Five months! This is the duration of stay of the painter Paul Gauguin (1848-1903) in Martinique, the island he had already visited as a sailor. Indeed, Eugène Henri Paul Gauguin arrived in Martinique in June 1887 and stayed there for five months.

The painter, left with his painter friend Charles Laval work on the construction of the Panama Canal, decided to join Martinique as soon as he would meet the necessary sum.

During these five months, Gauguin moved to the Anse Turin in Le Carbet. He painted twelve paintings and had a natural daughter.

Gauguin lived in precarious conditions, which forced him to return to France in October 1887.

However, his Martinican experience will remain as a turning point in his life as an artist and in his painting.

The Paul Gauguin Heritage Interpretation Center pays tribute to the painter, his work, especially during his stay in Martinique.

Closed for four years for renovations, the museum reopens in April 2014 under the name Centre d'Interprétation du Patrimoine (C.I.P.)  Paul Gauguin (Paul Gauguin Heritage Interpretation Center). In a modernized set, with a fun and interactive media space, the Paul Gauguin Interpretive Center offers the public a dive into all the senses in the world of the painter and his stay in Carbet in 1887.

A new space for temporary exhibitions to promote young artists (including schools) from Martinique and the Caribbean. Numerous exhibitions and projects are planned every year.

Do not hesitate to contact the museum for more information.

If there are two unmissable visits to do when you go to Martinique, it is the Habitation Clément and Jardin de Balata. It was in 1982 that Jean-Philippe Thoze, horticulturist, landscape designer and artist in the soul returns to the footsteps of his childhood home of his Creole grandparents. From there, born a passion for botany that will lead him to the four corners of the world.

The garden is organized around the family home in typical Creole architecture, is the result of a perfect alchemy between a homecoming and an atypical artist.

The garden opened its doors for the first time on 19 April 1986 and takes its name from the many old trees which where on the land. The property acquired by the father of Jean-Philippe Thoze during the war, was then a simple cottage-style house looking like a farm. Subsequently, it was sold to the grandmother of the current owner who first used as a second home as a main residence and during his retirement. At his death the property was abandoned during ten years.

Jean-Philippe Thoze, horticulturist at the head of a landscaping company, used it as storage place for abandoned plants he used to bring of his many travels. Then came the day when the family decides to sell and it is naturally to Jean-Philippe Thoze they asked to clear. On this occasion he rediscovers Balata and literally fell in love. He bought the property, and from what had become a savanna where nature had reclaimed its rights, he creates progressively a garden that now houses more than 3,000 species of tropical plants.

To get there from Lamentin, take RN5 towards Morne Rouge, from Fort-de-France take the "Route de Balata / Route de la Trace" towards the Morne Rouge.

On May 8, 1902, the Depaz family disappeared during the eruption of Mount Pelée, which also destroyed the town of Saint-Pierre. The only member of the Depaz family to escape the tragedy was Victor Depaz, then a young student living in Bordeaux, where he was studying. Once he had completed his studies, Victor Depaz, now an orphan and penniless, returned to Saint-Pierre to the Habitation Périnelle, where he had been born in 1886.

On the symbolic date of May 8, 1917, 15 years after the eruption, Victor Depaz bought the 521 hectares of fallow land at Habitation Pécou from the d'Aurigny family and started up the distillery he had built to crush the cane he was planting on the slopes of Mount Pelée.

He began construction of “Château Depaz,” a replica of Habitation Périnelle, where he had spent his childhood. He moved there with his wife and eight children in 1923. He would have eleven children in total.

Depaz rum won its first medal at the Marseille exhibition in 1922, then again in 1927 and 1931.

The reputation for quality of Depaz rum grew year after year under the leadership of Victor's sons, first Henri Depaz, then, from 1986, his twin brother André.

In 1989, André Depaz joined forces with the Bordeaux-based family group Bardinet, a long-standing customer of the Depaz Distillery, and continued the work begun by Victor Depaz, first with Bardinet and later with the new owner of La Martiniquaise.

Habitation Saint-Étienne, or H.S.E., is a distillery built to replace an old sugar mill, La Maugée, covering more than 400 hectares from Gros-Morne to Saint-Joseph.

