Where to find the most beautiful beaches in Martinique? Even though I am not the type of person that likes to sit still while traveling, it was one of the first questions that popped up in my head while researching Martinique. After all, when traveling to a tropical island, you need to experience the sight of waving palm trees, white sand beaches and turquoise water at least once, right?!
Martinique is a true paradise and crazy enough one of the Caribbean’s best kept secrets. Sure, it is very popular with the French, since it is an overseas department of France. But I did not hear any other languages, meaning there were no other tourists when I was there. So it is safe to say it is still rather undiscovered by other nationalities.
Since Martinique is volcanic you will find both white and black sand beaches on the island! Are you ready to find out where to find Martinique’s most beautiful beaches? Here it goes!
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The most beautiful beaches in Martinique and where to find them
TABLE OF CONTENT
- The most beautiful beaches in Martinique and where to find them
- Practical tips to visit Martinique’s most beautiful beaches
- Where to find the most beautiful beaches in Martinique?
- Map of Martinique’s most beautiful beaches
- Plage de Grande Anse des Salines, Sainte-Anne, one of the most beautiful white sand beaches in Martinique
- Plage de l’Anse Michel, Sainte-Anne
- Anse à Prunes, Sainte-Anne
- Anse Mar-ti, Sainte-Luce
- Plage de l’Anse Figuier, Sainte-Luce
- Les Anses d’Arlet
- Grande Anse du Diamant
- Trou Cochon
- Martinique’s most beautiful black sand beaches in the north
- Pin the most beautiful beaches in Martinique for later!
Practical tips to visit Martinique’s most beautiful beaches
Rent a car
The best way to explore the beaches in Martinique is by car! There is nothing better than the ultimate freedom to drive along the winding roads through the lush jungle of the island! I rented a car via Sunny Cars because they are super transparent and price friendly. Everything you need is already included in the price; a third-party insurance of at least €7.5 million, a damage insurance, a theft insurance, damage to glass, tires, floor or roof and even towing costs and vandalism are covered. Unlimited mileage is also included. No more hustle at the counter about additional insurances, because everything is already arranged. Unlike a lot of other rental car companies where they often try to charge you additional costs.
Wake up early
Especially when you stay in the South of the island it is recommended to leave before 7.00 am to avoid traffic. In Martinique people start to leave to work early and you do not want to end up in a traffic jam on your way to the beach. Also it is way more fun to experience the beach without the crowds. I often arrived at the beach around 6.00 am. I had the beach to myself for over an hour and I absolutely loved these early morning beach walks. It was just me, the waving palm trees, the crashing waves playing with the white sand and the funny crabs trying to hide in the sand.
Don’t forget sunscreen to Martinique’s beaches!
Even on a cloudy day; always take sunscreen. The sun at Martinique is strong. I forgot to put sunscreen on a tiny area on my neck on the first day and I got a second-degree burn.
Take snorkeling gear
Some beaches are well-known for their excellent snorkeling opportunities. So do not forget to take your snorkeling gear so you can explore under water!
Bring enough water and snacks
Most beaches have bars and restaurants, but they open up around 9 or 10 am. So if you arrive earlier, make sure you take enough water with you. Other more remote beaches might not have any amenities, so always take snacks and drinks. It is best to research in advance.
Watch out for sargassum
Unfortunately, due to climate change, the currents in the ocean are changing too, causing more and more sargassum washing ashore. It is definitely one of the biggest threats to Martinique’s most beautiful beaches! Not only causes it a problem preventing sea turtles from laying eggs and reaching the ocean. These brown algae produce toxic, foul-smelling fumes causing headaches and nausea among beachgoers. The tiny sea creatures that live in sargassum can cause skin rashes and blisters.
Where to find the most beautiful beaches in Martinique?
