Coming to Martinique and want to discover the 10 best beaches of the island ? You’ve come to the right page !
Below you’ll find a list with the name of 10 of the best beaches in Martinique, then I’ll give some explanations as well as pictures for each of them.
Location : South of Martinique – Le Diamant commune
Parking : There are parking spots all along the beach road.
This one has been our absolute favorite during our stay in Martinique. It’s almost 3 kilometers long, which makes it perfect for a peaceful walk on the sand. Also there are many coconut trees so you can take a siesta in the shade of the large palm leaves (be careful to not stay under the coconuts as they fall quite often and you don’t want to be under there when that happens !)
Good For : This beach is particularly great for a peaceful walk but also for the most amazing sunsets on the island ! Be there around 5:20pm and you will get to see a vibrant sky until 5:50pm maybe, after that it gets dark quickly.
Location : South of Martinique – Anses-d’Arlet commune
Parking : You can park down the road leading to Anse Dufour, or up on the right there’s a parking close to Anse Noire.
Anse Dufour is a beautiful beach, rather short and which can get quite busy some days, but it’s worth spending a morning there. Plus, on the other side of the mountain (or the “Morne” as you say in Martinique), there is the Anse Noire, so you can easily see those two in a row.
Good For : Swimming in the emeralds clear waters, and for the viewspot from above.
Location : South of Martinique – Anses-d’Arlet commune
Parking : You can park down the road leading to Anse Dufour, or up on the right there’s a parking close to Anse Noire.
Anse Noire (meaning “black beach”) is indeed a black sand beach. Located a few meters away from Anse Dufour, there are a hundred or so steps down to reach this beach with its black volcanic sand. The beach is rather quiet and we did not encounter many people when we came (twice, once at 11am on a Saturday and the other at 5pm on a week day). Plus, the place is surrounded by big palm trees, making it perfect to rest a little during a hot day.
Good For : Other than the fact that it’s the only black sand beach in the South of Martinique, this one is really great for relaxing under the shade of palm trees, snorkelling and even seeing turtles if you’re lucky ! Also, there’s a large pontoon where you can watch the sunset (the sun goes down behind the mountain, but the light is still magnificent) :
Location : South of Martinique – Rivière-Pilote commune
Parking : There’s a big parking right in front of the beach.
We visited this beach at the end of the day on a Saturday so it was quite crowded, but for a reason, it’s a really nice sunset spot ! Plus, the ocean is really calm, there are no waves unlike on other beaches.
Good For : Watching the sunset, enjoying the music and local atmosphere, but it is probably better on a week day to avoid the crowd.
Location : South East of Martinique – Sainte-Anne commune
Parking : Log ” Petite Anse des Salines” in your GPS, so that when you get to the main parking lot, you will take the right road and pass in front of the touristy restaurants. You’ll arrive to a second parking a lot closer to the right side of the Grande Anse des Salines. This side is usually less crowded. Also, if you feel like taking a little hike, you’ll be close to the path leading to the Petite Anse des Salines and the Anse Meunier. Two beautiful and almost deserted beaches.
Grande Anse des Salines is a one-kilometre long beach with golden sand lined with coconut palms, pear trees and mancenilliers. Be careful, these last ones are very toxic : their apple-like fruits, sap and foliage can cause severe burns.. They are often marked with a red line on its trunk, so you will surely see them, but in case of rain do not stay near mancenilliers !
The water is cristal clear there and very calm so it’s perfect to swim (wouldn’t recommend it for snorkelling as it’s only sand). Note also that there is not that much shade so I wouldn’t stay there for a full day because it gets really hot.
However, we did the like hike to Petite Anse des Salines (where you might see some nudists), and to Anse Meunier which it’s worth doing. You will see the Anses from above and a different vegetation, replacing palm trees with cacti.
To stay away from the crowd, I would recommend going in the morning (from 8 to 11am max) and staying on the right side of the Grande Anse.
Good For : Walking along the beach, or to reach other beaches by foot, swimming and sunbathing.
Location : South East of Martinique – Sainte-Anne commune
Parking : There’s two ways to get to the beach. If you type in Anse Michel on Google Maps, you’ll arrive in a small car park in front of the sea. Walk under the trees to find a wooden pontoon that will lead you to the main beach.