In 1882, the distillery was bought by Amédée Aubéry, a young captain of industry who became one of the iconic figures of the Martinican economy. Towards the end of the 19th century, faced with the sugar crisis, it was converted into a distillery, like many sugar plantations of the time.

Amédée Aubéry expanded the factory and gave it a remarkable façade with 28 arched windows, ensuring optimal ventilation of the building. He modernized the entire facility to maximize rum production efficiency.

In 1909, the distillery was bought by the Simonnet family, who developed the business until its decline in the late 1980s. In 1994, Yves and José Hayot took over the operation, relaunched the Saint-Étienne brand, and undertook the restoration and enhancement of the architectural heritage of the property.

Today, although rum distillation no longer takes place (since 1988), it continues to produce rums, known as HSE rums. Its preserved architectural ensemble is one of the best examples of the housing system in Martinique, offering a glimpse into life in the 19th century. The master's house and the former slave huts, later used by paid workers, have survived for two centuries and are open to visitors.

The site is listed in the Supplementary Inventory of Historic Monuments (I.S.M.H.). During the tour, you can see how HSE rum is produced, including the barrel storage system and bottling process, before tasting the rums made on site. Numerous exhibitions are held there throughout the year.

Located in the rural area of Trois-Ilets in the La Ferme neighborhood, Savane des Esclaves is a 2-hectare park created by Gilbert Larose.

Without any financial assistance and on his own initiative, Gilbert Larose first cleared the area and rebuilt an “Antan Lontan” village, complete with dwellings and the lifestyle of the “nèg-mawon,” slaves who had fled the plantations to take refuge on the hills and lived independently.

He also planted bananas, Chinese cabbage, sweet potatoes, and cassava. The guided tour lasts about an hour. It will take you back in time to discover Martinique's past and traditions.

During this guided tour, you will see wooden huts, medicinal plants, gardens, and birds, as well as a small museum dedicated to slavery. Activities (cassava and cocoa making, tastings, and concerts) are regularly offered on the theme of slavery and Martinique's past.

A shop sells the farm's produce, and to delight the little ones, they can buy ice cream and fruit juice there.

To get there, head towards Les Trois-Ilets and then follow the signs.

Photo credit: https://www.lasavanedesesclaves.fr

Located on the site of the old battery Esnotz, Frank A. Perret Museum, overlooking the sea, was opened in 1933 by the will of the American amateur of volcanoes, Frank Arvold Perret (see his statue by Henri Marie-Rose at the entrance to the town), who had promised to give to the city after he died in 1943.

A new building replaced the former in 1969. A single room contains numerous remnants of the disaster, showcasing the brutality of the phenomenon and describing how everyday life came to a halt on May 8, 1902, at 8:00 a.m. 

The horror is embodied in a collection of very ordinary objects bearing the marks of the disaster, whose surreal deformations struck the imagination of European artists.

Brassaï and Picasso were sensitive to these melted glass and these compressed objects that they had copies of. André Malraux, in his way, stopped there too. 

You can also see rice petrified, a set of glasses melted, or the bell of the Cathedral at the time, completely flattened. In addition, the photos show the city before and after the eruption.

The Musée de la Pagerie is the birthplace, in 1763, of Marie-Josèphe Rose Tascher de la Pagerie, who later became Empress Josephine de Beauharnais. Today, the building is a museum entirely dedicated to her life and legacy.

The guided tour takes you through the ruins of the estate, which was damaged by several cyclones. You’ll see her childhood bed, portraits, and letters said to have been sent to her by Napoleon. The visit also includes the reception area, a botanical garden, the ruins of the sugar mill, her birth house, the cane press, and the “manioquerie,” a space where cassava was traditionally processed.

It was in this house that she learned of her future marriage to Napoleon Bonaparte, whom she wed in 1796. Two mayors of Trois-Îlets sought to honor this iconic figure born in their town: in the 1930s, Mayor Gabriel Hayot created a first museum near the church where she was baptized. Then, in 1944, Mayor Robert Rose-Rosette acquired the property where the museum now stands.

To get there, head to the town of Trois-Îlets. Once in front of the Trois-Îlets golf course, follow the signs to the Musée de la Pagerie.

