St Pierre

Saint-Pierre is one of the most important attraction points of the island. In this town, destroyed by lava and mudslide during the volcanic disaster of 1902, there remain original parts of the old cathedral, of the prison dungeon and of the church of the fort. A visit to the ruins gives a good idea of the economic and cultural importance of the town up until its demise. The town received the title of Art and History Town in 1990.

A hike from Le Prêcheur to Grand Rivière or to Mount Pelée from Grand Rivière: the tourist information office can offer you plenty of ideas for hikes of varying distances and levels of difficulty. We recommend a 2-hour hike starting from the road that leads to Charmeuse (just before the village). From here you will climb up to the parking lot of Grande Savane. Then you will cross dry vegetation followed by a savannah of varying altitudes comprised of ferns and shrubs, finally to arrive at Mount Pelée, on the side of the third refuge, where you will discover scrubby vegetation. From here there is still an hour's walk to the summit. Those who are more courageous can also access Mount Pelée via the Morne de l'Aileron following the signposts. The hike takes some 4 hours. Take the D39, the road on the left, after crossing the town, up to the parking lot (a steep climb at the beginning). The trail is a series of tall steps. It offers breathtaking views, sometimes over Basse-Pointe, sometimes over the Caribbean Sea. At the top, you can cross the Palmistes plateau and go down to Etang Sec.

Apart from Mount Pelee, which is obviously one of the highlights, you can discover inland Martinique, and notably Fonds Saint-Denis, the greenest town on the island. 450m above sea level, the community of Morne-Rouge, with its surprising red-coloured earth, clings to the foothills of Mount Pelée. Also not to be missed is Ajoupa-Bouillin, a rustic green town criss-crossed with rivers.

Do not set off for Mount Pelée during bad weather and rain, you won't be able to see anything and the trails become impassable. Try to leave early in the morning. Remember to protect yourself from the sun with sunscreen and a hat.

At the Gardens of Ajoupa, the largest garden centre on the island, countless varieties of tropical flowers of all colours are cultivated. Go ahead and treat yourself! All the flowers are cut and packaged in special insulated packages for the plane. For those who are especially cautious, airport and home delivery (throughout the European Union) is possible.