TravelPulse Canada is on the French island of Martinique this week, having arrived as a guest of Club Med Les Boucaniers (Buccaneer's Creek). After more than fifty years, the hotel is completing a full renovation, with two areas the Quartier de Plantier and Village Creole complete, and the third Harbour Area under construction. It's a smaller resort that's laid out quite well, with an expansive footprint that allows guests in its 291 rooms to not feel crowded.
Our visit is timed with the launch of the new Air Canada direct flight from Toronto to Fort de France weekly on Saturdays beginning December 16. Air Canada currently operates (seasonally) five flights a week from YUL to FDF while Air Transat has three flights.
Marius Andrew, Top Tours Antilles
"Martinique is an undiscovered gem," our guide Marius Andrew of Top Tour Antilles tells us on our intimate "Floral Getaway" tour of the island. Tourism is responsible for only a small portion of the local economy, quite a contrast from many other Caribbean destinations. In fact, you could say the island is bananas; quite literally, exporting 350,000 tons of the fruit every year.
Mount Pelee and its surrounding Pitons du Carbet have recently been designated a UNESCO heritage site. Its eruption on May 8, 1902 was the most lethal volcanic eruption of the 20th century, responsible for catastrophic devastation to the town of St. Pierre, killing 30,000 people within minutes.
Mount Pelee, as seen from Depaz Distillery
We'll have much more about Club Med and the third largest island in The Lesser Antilles this week as we dive into to the culture, gastronomy and the adventure of Martinique. Stay tuned!
Topics From This Article to Explore