Located in a lush green setting, the Banana Museum sits within the “Limbe” plantation, a banana estate in the town of Sainte-Marie. During your visit, you'll explore the history of the banana—from its introduction to the Caribbean during 16th-century colonization to its role today.

The museum showcases over 65 banana species out of the 300 recorded worldwide, spread across a scenic 4-hectare trail.

You’ll also discover fascinating insights into the world’s favorite fruit: its origins, cultivation techniques, culinary uses, and more.

On-site, the restaurant “La Bananeraie” invites you to enjoy inventive dishes where bananas take center stage.

Occasional exhibitions are also held, celebrating the banana in all its cultural and botanical richness.

Saint James rum is said to have originated in Saint-Pierre-de-la-Martinique in 1765. In utmost secrecy, Reverend Father Edmond Lefébure, superior of the Brothers of Charity convent and a learned alchemist, crafted a white spirit of unprecedented quality. This cane-based eau-de-vie was known as “guildive” or “tafia,” terms derived from the English expression kill-devil, once used to describe early rum.

In 1763, King Louis XV authorized Martinique to export its rum. At the time, the only permitted destination was New England — now part of the United States. In 1765, to facilitate its sale abroad, it was decided to give the rum a name with strong Anglo-Saxon resonance: “Saint James.”

In 1885, the “Saint James” brand was officially registered, along with its iconic square bottle — the first of its kind in the world. This innovative design allowed for easier storage in ship holds and reduced breakage during rough crossings. That same year, Saint James launched its first rum, relying on advertising to quickly build its reputation.

On May 8, 1902, the eruption of Mount Pelée destroyed the town of Saint-Pierre and the main site of Saint James. The Saint James Habitation was only partially damaged.

In 1974, all production was centralized at a single site in Sainte-Marie, where the distillery still operates today. The official inauguration took place on December 23, 1974, in the presence of Jacques Chirac, then Prime Minister.

A museum was established near the Habitation to trace the history of rum in Martinique, from its origins to its modern evolution.

Today, the Saint James distillery remains active. Its sugarcane plantations span nearly 300 hectares.

A must-see: hop aboard the “Train des Plantations,” an authentic vintage steam train offering a scenic ride through the Atlantic North, winding through sugarcane fields and banana plantations.

Distillerie Dillon owes its name to Count Arthur Dillon, general and hero of the American Revolutionary War. He married a cousin of Joséphine de Beauharnais, Laure Girardin de Montgérald, owner of the house which, through this marriage, became the Dillon house. Elected deputy for Martinique in 1789, he was accused of conspiracy by Robespierre and beheaded in April 1794.

In 1857, Habitation Dillon was bought by the mayor of Saint Pierre, Pierre Hervé, who restored the canal and the dyke, and built a sugar mill, a guildery and railroads. But the sugar crisis of 1866 ruined it, and the plantation became a public limited company managed by Louis Domergue.

In 1891, a cyclone devastated the 18th-century dwelling and led to the death of Louis Domergue. In 1900, his son Raoul rebuilt it from a house in Saint-Pierre, which he had dismantled beam by beam, thus saving it from disaster.

But in 1919, one of the administrators had to comply with the quota policy and ended up transforming, in 1928, the distillery into a sugar factory. Managed by the de Laguarigue family, Habitation Dillon did not start making agricultural rum again until 1954.

It was bought in 1967 by the Bordeaux family company Bardinet: in more than twenty years, the Bardinet Group will quadruple its annual production by investing in fermentation tanks, distillation columns and an aging cellar with a capacity of three thousand barrels.

Since 1981, Dillon rum has been regularly awarded at the Concours Général Agricole, thus confirming its qualitative and commercial progress both on the Martinican and Guyanese markets as well as in mainland France, where it holds first place. Having become the property of the company La Martiniquaise in 1993, the Dillon brand continues to contribute to the influence of the Controlled Designation of Origin (A.O.C. in French for Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée) Martinique, obtained in 1996.

Today, the Dillon distillery produces both rums and punches. During the visit, a slide show will allow you to see and understand the production and the different stages of production of agricultural rum, and then a tasting will be offered.