouk rhythms to biguine beats, Martinique hums with musical energy all year long. Get in on the action at one of the island’s music festivals. Carnival is a four-day celebration that spans the island. Traditions combine French, Creole, and African customs. Events include everything from steel drum bands, queens’ parades, and vidés to jou ouvè pajama parades, to name a few. The whole island rejoices! In December, Jazz à Martinique brings local and international talent like Branford Marsalis to Fort-de-France. The longest running jazz festival in the Caribbean, the weeklong fête is held every other year. Sponsored by Martinique"

"Craft Shopping in Village de la Poterie in Trois-Îlets Follow a dusty red road to this artsy village just outside of Les Trois-Îlets, and you’ll find a complex of adobe-style artists’ workshops, where local artisans create and sell traditional crafts like jewelry, hand-painted tiles, organic soaps, and wooden furniture. The main attractions, however, are the earthenware ceramics made from mineral-rich local clay. Pick up traditional bowls, vases, and tableware to bring a piece of Martinique’s creative heritage home. Sponsored by Martinique"

"Thisbotanical wonder is home tothousands of native plant species, including heliconias, hibiscus and bromeliads. Guests enjoy strolling around thethree-hectare (seven-acre)grounds, where hundreds of palm trees tower over creeks and tiny hummingbirds flit among the lush foliage.An aerialwalkway suspended 15 meters (49 feet) highin the canopygives visitorsviews of the Balata Garden, the mountains and Fort-de-France Bay. There's also a fine old plantation house on the grounds."