Top Things to do in Sainte Marie
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Top 10 Things to do in Sainte Marie, Martinique
Discover the best top things to do in Sainte Marie, Martinique including Le Tombolo, Bon Bagay, Presqu'ile de la Caravelle, Denebola, Foudres HSE, St. James Distillery & Rum Museum, Surf Up Martinique, Catamaran Bwa Drese, Le Ti Bato, Le Train des Plantations.
Restaurants in Sainte Marie
1. Le Tombolo
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 94 reviews
Reviewed By LauraKropf - Budapest, Hungary
After Reading all the comments of how many visitors returned dissappinted for not being able to cross, we didn't have too much expectations - but we gave a try. And we were so lucky to be able to walk through the water to the island and it was so exciting!
First we were hesitating as from the shore you can't really see the distance nor the depth, but just when we were examining it, a small group of tourists headed from the island. They had a local guy with them who started to wave toward us to come. So, let's go!! The water wasn't very deep, about knee high, with sometimes bigger waves - but if you don't mind getting wet a bit, you shouldn't miss. See pictures below.
A piece of advice: follow your path were the waves from the two sides "meet", there is the less deep.
Good luck! :)
2. Bon Bagay
Overall Ratings
5 based on 131 reviews
Reviewed By Amy E
Out of many tours to choose from, we are so happy to have gone with Bon Bagay! We did the half day tour and Olivier the captain was cheerful, kind and informative. Even in the rain we had so much fun - the perfect ending...MoreThank you Amy and Dave it was a great moment for me and I hope meet other american tourists during my season, you are welcome. See you later.
3. Presqu'ile de la Caravelle
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 406 reviews
Reviewed By Audrey2013_13 - Sydney, Australia
We did not regret our stopover at Presqu'ile de la Caravelle. We only did the small walk/hike (better take good walking shoes) to the Lighthouse. Approx 1 hour return.
From the top, you have 360 degree view of the Presqu'ile/Martinique - it was unbelievable! The views are simply spectacular!
Careful - the gps indicates you can drive all the way to the lighthouse. But of course, you can't. There is a parking where you leave your car and that's where the walk departs from. You can go all around Presqu'ile de la Caravelle - believe that takes approx 4 hours. If you leave left you go to the lighthouse. If you leave right you go to the castle ruins.
4. Denebola
Overall Ratings
5 based on 216 reviews
Accompanied by your professional skipper aboard the comfortable sailboat Denebola, you will discover the islets in the bay of Robert under sail. The beautiful bay of Robert is protected and calm - great for a pleasant sailing trip. Numerous Islands with different natural characteristics offer bathing in turquoise waters over white sand - a perfect opportunity to explore the reefs and sea bed and discover the varied flora and fauna.
Reviewed By SMRCORNISH - Cornish, ME
As first time visitors to Martinique, the property manager of our rental house recommended that we book a boat tour to ilets Madame and Chancel off Le Robert Bay. We chose Denebola because of the reviews on TripAdvisor and we are so glad we did! Our family of four joined two other passengers on a full-day tour. Leon was our captain and he was fantastic! He basically taught us all how to sail, my daughter manned the rudder, my husband helped with the sails, someone else managed the buoy… We sipped rum punch on the way to our first stop and were amazed by how fast we moved due to the favorable trade winds in the bay. First we stopped at ilet Madame and were taken aback by its beauty- white sandy ocean floor with crystal-clear water made for great swimming. You can snorkel here, but it isn’t as good as on other parts of the island, we did see some fish and awesome starfish though. We did not book a lunch but really wished we had because it looked delicious, chicken, salads and fruit. There are several picnic shelters and we noted little bats asleep in some of them. There is also a short hike you can take that leads to a great view. After a couple of hours, we packed up and made our way to the iguana island (Chancel) and spent about 45 minutes looking at iguanas and hiking through ruins. (We also leaned a bit about mangroves.) We noted that there were several “bigger” boats that landed on Madame while we were there and we remarked how different our experience would have been if we’d chosen one of them-louder, less personal, whereas we felt like we were out on a friend’s boat for the day. If you want a relaxing day on the water, visiting beautiful places and getting up close and personal with nature, choose Denebola!
5. Foudres HSE
Overall Ratings
4 based on 67 reviews
Reviewed By Michael D - Bokeelia, Florida
We spent a week cruising the West Indies and stopped at many Distilleries along the way. The HSE distillery was way up high on the list for the taste of its rum. We bought several bottles after our tasting. However, there was not much to tour at the distillery. It's more of a one room visitor's center with some art and great rum. Nevertheless, I am very glad I stopped and enjoyed what they had to offer.
For a visit here, you need only about 30-45 minutes, so plan your day accordingly and take an opportunity to visit other attractions on the island.
6. St. James Distillery & Rum Museum
Overall Ratings
4 based on 271 reviews
Bring money for a cab, because after a couple of samples from this rum distillery, you won't want to drive.
