Candid sands, palms mangroves, and clear waters are maybe the most representative icon of the West Indies and for this reason the place is much visited.

As well known by “boat boys" who always search for tourists to accompany.

From La Soufrière, the second town on the island, you could climb up on the hill till to get to Diamond Botanical Garden Falls, where the are the always working thermal baths fed by quite high springs.

The botanic garden offers splendid specimens of tropical flowers and plants.

Its name comes from Caribbean word "Madinina", island of flowers, and politically it is an Overseas French Department, 7000 km from the motherland.

A volcanic creation, it has a really healthy climate and thanks to its rich soil, during centuries it has become a centre of production of sugar cane and tropical fruits: here worked African slaves whose descendants today are the black and mixed part of the original people, that was joined during years by Creoles and Europeans

The capital is Fort de France, bright town with elegant residential areas situated on the surrounding hills that overtop the namesake bay. .

During years, tourism has increased much and recently it has also much developed the nautical one, thanks to the extraordinary variety of the coast.

Concerning with the navigation, the perimeter of the island is divided in:

"Downwind coast", from Cap Martin to Pointe du Diamant, typical for the Fort de France Bay, the sandy beaches and the inlets with the typical fishermen villages or hotels and elegant houses.

"South coast" from Pointe du Diamant to Ilet Cabritis with the natural port of Cul de Sac du Marin , with beaches and rocky spurs which go vertically into the waters or in little bays framed by mangroves.

"Windward coast" from Ilet Cabrits to Pointe Caravelle, without any doubt it’s the less famous part of Martinica, but it’s certainly the most beautiful and fascinating for the presence of rich coral reefs, little islands and beautiful palms.

The verdant woods are extended up to the sea and to the various inlets, making a very suggestive and unforgettable landscape .

In the town there are pretty shops and very simple restaurants.

The clearing is overlooked by the Pelèe Mountain which is famous for the violent eruption of 1902.

More than an erupion, as we common consider it, it was a real explosion: the mountain blew very rapidly.

Many ships sank then and it’s not difficult to find one of those wrecks that still lay on the sea bed.

It is now remembered like the Pompei of America for the destructive explosion which took place after some days during which there were rublings, sulphur whiffs, snakes and ants invasions were ignored by the authorities

The constructions were destroyed and the victims were 30000, almost all Europeans that here lived.

The destiny wanted that the only survivor was a prisoner who remained 4 days under the ruins of the jail and who was called “the survivor of St.Pierre" all his life long..

During the following years life resumed and the tourism increased. The rhum’s factory is to be visited.

Pretty, little village where was born Josephine, Empress.to.be of France.

The place is very popular even for golf lovers.

This wide bend shows very white beaches shaded by palms and mangroves and with turqoise clear waters.

The proximity to Fort de France makes of it a popular place adapt to little journeys and daily cruising.

Delicious lobsters are served in the little restaurants.

It’s a little rocky island which has the form of a truncated cone just in front of the namesake beach .

It was occupied by English, who placet their cannons and created a real fort to face the vessels which wanted to attack Fort de France.

A popular legend tells that French were able to occupy the island without a shot, simply disembarking a high quantity of rhum.

The great part of the bay is occupied by touristic structures of the Club Mediterranèe "Boucaniers".

The territory is scarcely uneven and it allowed to built a large road network.

Many palms and mangroves shade the wide beach, one of the most famous of the south Martinica, inside the coral reef.

Very intereting is the Savane des Petrifications, a body of fossil trees which could seem a Dante’s circle.

Indipendent State of Commonwealth, it was discovered by Christopher Colombus on Sunday November 3rd 1493, but the great sailor was just able to circumnavigate it, because its coast was covered with a very tangled forest which didn’t allowed to go inside.

French and English disputed for its control but, since natives made a hard resistance, they decided to join forces to face them.

At the end, the island went under control of the Great Britain, in exchange for the payment of a hgh quantity of money; though the French presence is still visible in the local toponymy..

The descendants of the ancient Caribbean inhabitants are now only about a thousand and many are half-cast.

In spite of the roughness of the territory, traditional cultivations of the West Indies have been realized for long time.

Tourism is still little developed, due to the absence of an international airport, but, at the same time, this is maybe a good thing because here nature is still virgin and uncontaminated.

The capital is Roseau with its original houses with decorated verandas and a colourful market.

In the National Park there are imposing falls, a vulcanic lake with very hot waters (Boiling Lake).

In the forests, natives obtain from the rubber plants the material to create their canoes.

Here still live almost extinguished species of birds, like the imperial parrot, which has become the national emblem.

Beware of the "boat boys" who are very insistent in proposing excursions along the Indian River!