• Banana trees at Habitation Chalvet

    Basse-Pointe

    Presentation

    Basse-Pointe, the birthplace of Aimé Césaire, is a historic landmark in northern Martinique. With its rugged landscapes, lush forests, and black sand beaches, it appeals to nature lovers. Hikers can follow trails leading to Mount Pelée. Renowned for its sugar cane fields and old distilleries, Basse-Pointe embodies both the cultural authenticity and wild beauty of the island.

  • History

    Basse-Pointe is a commune in the North Atlantic region of Martinique. It is located between Macouba to the west, Saint-Pierre to the southwest, Ajoupa-Bouillon to the southeast, and Le Lorrain to the east.

    Basse-Pointe owes its name to the geographical location of its village. It is overlooked by a low rocky point. In fact, it is the lowest part of its coastline, where a modest pier was once built. The first settlers grew tobacco there, then cocoa, which later disappeared in favor of sugar cane.

    It was also in Basse-Pointe that many Indian immigrants settled to work in the sugar cane fields. But how can we talk about Basse-Pointe without mentioning that it is the birthplace of Aimé Césaire, the champion of Negritude?

    The commune of Basse-Pointe witnessed a major historical event that led to several days of rioting on the island. In February 1974, banana farm workers demanding an increase in the daily wage were met with repression by the police, leading to the deaths of two of them.

    Today, sugar cane has given way to bananas, which occupy more than half of the agricultural land.

    Economy

    Basse-Pointe is primarily an agricultural community. Banana and pineapple plantations predominate.

    Neighborhoods

    The municipality's main districts are Chalvet, du Potiche, Eyma, Hackaert, Hauteurs Bourdon, la Falaise, Magdelonnette, Moulin l'Étang et Pecoul.

List of places to visit

historic sites

  • Basse-Pointe port

    Formerly known as pier, Basse-Pointe port was the place of transit of products of sugar cane. We will visit the small sugar port built into a strengthening of the cliff and that still…

  • Banana trees at Habitation Chalvet

    Habitation Chalvet

    Habitation Chalvet, also known as Habitation La Capot, was a sugar estate in the 18th century that had to reinvent itself following the sugar crisis. Before that, it was a plantation…

  • Habitation Pécoul

    Habitation Pécoul is a large Creole-style house whose entrance is embellished by an avenue of palm trees. Formerly called "Habitation Basse-Pointe", Habitation Pécoul was originally owned…

  • Plantation Leyritz

    Within a verdant tropical park and surrounded by century-old trees, Plantation Leyritz is an old habitation located in the North Atlantic which has preserved the remains of its period…

More information

  • Logo of the municipality of Basse-Pointe
    Basse-Pointe
    Mayor:
    Marie-Thérèse Casimirius
    Zip code:
    97218
    Number of inhabitants:
    2,839 inhab. (2022)
    Surface area:
    27.95 km² (10.79 m²)