Where to go • When to go • What you should know • How to Book
La Belle Vie! The “Flower Island” of Martinique is a beautiful French island in the Caribbean. Known for its Mount Pelee volcano, pristine beaches, quaint seaside villages, and bustling capital city – a Martinique yacht charter is a great way to explore Martinique on its own or to use as a base to explore other islands towards the north or south.
What is a sailing vacation, yacht charter, etc..? Learn more here ›
We highly recommend a Martinique yacht charter and sailing vacation. We’ve been there, several times!
Beaches, mountains, gardens and more! Towards the north of Martinique, the landscape provides tropical rain forests and waterfalls and stunning black volcanic sand beaches. The south shines with white sand beaches and picturesque bays.
Martinique bareboat charter requirements:
✔ Sailing Resume
✖ Certification
✖ License
Learn more at Yacht Charter Resources ›
Knowledge – Skills – Experience:
✔ Intermediate
*Additional if sailing between Islands (Guadeloupe, etc…):
✔ Intermediate +Plus
Martinique is a year-round sailing destination. Tidal range is minimal.
• Best times for a Martinique yacht charter are between December and April.
• May/June and October/November are “shoulder seasons” with less expensive prices and fewer crowds.
• September and October offer the calmest winds though trade winds are fairly consistent out of the northeast.
• July through November is technically hurricane season.
The dry season is February to June while the wet season (occasional rainy days) is July through January. The average temperature is low to mid 80’s with summer months a bit higher and winter lows in the 70’s. Water temperatures remain in the low 80’s year-round.
Delish! A mix of French and West Indian brings fresh croissants and creole restaurants with West Indian cafes and bistros.
• Fort de France. Capital of Martinique. Culture and cosmopolitan. Resorts, gardens, shopping, museums and more.
• Diving and snorkeling. Around Sainte-Anne and Anse d’Arlet
• Rum Factories. Martinique is known for rum and you’ll find plenty of factories to sample the run.
• Black and white sand. Stunningly beautiful. Don’t miss Salines beach or Pointe du Bout.
• Hike the volcano Mont Pelee.
• Visit Le Jardin de Balata to see why Martinique is known as the flower island.
• Water sports (surfing, kitesurfing, etc). Head to Anse Michel or Vauclin.
• Explore other islands. Visit St. Lucia or the Grenadines. Or head to Guadaloupe.
• French shopping. Explore the small-town streets and shops of St. Anne or St. Pierre.
Fly into the one international airport, Aime Cesaire International Airport just south of Fort de France. (Airport Code –FDF). Inter-Caribbean airlines provides flights throughout the Caribbean.
Alternatively, there is a ferry company that connects Guadeloupe, Les Saintes, Dominica, Martinique, and St. Lucia if other Caribbean destinations are your starting or ending islands
Where to go on a Martinique sailing vacation?
Scroll below for sample itineraries or use the map to explore Martinique.
For a 1 week trip we advise exploring only Martinique (more than enough to see and do!). For a 2 week Martinque yacht charter you can visit islands such as Guadeloupe, Dominica, etc…
Please consult with us on itineraries – we’ve bareboat chartered in Martinique (+ nearby islands) and can suggest itineraries and locations to best fit your vacation goals.
*Note: you can visit Presqu’Île de la Caravelle on the eastern side, BUT this only is advised when there is low swell conditions.
NauticEd are expert Martinique yacht charter agents. We don’t charge you a fee and can more than likely save you money on all your sailing vacations. We search the world’s databases for over 8,000 yachts in 55 destinations. We give expert advice on where and when to go – likely, we’ve been there. Make an inquiry and book your sailing vacations through NauticEd Sailing Vacations.
Local Knowledge + Education: as Sailing Vacation Experts, NauticEd’s team has chartered and sailed in almost all these locations – providing you with the “local knowledge” you need when planning a sailing vacation. And, as the leader in sailing education, NauticEd assigns different skill levels based on the knowledge-theory and practical/experience needed for chartering in different sailing locations.
Recommended Knowledge-Theory Courses for chartering: Bareboat Charter Master Bundle (six bareboat and near coastal courses), Catamaran Sailing Confidence (if chartering a Cat), Yacht Charter Crew Course (for your crew).
Skill Levels notably emphasize the overall practical experience and competency that is required to sail in certain areas. Of course, the “devil’s in the details” on specifics, and we recommend you contact us when planning a sailing vacation. We’ll save you money on your vacation – which is great – but being prepared to have safe fun experiences that will last a lifetime is priceless!
• Intermediate = Near Coastal <5nm within sight of land, some navigation hazards (always be aware), and generally mild weather conditions. Good seapersonship (i.e., “seamanship”) skills, knowledge, and experience apply.
• Intermediate +Plus = Near Coastal <15nm, within sight of land in clear atmospheric conditions, moderate navigation hazards, and/or challenging weather. Good seapersonship skills, knowledge, and experience apply.
• Advanced = Near Coastal <20nm, within sight of land in clear atmospheric conditions, many navigation hazards, and/or potentially difficult weather. Expert seapersonship skills, knowledge, and experience apply.
*Atmospheric conditions: from the deck of a sailboat, your “visible horizon” is about 12nm on a clear day (considering typical freeboard + your height). Visibility is decreased by haze, fog, rain, smoke, and similar atmospheric considerations. Navigating by line of sight is obviously greater if your destination has features such as mountains, lighthouses, tall buildings, etc…
*Navigational hazards may include features such as rocks, shoals, rough inlets or anchorages, challenging tides and currents, lee shores, commercial traffic, etc…
*Weather: examples of challenging or difficult weather include thunder/lightning storms, areas prone to high winds, or even seasonal risks such as excessive heat.
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NauticEd is a fully recognized education and certification platform for sailing students combining online and on-the-water real instruction (and now VR). NauticEd offers +24 online courses, a free sailor's toolkit that includes 2 free courses, and six ranks of certification – all integrated into NauticEd’s proprietary platform. The USCG and NASBLA recognize NauticEd as having met the established American National Standards. Learn more at www.nauticed.org.
The NauticEd Vacations team are Expert Global Yacht Charter Agents – when you book a sailing vacation or bareboat charter through NauticEd, we don’t charge you a fee – we often save you money since we can compare prices from all yacht charter companies. PLUS, we can give you advice on which destination or charter company will suit your needs best. Inquire about a Sailing Vacation or Charter.
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