We went to this beach looking for some shade and a nice spot to have lunch, it absolutely did not disappoint ! The beach naturally splits into two : on the right it’s full of palm trees so lots of shade. That’s where people nap, read and relax. On the left, people are kitesurfing or sunbathing. Just note that there are some algae on the beach and in the water.
Good For : Having lunch under the palm trees (you can see some picnic tables on the third picture above), or if you are looking for some shade.
Location : North of Martinique – Prêcheur commune
Parking : Both the road signs and Google Maps will lead you to a deformed dirt road through the rainforest leading down to an improvised parking area.. Fruit vendors are sometimes present. From here, it’s a 200-meter walk. You cross a small stream, pass the ruins of a distillery and then catch a glimpse of Anse Couleuvre.
Anse Couleuvre is one of wildest beach in Martinique and the decor is impressive : a beautiful arc-shaped strip of volcanic grey sand with imposing rainforest-covered cliffs. We chose to have lunch there and we almost had the beach to ourselves as the majority of people were just passing by.
Most of the people that come to Anse Couleuvre take in the view and snap a couple of pictures but never stay long. Besides the breathtaking landscape, expect big waves, lots of pebbles and rock. All of that makes this beach not the most suitable for a dip in the sea. Plus, it is quite small so depending on the tides you might not get a lot of room to lay down.
Good For : Discovering a less crowded, more natural and wilder type of beach. Having lunch and taking in the views.
Location : South of Martinique – Anses-d’Arlet commune
Parking : The best thing is to park in the main street, somewhere between Ti Payot’ and Ti Sable (Allée des raisiniers).
This beach is quite long and is divided in three distinct portions. The first one is along the main road and a stream flows into the sea. While it might not be the best portion to enjoy the beach, the landscape is superb as you can see on the 2nd picture below.
The second portion is along the main street full of small restaurants. In case you would like to have your lunch here, I would recommend the Ti Payot’ and their cod accras salad which was delicious and very satiating. But even if it is a pleasure to enjoy a local lunch with your feet on the sand, there is not a lot more to do here.
The last portion, that you access from a little alley at the right corner of the Ti Sable restaurant (at the end of the beach in fact), is the best one. As there are no restaurants, you will have more room to lay down your towels and enjoy the magnificent view, which is the best you can get from the three portions of the Grande anse d’Arlet (see last pictures below).
Approximately in the middle, but closer to the right side of the beach, there are big round white buoys in the sea. That’s where you’ll want to snorkel. You will see many fish (lion fish, moray eel, parrot fish…), corals, see snakes (the black and white stripes kind) and many anemones of all kinds.
We also swam along the coastline (that you can see on the third picture above). We swan under the pontoon and to the big white buoys that you will see in the distance. It’s a fairly tough but you’ll be completely alone and you’ll get to see beautiful corals.
Good For : snorkelling and trying the local dishes at the small restaurants (Ti Payot’ for lunch – they close at 7pm).
Location : South of Martinique – Anses-d’Arlet commune
Parking : You can park in the village, there are sometimes available parking spots on the streets near the church. Otherwise there’s a big car park at the entrance of the village.
This beach is in the village of Anses d’Arlet and seems to be very appreciated by the locals. We always saw family having lunch there, kids playing on the beach at sunset, or people discussing after the evening service (the church is right in front, see first picture below).
For some special occasions, such as Christmas for example, a local market is held there.
We went a few times to this beach to enjoy the sunsets from the pontoon…
…but also because we saw some turtles not far from the little boats anchored there :
Good For : sunsets, seeing turtles and enjoying the local vibes.
Location : South East of Martinique – Le Marin commune
Parking : the road ends right next to the beach, you can park wherever.
This beach is a little gem that is not that well known yet. We were completely alone when we went there and it’s worth checking it out. It’s a typical white sand – lush mountains kind of martiniquaise beach.
Good For : Being alone and relaxing.
If you have read this far, here’s a little bonus for you : Anse l’Etang.
Location : North East of Martinique, on the Caravelle peninsula.
Parking : Type in “Rue de la plage” or “Cocoa beach café”, park somewhere there and go check out the beach from here.
Another beautiful beach, almost empty with the added bonus that the view on the way to get there is splendid. You can see the bay from above with all the lush mountains surrounding it :
That’s it for my top 10 best beaches in Martinique !
If you need more inspiration you can check out my 10 days itinerary in Martinique. I also made an article about the food specialties and where to eat, as well as one on the best distilleries on the island.
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