Map of Martinique’s most beautiful beaches
Plage de Grande Anse des Salines, Sainte-Anne, one of the most beautiful white sand beaches in Martinique
This is the biggest and most beautiful beach I visited in Martinique! It is located in the South of Martinique and has a soft C shape, so you can see the whole bay from everywhere on the beach. It is the perfect Caribbean postcard; a lengthy stretch of white sand decorated with coconut trees that hang over the turquoise sea. In the early morning the only living creatures you’ll see are funny yellow crabs that seem to have smiley faces.
The water is usually calm and there are a lot of small bars and shops. So it is a popular beach to both locals and tourists. There is plenty of parking space under the trees. But take into account during the day it can become very crowded. Especially because it is also the starting point to the popular hike to Savane des Pétrifications! At the end of the beach there is also a good restaurant Délices de la Mer you must try!
Accessibility: easy, next to the parking lot / road
Parking location: 14°24’06.5″N 60°52’35.9″W
Plage de l’Anse Michel, Sainte-Anne
The beach at Anse Michel can only be reached by trekking down a dusty road through the mangroves, which are home to hundreds, if not thousands, of adorable red crabs. The first part consists of a wooden boardwalk crossing some kind of dark wet sand area packed with tiny little sand fiddler crabs running around like crazy, recognizable by their one big claw and one normal. I found it quite amusing to see all these little crabs moving around and trying to hide in the sand.
But once I entered the more covered forested area, I heard a lot of leaves moving around, not sure what to think at first. Could it be that I would finally spot matoutous (Antilles pinktoe tarantulas) or even snakes? But then I found out that it were red crabs running away and hiding. A LOT of red crabs! It was ridiculous actually how many! And sometimes they froze holding just one leaf above their head, as if I would no longer be able to see them. Which almost seemed like human behavior and made me laugh out so loud! So the least you can say was that it was a very fun hike to the beach!
Along the way you also encounter a very cool strangler fig tree which you can find all over Martinique, but this one is really big and wide and impressive! But now let’s move on to the beach!
Once you take the stairs down to the beach you get instantly greeted by the sight of a true paradise beach with giant elegant palm trees, white sand and a sparkling blue sea. Unfortunately, I also noticed a pile of sargassum that had been removed from the beach. So this beach is impacted by this disgusting seaweed. I don’t know if this is the case all year round. There was a tiny strip of sargassum on the shore, when I was there. I believe the locals knew about it, because there was no one else on the beach at 8.30 p.m. Which is rare in Martinique. But don’t let it stop you from coming to this beach! Because it is such a gorgeous sight to see! And who knows, when you go there, the sargassum problem will not even be there!
Anse Michel looks more wild than Plage des Salines and is smaller, but it sure is worth visiting! It is also surrounded by a coral reef, so the waves are not too choppy, making it excellent for families with small children!
Accessibility: easy, after parking you need to do a small walk through the mangrove
Parking location: 14°26’13.4″N 60°49’46.4″W
Anse à Prunes, Sainte-Anne
I encountered Anse à Prunes by coincidence during my hike to Savane des Pétrifications. It is an unspoiled beach without any human presence. There are no bars or eateries in this area. Only one boat of a local man who was fishing lay dancing on the water. Despite this, I felt like I was alone on a deserted island. This beach seemed unreal and it was so stunning and calm, even in the middle of the day! All the other people passing by on the path behind the vegetation seemed to ignore it. While I was glad I took the time to pass the bushes and check out this gorgeous tropical beach.
So if you are hiking to the Savane des Pétrifications, make sure to stop at this beach, because it is breathtakingly beautiful! It surprises me I have not seen it in any other list of most beautiful beaches in Martinique yet! So now the secret is out!
Accessibility: easy, just a small hike through the mangrove
Parking location: 14°23’46.3″N 60°52’12.5″W
Anse Mar-ti, Sainte-Luce
This beach was at walking distance from my hotel and it was never crowded. It is situated along a path that leads from Sainte Luce to Trois Rivières, linking several smaller beaches. This was also the path I used to walk to the supermarket! Can you imagine doing your daily groceries by walking along the beach? Heavenly! I loved the relaxed vibe at this place. There are a few small restaurants and bars along its shore, where you can relax under the palm trees. There is also a cute swing I could not resist of course!
