We previously visited Martinique many years ago and saw the north side by the volcano, waterfall and rainforest. Since we wanted to see more of the island, we pre-booked the 5 hour Authentic South Tour of Martinique with the Beyond the Beach Company. We were fortunate to be on this independent tour as when we arrived in port we learned that all the Princess Cruise operated tours had been cancelled due to protests/strikes occurring on the island. After emailing our guide, she said that our tour was still a go. We only encountered a small traffic jam with some sign-carrying peaceful protestors at one point in the tour.
We easily met the guide carrying a sign with our name at the port area. It was a comfortable mini bus with a driver and very nice, informative guide (sorry, I forgot her name). After heading out of the busy city area, onto an expressway and then on country roads to the south side of the island we got to see a nice sampling of the urban and rural areas with pretty views of the mountains in the background. We saw cattle grazing, sugar cane fields and banana plants along the way.
Our first stop was at a charming village called La Poterie in Trois Ilets. This is a former Jesuit Monastery which now has artists workshops, restaurants, a bakery and an opportunity to shop for colorful souvenirs. This was also a bathroom break, although it was uphill and we had to hunt down the keeper of the key to use it. Although, I was able to get a photo of the pottery workshop, there was no tour of that. It was early morning so the village was pretty quiet, but some of the shops were open. I enjoyed taking photos in this lovely town.
We then headed to Anses d'Arlet, a small fishing village on a beautiful little beach. The highlight is the beautiful little village church: St. Henry Catholic Church, which was also open inside for viewing and reflection. The little town was lovely. The beach was fairly busy. It was pretty to stroll and take photos for the 45 minutes we had here. The guide had a sample of rum, rum punch and banana bread for us to enjoy under a shaded pavilion before we continued on.
Next up was the stunning photo stop for Diamond Rock. Not far was the next stop at the somber but beautiful Cap 110 Memorial sculptures in memory of slaves that died in a shipwreck off the coast here.
We made a brief bathroom stop at a small fruit and vegetable market. They also had a few souvenirs but only accepted Euros except for one food vendor.
Our last stop was at the Trois Rivieres distillery store for a quick rum tasting. Scenic for photos including a windmill.
We returned though the countryside and into the busy city back to the port. We really enjoyed the tour to see more of this pretty French island. Just know that you spend a lot of time on the bus. The tour guide was great giving us entertaining and historical info throughout the tour.