Fort-de-France, the Capital of the Island
The capital, Fort-de-France, has a population of 150,000 people. It is not a great city, however, during the day, and till the shops and restaurants close in the afternoon, the narrow streets are full of noise, people, and traffic, under suffocating heat. Hot and humidity of the tropical weather covers even the front of the modern buildings, with a fine rust mantle. Situated in the precious Baie des Flamands (Flemish harbor), the baguettes, motorbikes and boutiques, offering the latest of the prevailing Parisian mode, give Fort-de-France a typical French atmosphere. On the streets, a pair of policemen walk, with kepis and guns, creating an appropriate scene for a Graham Greene novel.

At the heart of the city is La Savane, a park of 5 has. with tropical trees, roads, fountains and benches; is a popular place where children play next to their young parents, dressed, almost always, with elegance. Under the shadows of the trees, groups of men play captivating domino games, and the silence of the place is only broken with the sound of the chips, and the jubilant shouts of the winners. In a corner, near the port, where a ferry arrives bringing passengers from Pointe du Bout, at the other end of the harbor, there is a handicraft market, where all kinds of objects are sold.

North of the park is a beheaded statue, representing the first wife of Napoleon, Empress Josefina, who was born in the little town of Les Troisllets, at Pointe du Bout, at the other side of the harbor.

The Library and the Cathedral
In the corner formed by the Rue de la Liberté and the Rue de Perrinon, is the Bibliothèque Schoelcher (open from Monday to Thursday all day, and on Friday and Saturday mornings; free entrance), the public library of the city, named after Victor Schoelcher, who led the fight against slavery in the French Antilles. Is a metallic building, extravagant style, with a mixture of Byzantine, Roman and Egyptian influence. In fact, was built in Paris in 1887, by Architect Henri Pick, a contemporary of Gustav Eiffel, for the Universal Exhibition of 1889. When it was over, the entire building was dismantled, piece by piece, and sent by ship to Martinique. Few minutes from here, at the Rue Schoelcher, you’ll find the St. Louis cathedral, another metallic construction designed by the same French Architect.

Going back to the harbor, by the Rue de la Liberté, you’ll find the Musée d’Archéologie (open from Monday to Friday and Saturday mornings; close at noon; entrance fee), a three-floor museum exposing pre-Columbian rests from the Arawak and the Caribbeans. The show windows preserve the only testimony left, of the presence of these indians in the island. East of the harbor, emerges the most impressive monument of the city, Fort St-Louis, a fort whose construction started in 1640. Currently, still is a military base, so doors are not open to public. In front is Pointe Simon, where cruisers arrive full of passengers that after landing in just few minutes are in the heart of the city.

Maybe, downtown is a hot place, with a suffocating humidity, and where huge traffic jams are usual, but, it is also true that the streets are full of the color and lively of some markets like the Marché aux Poissons (Fish market), located next to the Place Clemenceau, near to the river- The Grand Marché, at the Rue Blénac, is the favorite of tourists, and where you’ll find lots of species and sauces.

The Highlands of the North
Leaving the capital towards the northern mountains, you’ll go through Didier, an elegant residential district, before reaching 2 km. ahead, the Route de la Trace, a splendid highway that zigzags along the mountainous backbone of the island, before arriving to Morne Rouge. Following this highway, you’ll soon find the Sacré-Couer de Balata, a copy of the Parisian Sacré-Couer basilica, though not so white.

Nearby, is the Garden of Balata (open daily, entrance fee), a wonderful botanical garden in the middle of an exceptionally beautiful landscape, and hosting a collection of thousands of different flowers and tropical plants.

The La Route de la Trace, a narrow road full of curves, originally traced by the Jesuits, follows towards the northern mountains, through exuberant vegetation. In fact, so much abundance and diversity of flora, explain the name the native Caribbeans gave to their island, Madinina (island of the flowers). As the highway goes up, to the left you’ll see the misty valleys, and far away, the silhouette of the mountains will appear.

The exuberant vegetation of the jungle is getting thicker, to the point that posts on both sides of the highway are hidden behind an impenetrable mantle of wild vegetation. (Trekking lovers can phone no. 05 96 63 31 61).