Reviewed By Sociology - Jamestown, New York
My wife and I are glad that we decided to take the slight detour to visit this place. We knew about Saint James rum, from having it on tasty baba au rum in France. We didn't need to buy any at the museum, but did buy some delicious novelty liquor; coconut and orange (called chrubb), which we could not find at home in the US. The museum is interesting to visit. The distillery was closed at the time.
7. Surf Up Martinique
Overall Ratings
5 based on 95 reviews
Reviewed By Alexandra2040 - Washington DC, District of Columbia
Romain was our surf instructor. He was patient , kind and very attentive to individual needs although we took a group lesson! I recommend making a reservation because then you can make sure you secure a spot! I called a day ahead and was secured for the next. Romain provided instructions of how to get to the beach although if you google the place it takes you right there. He asked us if we wanted the course in English or French which I thought was incredibly thoughtful because I only know basic French. When we arrived to the surf shop he welcomed us and asked that we sign waivers (duh!) and were given rash guards (YESSS). I arrived with my sister and boyfriend. Romain's experience put us at ease ; we felt incredibly comfortable the entire time. Once we signed he assigned us boards and we walked them down to the area he marked off for us to surf. He provided us with instructions before we took the boards in the water. He navigated to each of us individually and helped us catch some waves. The waves were incredibly harsh for it only being my second time but when I stood up I yelled in satisfaction hahah. Romain watched our technique and corrected us/gave suggestion to improve for the next time , which I thought was incredibly helpful. That 1h30 session felt like 15 hours. I took a few rests in the lagoon but navigated my way back to waves ..eventually ! We enjoyed our time and would definitely return. Thank you Surf Up for making this a worthwhile experience for beginners (my sister and bf) and for me (second timer). I'm from Washington D.C. and it was nice to chat with one other attendee who was from the same area! One thoughtful suggestion to people booking would be to bring cash. They do not take cards. There is an ATM at the beginning of town across from the gas station (thanks for the tip Romain!). Great time. Book now.
8. Catamaran Bwa Drese
Overall Ratings
5 based on 362 reviews
Get out of the ordinary in your life, to live a wonderful experience on our catamarans ... Upon arrival, dive into the world of an unforgettable day, or feel the sun and turquoise waters will lead you to paradise. Everything is done for your well-being, be reassured: no discomfort on board is guaranteed! From 9am, our crew and our hostesses serve you the traditional welcome drink to put you "in the bath." Over the islets, discover the coral splendor of the dip in the clear, warm waters, thanks to the swimming stops. First you enjoy the "starting bath" on the islet unforgettable Madame. Taste the history of the Chancel islet admiring the rare iguanas still present on the island. You will probably not escape to the friendly atmosphere of the "baptism of rum" in the beautiful bath Keystone Islet before lunch on board: a Creole meal in an idyllic setting. Then, experience the dessert, prepared on site by the crew and ... you in the workshop of introduction to traditional recipes (sherbets, cod fritters) before returning to dock at 4:30 p.m..
Reviewed By Corakass - Marseille, France
This day trip was really good, fun and entertaining, we stop at several isles and iguanas island
Thé catamaran was well equipped and the skippers very well organize and made us feel special and at ease
Sylvain was very knowledgeable regarding the island history and and trees and cultures and traditions. Soraya was really nice and made the accras and goyava ice cream with us .
Although we had a couple with a small child the team made us feel very special soraya was playing with her etc...however I would not recommend this day trip for couple with small child .
Overall this day trip was really good and will definitely recommend it if you want to have a good time.
9. Le Ti Bato
Overall Ratings
5 based on 20 reviews
Reviewed By DrJay85 - Southampton, New York
We were three couples who booked a full day charter. The boat is clean and well maintained. Frank is very accommodating and a great host and captain. The day was relaxed and stress free. We sailed for 90 minutes to a quiet cove where we kayaked and snorkeled around a reef and through the mangroves. This charter is highly recommended and was the best day of our trip!
10. Le Train des Plantations
Overall Ratings
3.5 based on 56 reviews
Reviewed By Andy S
I would rate this attraction as a 4 for anyone who can understand French reasonably well or with a strong interest in trains / plantation history but a 2 to 3 for other non French speakers.
The train ride itself is relatively short, perhaps 2km long in each direction, starting at the Saint James distillery and running almost all the way to the nearby Bannana museum. The journey takes you initially through the distillery, through a number of sugar cane fields, then through a mixture of housing interspersed with various bits of agriculture.
The train stops around 10 times and various sections of commentary are given, most frequently focusing on the local flora, including pointing out two types of coffee plants, mango trees, banana palms etc. They also passed around samples of cinnamon bark and another plant.
My French is very limited and the majority of the commentary was lost on me and I was amazed how patient my young kids were with the long explanations (best example being the guide pointed out an apricot tree and then spent a couple of minutes explaining how good apricots taste in jam, on cakes etc - things that went way beyond any link to what we were seeing). However from the sections I did understand, the material was actually very interesting on the whole.
The train starts at the distillery, where the main museum is free, so it's natural to continue the two into one trip. The Banana Museum is basically at the end of the line but unfortunately there is no concept of getting off the train, going to that museum and taking a later train back
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