The Bernard David Museum Space showcases a collection assembled by Bernard David, former priest of Le Diamant (1970–1998), to retrace the town’s history. He generously donated his entire collection of pre-Columbian archaeological objects and documentary archives to the southern Martinique commune.

Bernard David, a priest from Vendée, arrived in Martinique in 1970. He first served at the church of Terres Sainville, then at Bellevue in Fort-de-France, before being assigned to the church in Le Diamant. Eager to connect with the local population, he studied Creole and began collecting the proverbs he heard. He later published Creole Proverbs of Martinique: Language and Society.

Passionate about local history, he conducted daily research and published several works on Martinique’s past, including The Origins of the Martinican Population Over the Years (1635–1902). He also took a keen interest in the pre-Columbian heritage of the town that welcomed him, Le Diamant. The objects he collected from that era are now housed in the museum that bears his name.

The Bernard David Museum Space is located in the town center of Le Diamant, near the Anse Diamant pier, where local fishers enjoy line fishing. Exhibitions are occasionally offered.

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.

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.

The Sea Museum replaces the former Shell and Sea Museum, which was once located in the town of Le Diamant, inside the Écrin Bleu hotel. This small museum houses a collection of 2,000 shells from Martinique, other Caribbean islands, and from around the world.

It was the hotel owner who came up with the idea of showcasing his collection. Arriving in Martinique from Marseille at the age of 9, he developed a deep passion for the sea and began collecting shells at the age of 16.

With over 2,000 specimens in his possession, he decided to share them with the public. His goal? to highlight the wonders of the ocean floor, such as corals, sea urchins, fish, crustaceans, and starfish.

Plan for a 30 to 45-minute visit. There are no guided tours.

A gift shop is available on-site. You can leave with one or more of the 150 shells on offer, or choose from a selection of jewelry and handcrafted items made from shells and other marine treasures.

The museum was recently relocated to the town of Trois-Îlets, in the Village of Poterie.

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.

If you want to discover the history of Mount Pelee or simply view without climbing, go to the Maison des Volcans (Volcanoes house) in the town of Morne Rouge. This museum dedicated to the Pelee volcano was inaugurated in 1991 by volcanologists Maurice and Katia Krafft few weeks before their disappearance on the slopes of a Japanese volcano.

Volcano House, cult step from the center of Morne Rouge, heiress of volcanoes life presents particularly the ascent of Mount Pelée by video projection, much less tiring than in reality, and offering views sometimes ignored by climbers.

It’s also an opportunity to discover a remarkable petrographic collection made up of rocks and sands from Martinique, the Caribbean, and other parts of the world. A large model of Mount Pelée and its surroundings helps visitors better understand the volcano’s topography.

Documents and fragments are presented in a simple framework. Panels addresses the monitoring of volcanoes to eruptive mechanisms through applications of volcanology. Finally a video recounts the 1902 eruption.

Another way to become familiar with the Mount Pelée... in pictures. 

Occasional thematic exhibitions are offered to visitors.

At the History and Sea Gallery (Galerie d’Histoire et de la Mer), discover the entire history of Native American, Arawak, and Caribbean settlement, set against the backdrop of the wonderful world of the sea.

The gallery is organized around two main themes: the history of the northern Caribbean and Martinique, and the world of the sea and fishing.

The museum is located in the village of Carbet, opposite the town hall, near Bourg Beach.

To get there, head towards the village of Carbet.

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.