The best beaches in Martinique depending on what you are looking for

Martinique is a beautiful tropical island located in the Caribbean, and one of the reasons we chose to vacation there, is the variety of beaches. Let's be honest, not every beach is built the same, and depending on what you are looking for, your go-to will vary. But wether you are looking to surf, kayak, read in the sun, snorkel, take pictures, play in the sand, explore, etc. there is a beach for you in Martinique!

The best black beach: Anse Couleuvre

We are starting strong with my favorite beach overall. Honestly, just such a beautiful black beach, with sand as soft as flour, plenty of space, and small waves you can play in. It's a good beach to swim or just float. Personally, I liked that I felt like I just stepped into a postcard. The scenery was just breathtaking. There is also a very nice trail to Cascade Couleuvre that you can hike if you are getting a little restless relaxing on the beach. ​

The only problem with this beach is the road to get there, the absence of parking spaces and the 1-mile walk afterwards. It would be a complicated beach to visit with small children that can't walk for long, or if you have a lot of things to carry. I personally found it totally worth it, but it's definitely more of a towel and sandwich than a full picnic and plenty of games kind of beach. 

The best beach to spend a full day: Anses Salines

If you are planning on a full day at the beach, Anses Salines is your best bet. There is plenty of parking spaces not too far from the beach, there are trees for some shade or to hang hammocks, there are restaurants and souvenir shops and even an ice cream cart. The beach is long and large, so there is plenty of space for everybody. It's the beach we spent the most time at because it is really convenient.

​The only downside for this beach would be the uncertainty of the wind. If there is a lot of wind, especially coming from the Atlantic, it can form big waves and carry seaweed. On some days, the water was clear and the beach was completely free of seaweed, and on other days, there was a lot in the water and the waves would crash into you. It really depends on the weather, but most days would be fine!

The best beach to see turtles: Grande Anse d'arlet

We had read online that the best beaches for turtles were Anse Dufour and Anse Noire, but locals told us that these two beaches were becoming too crowded and the turtles were starting to relocate to Grande Anse d'Arlet. I wouldn't be able to say if it's true, but I can say that we saw at least 5 turtles during the hour that we were kayaking in Grande Anse. The weather wasn't even on our side as it was very windy, and so we kept getting pushed around by gusts of wind, and we still managed to spot multiple turtles in the water and coming up for air. I would say it's a safe bet! Grande Anse also has more parking spaces and way more room on the beach. Plus the transparent kayak rentals were so much fun!

The best beach to cool down after hiking Presqu'île de la caravelle: Anse l'étang

Also the best beach to surf due to the winds from the Atlantic!

​Anse l'étang isn't a popular beach, but I really enjoyed it. The water was warm and clear, the sand was nice, and although there are great waves for surfing, there are rocks at the bottom, a little further from the beach, protecting the beach area so the waves aren't huge if you are trying to swim. Plus, after hiking all around Presqu'île de la Caravelle in 30 degrees Celsius and 100% humidity, I think any beach would have worked. I just needed to cool down and clean the sweat off my skin. The only downside to this beach is that the water gets deep very fast, but otherwise, it was perfect in my opinion!

The best beach for families: Sainte-Anne

We didn't stay long at the beach in Sainte-Anne because it wasn't for us, but I can totally see the appeal for families with small children. I didn't like that the parking cost money, and I didn't like the amount of seaweed in the water, but that can vary a lot with the winds and seasons. I also didn't like the amount of people on that beach, but that's just a personal preference. The reason I am recommending this beach for families is that the parking lot is right by the beach, there are trees for shade, it is cleaned and maintained and there are picnic tables. You could also slowly walk into the water, which would be great for young children or beginner swimmers, and the bay and marina protect the beach, which means there are barely any waves. Like I said, it wasn't what I was looking for, but that doesn't make it a bad beach in any way.

the best beach for sunset : le carbet, Saint-Pierre or anse caritan

Obviously, to get a nice beach sunset, you need to be on the right side of the island, on the West coast. The beaches in Saint-Pierre and Le Carbet are on the perfect side for a nice view on the sunset. The beaches are also very dark, or even black sand beaches, which makes the sunset pop, and they are lined with bars or restaurant, so you can sip a cocktail while waiting for the sunset.

The beach at Anse Caritan is great for very different reasons. It is pretty far out of the way, so there are no crowds, and while it is not located on the West Coast, the opening of the bay lines up with the sunset. What makes it special though, is the swing! I love ocean swings, and this one lines up perfectly with the sunset so the pictures turned out great. Plus, there was barely anyone there, so we got to take our time and enjoy the moment, not just snap a quick pic before we had to let someone else have a turn.

the best beach to be alone: Anse grosse roche

If it hadn't been for the amount of seaweed on the beach and in the water, this beach would have been my favorite. The sand was literally flour under our feet, so soft and white! There was nobody there, there were palm trees surrounding the whole bay and we just felt like castaways. Unfortunately, the winds and currents have brought large amounts of seaweed on this beach in recent years and it has a funky smell so we had to find an area of the beach that wasn't as covered as the rest. I know the government is looking for a way to contain the problem, so hopefully soon they can find a way to keep them at large. Getting there also involved a good amount of walking, so it wouldn't be my first choice overall.

We were so lucky to spend enough time in Martinique to discover multiple of its beaches as they are all very different and offer widely different experiences. Like I said previously, there are no best or worst beaches in Martinique, just different ones and visitors with different preferences and needs. I encourage you to visit a few at least, but I hope this guide can help orient your choices.

​If you are still planning your trip, I wrote an article of the best activities to do in Martinique that you can find below. Enjoy!

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