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Martinique · Caribbean
An iron-hall market, a city beach and a volcano day trip, all from one bay.
Its bay is ranked among the most beautiful in the world. The Bibliothèque Schoelcher, the 1885 Grand Marché and La Française beach are in town, and Saint-Pierre waits below Mount Pelée.
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See Library
Rue de la Liberté
The library is named for Victor Schoelcher, the abolitionist behind the 2 April 1848 decree that ended slavery in the French colonies. Its wooden shelves hold over 130,000 works of Caribbean and African literature.
Plan a Cultural Walk (opens a new tab)Unwind Beach
Below Fort Saint-Louis
A white-sand city beach beside Fort Saint-Louis, which the tourist board lists as within walking distance of the port. La Savane park, with snack bars and benches, is about five minutes away.
See the Stopover Guide (opens a new tab)Taste Market
Rue Blénac
The 1885 iron hall sells spices, rhums arrangés, homemade jams, tropical fruit and crafts. Stallholders will tell you about the fruit and vegetables.
Read About the Markets (opens a new tab)Explore History
Saint-Pierre, about 14 miles
The museum tells the story of the 1902 Mount Pelée eruption through eyewitness accounts, photographs and relics. Open daily 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.; €8 adults, €6 children.
Visit the Memorial (opens a new tab)Skip the excursion desk
Fort de France has two cruise terminals. Pointe Simon is on the town waterfront, about 0.4 mile from the cathedral; Tourelles is east of Fort Saint-Louis, about 0.5 mile from La Savane in a straight line.
| Cruise line | Ships | Pier | Distance to town |
|---|---|---|---|
| MSC | MSC Opera, MSC World Europa | Tourelles | In town |
| Costa | Costa Favolosa | Tourelles | In town |
| Ponant | Le Bougainville, Le Bellot, Le Lapérouse | Tourelles | In town |
| Club Med | Club Med 2 | Tourelles | In town |
| Silversea | Silver Spirit, Silver Ray, Silver Nova, Silver Shadow | Mostly Pointe Simon | In town |
| TUI Cruises | Mein Schiff 2, Mein Schiff 3 | Mostly Pointe Simon | In town |
| Virgin Voyages | Valiant Lady | Pointe Simon | In town |
| P&O | Arvia, Aurora | Mostly Pointe Simon | In town |
| Holland America | Rotterdam, Zuiderdam, Volendam, Nieuw Amsterdam | Mostly Pointe Simon | In town |
| Star Clipper | Royal Clipper | Pointe Simon | In town |
| Marella | Marella Explorer 2, Marella Voyager | Pointe Simon | In town |
| CFC Croisières | Renaissance | Mostly Pointe Simon | In town |
| Princess | Caribbean, Coral, Crown and Enchanted Princess | Mostly Pointe Simon | In town |
| Royal Caribbean | Vision of the Seas, Rhapsody of the Seas | Pointe Simon or Tourelles | In town |
| AIDA | AIDAbella, AIDAperla, AIDAdiva | Pointe Simon | In town |
| Carnival | Carnival Firenze, Carnival Venezia | Pointe Simon | In town |
| Seabourn, Oceania, Crystal | Seabourn Quest; Vista, Marina; Crystal Symphony, Crystal Serenity | Pointe Simon | In town |
This is the tourist board's provisional plan dated 23 April 2026 for October 2026 to September 2027; lines with one or two calls are left out. Piers can change, and your cruise line's app or daily planner shows yours. Source: Martinique Tourisme port call schedule 2026-27.
Where your ship docks decides the walk: Pointe Simon opens onto the town waterfront, and Tourelles is on the next bay east, beyond Fort Saint-Louis.
Tourelles is the turnaround terminal, where MSC, Costa and Club Med passengers embark. It is about 3.8 miles from the airport in a straight line.
If you do one thing here
Saint-Pierre was the island's capital until Mount Pelée destroyed it in 1902, and it was only modestly rebuilt. Ruins line the streets, and the Earth Sciences Discovery Centre explains how the volcano works.
The town is about 14 miles north of Pointe Simon in a straight line. The tourist board's circuit of the town takes about 8 hours by car, so it fills a port day.
Fort de France records more violent robbery than France as a whole and less pickpocketing. Both piers are a walk from the centre.
Crime figures: SSMSI (French Interior Ministry) 2025 recorded offences per resident, Fort de France population 75,506; the national rate is our sum of department counts and populations. Tourists raise the count without raising the population. Weather: Météo-France Martinique.
Make it part of your voyage
MSC, Costa and P&O sailings start in Fort de France, and Silversea, Holland America and Virgin Voyages ships call.
Its bay is ranked among the most beautiful in the world. In town are the 1885 covered market and the Bibliothèque Schoelcher; Saint-Pierre, the capital destroyed in 1902, is the classic day trip.
In the town. Ships dock at Pointe Simon on the waterfront or at Quai des Tourelles, east of Fort Saint-Louis. Tourelles is the turnaround terminal.
The port is in the town. From Pointe Simon the Grand Marché is about 0.4 mile in a straight line. From Tourelles the tourist board's walking tour allows 17 minutes to the Bibliothèque Schoelcher.
In 2025 it recorded about 3.2 times the national rate of robbery with violence and 39% less theft without violence. The rates count residents only, so visitors push them up.
Tropical, with a mean of 26.5°C. February to April is the driest period, and the rainy season from July to October overlaps hurricane season, 1 June to 30 November.
Ferry fares and museum tickets are priced in euros. The tourist board says dollars are generally accepted in shops and cabs, ATMs dispense euros around the clock and a card is recommended.
The tourist board names the Cathédrale Saint-Louis, the Bibliothèque Schoelcher, the covered market, Fort Saint-Louis and the Théâtre Aimé Césaire.
Walk to the covered market, the Bibliothèque Schoelcher and La Savane, then La Française beach, about five minutes beyond the park. Lunch on Rue Garnier Pagès. Saint-Pierre is a separate full-day trip.
La Française is within walking distance. Batelière is 10 minutes away by car, and Anse Mitan is 20 minutes away by water.
The airport is about 5.6 miles away. Metered taxis wait at door D in arrivals; we found no official flat fare.
Taxis use meters. Taxi operators quote the 2026 prefecture tariff as €3.99 pick-up and an €8 minimum fare; we could not open the order itself.
The tourist board sends lunch-seekers to Rue Garnier Pagès, which has several restaurants. The Grand Marché sells spices, jams and rhums arrangés.