Accessibility: easy, right by the road
Parking location: 14°27’52.6″N 60°55’49.5″W
Plage de l’Anse Figuier, Sainte-Luce
I visited this beach on a crowded Sunday afternoon, which was not ideal, but nevertheless, it is a lovely beach. When I was there a live band was playing Caribbean music, which I absolutely loved and a few people were even dancing. So there was a lot of ambience! Just like the previous beaches, Anse Figuier has everything a paradise beach needs. You can even see the famous Diamond Rock from here! I bet it is a dream to come here on an early morning!
Accessibility: easy, right by the road
Parking location: 14°27’39.9″N 60°54’33.7″W
Les Anses d’Arlet
The beach of les Anses d’Arlet is special for two reasons; it is located at a very colorful village with a cute church and a quay in front of it, which offers great photo opportunities and it is known for its sea turtles! I did not spot any since I went there already quite “late” (7 am) and I did not went snorkeling. But you can often even see them from the beach!
There is also another beach Grande Anse d’Arlet where you can spot them. And not too far away more up North there is a small black beach, which I was not able to visit but which also seems really beautiful called Plage de Anse Noire.
Accessibility: easy, right by the road
Parking location: 14°29’32.9″N 61°04’45.8″W
Grande Anse du Diamant
Grande Anse du Diamant cannot be missing from this list of most beautiful beaches in Martinique since it is the island’s most famous beach! Sadly when I arrived all I could see was a rough see and a LOT of sargassum on this beach! So I did not even make an effort to walk any further and take any pictures of the beach. It lost all its magic to me and I just fled away. Which is such a pitty! I guess I arrived at the wrong time. Maybe in a different season (I was there in April) it is different, I have no clue, but the beach was simply not accessible. Here is a picture of how it normally looks.
Accessibility: easy, right by the road
Parking location: 14°28’42.8″N 61°01’48.1″W
Trou Cochon
Even though it is just a really tiny beach hidden between mangroves, I thought it was worth mentioning it in this blog article! You can only reach it after doing the hike called Boucle du Vauclin. This hike is best done counterclockwise. The first half is more tough and longer, so a swim in this beautiful location will be a welcome reward. The section following your swim is simpler and shorter.
Trou Cochon is pure magic! It is a mangrove situated in a bay with crystal clear turquoise water! Take into account that mangroves are very sensitive ecosystems, so please be respectful to the place. Don’t leave any trash, be quiet and watch where you step. I advise to come early before other hikers turn up! So you can experience this place in its true ambiance.
Accessibility: moderate; if you decide to do the hike counterclockwise / easy; if you decide to just take the short cut clockwise
Parking location: the official trail starts at 14°33’06.8″N 60°50’13.1″W but I saw people trying to park at Anse Simon as well to take the shortcut.
Martinique’s most beautiful black sand beaches in the north
The North of Martinique looks totally different from the South. It is dominated by rugged mountains (of which one still active volcano) covered with dense lush forests and many quaint bays and coves. Due to volcanism the northern beaches are black. Unfortunately I was not able to visit any thanks to the rainy weather I encountered during the second half of my stay in Martinique. I had planned a lot of hikes in the North which I could not do due to the bad weather. Since it was always over an hour drive to reach the North, it seemed ridiculous to drive that far to end up in a misty forest or a cloudy, rainy beach. But here is a list of Martinique’s black sand beaches I know are worth exploring next time I visit Martinique:
- Anse Couleuvre
- Anse Lévrier
- Anse Ceron
Pin the most beautiful beaches in Martinique for later!
So that is it! I hope you enjoyed this “Martinique’s most beautiful beaches” blog post and that it will help to plan your own trip! I really tried to cover everything you need to know. Do not hesitate to leave your comments or questions down below! That way I can add more information if necessary!
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