Best Family-friendly Beaches in Martinique

Plage de Saint Anne

Also known as Plage de Pointe Marin, it is a true Family-friendly beach on the list and definitely my top pick. Not as often mentioned on travel blog sites, it is definitely well-known among the locals. Saint Anne Beach gets flooded with visitors, especially in the afternoon. It might not be as wide as some other options on the list, but the beach is fairly long and has very convenient and big parking. It is also the only paid parking I’ve seen on my visit to Martinique, but since we paid just 2 euros, there is nothing to complain about. I would pay that amount of money for that type of facilities on any civilized beach.

You’ll also find a few options for dinner at a rather reasonable price/quality ratio making a visit to Sainte Anne Beach with a small kid a gentle breeze compared to things you might experience trying to get to other beaches in Martinique.

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Details

• Overall for families: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
• Restaurants: Yes
• Public Toilets: Yes
• Showers: Yes (Though I didn’t look for them)
• Parking: Large paid parking (2eur)
• Snorkeling: No

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Conclusion

Given all the strengths of Sainte Anne Beach for families, I have to admit that I visited the next beach on the list with my baby more. That comes despite all the advantages Saint Anne beach has.

Plages les Salines

The beach everyone is talking about. Definitely, the most popular beach of Martinique, and arguably the most beautiful sandy beach on the island. But the crown comes with both advantages and disadvantages. Here are two simple truths about Les Salines beaches: First, it is indeed very beautiful; Second, it is indeed very popular. The latter creates a dilemma of making the beach my top pick for the best family-friendly beach on Martinique. Yes, the area of sandy beaches in Les Salines is grandiose, but the area that can be accessed with ease by a car is very limited. And what I perceived from my two visits to Les Salines, the only facilities that are working in Les Salines are the ones by the central parking. To my surprise, that means not only showers but a WC as well. Even some of the shacks don’t have their own facilities, so you’ll have to hike to take a pee. This might be OK on many tropical islands, but it is the only place in Martinique where I found this to be the case.

The main advantage of Les Salines beach, except for its length, is its width and the amount of shade. Another great feature for families is the lack of marine life. Les Salines was the only beach where I felt comfortable without water shoes.

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Details

• Overall for families: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
• Restaurants: Yes
• Public Toilets: Yes
• Showers: Yes
• Limited parking: Yes & No, you can always park by the road
• Snorkeling: No

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Conclusion

Simple. All of the factors listed above make the most popular beach on Martinique a great choice for families if you don’t mind the crowds.

My recommendation: come early.

Anse Figuier

I learned about this great Family-friendly beach quite unintentionally. I knew that it is one of the better places to snorkel off the beach on the island, but I didn’t expect to find a long sandy beach backed by all the facilities you might need. Situated between Sainte-Luce and Le Marin, Anse Figuier is the only access point to the Caribbean Sea of Riviere-Pilote, which explains the quality of the facilities and the beach itself.

The downsides are few but worth considering with small children. First, there is a limited amount of shade on the beach, which by itself is much smaller than the first two. Second, Anse Figuier is a great place for snorkeling, meaning there is all kinds of life and debris on the beach. This might not be ideal with children. Third, the beach gets crowded as the day goes by. Neither of these is a major issue, but something worth considering when comparing with Anse de Sainte-Anne and Les Salines.

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Details

• Overall for families: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
• Restaurants: Yes
• Public Toilets: Yes
• Showers: Yes
• Parking: Yes
• Snorkeling: Yes

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Conclusion

Given all advantages and disadvantages, I have to say that my best beach experience on Martinique with my 15-month-old was on Anse Figuier early in the morning. The beach was almost empty, except for exercising locals and a few other families with plenty of shade and space to share. Definitely, one of the magical places I miss the most in Martinique.

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Gros Raisins

It is a rather unpopular beach, at least among tourists, situated between Sainte-Luce and Gross Raisins. Don’t get me wrong, it is far from being a beach quite the contrary. Just for some reasons it doesn’t seem to attract many people. Probably because the area of Sainte-Luce has a lot of wild and semi wild beaches connected with a beautiful hiking trail, dispersing Beach-makers along the coast. Also, I would imagine Anse Figuier absorbing large quantities of Sainte-Luce population as well. What Gross Raisins beach doesn’t lack is it’s natural beauty. It is definitely the dark horse of the list, suitable options for adventurers and people residing in the area alike.

The downsides of Gross Raisins beach is the lack of facilities, lots of flora an fauna, including the toxic…. Tree. It never caused us any problem but you still have to keep one eye open for the theoretical danger, especially if you’re with a small child.

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Details

• Overall for families: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
• Restaurants: Yes
• Public Toilets: No
• Showers: No, just for feet
• Parking: Yes
• Snorkeling: Possible with a few corals and some fish

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Conclusion

Gros Raisins is a great option if you want to avoid the crowds and enjoy the natural beauty of Martinique undisturbed. Otherwise, unless you live nearby, pick any of the options above for your beach day–you’ll relax more.

Anse d’Arlet

It is the best town beach I’ve seen in the southern part of Martinique. To be more precise, the segment of Anse d’Arlet facing the right side of the iconic St Henry Church next to the pier. As I mentioned in my ‘Whee to stay in Martinique?‘ article, that doesn’t mean you now have to throw away all your plans and reside in Les Anses-d’Arlet just because it has a nice beach. I’m adding this option just because I’ve seen many families here, but the Church is more likely to be the reason, not the beach.

The main perk of Anse d’Arlet is a small rocky area, which is great for snorkeling. It is covered with relatively healthy corals swarmed with colorful fish. Keep in mind that it is located a bit further from the shore, so it may not be for everyone. Definitely not for small kids.

The biggest disadvantage of Anse d’Arlet is the location. All these beautiful coves with beaches locally known as ‘anses’ have a geographical price to pay. It is a very mountainous area, which cuts off the valley in which d’Arlet-Les Anses is situated. This is annoying because even if you stay in the nearby La Diamant, Trois Ilets, or Sainte-Luce, it still takes you a lot of time to get here despite a very short distance, or what Google Maps says.

Nevertheless, being remote doesn’t apply to boats. It is a town beach, so it is swarmed with boats, though less so on this side of Anse d’Arlet.

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Details

• Overall for families: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
• Restaurants: Yes
• Public Toilets: No
• Showers: No, just for feet
• Parking: Yes, outside town
• Snorkeling: Yes

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Conclusion

Overall, it is a great beach to spend some time if you happen to come to this secluded area to visit the Church or for some other reason… Snorkeling could be a good reason. I didn’t have a chance to explore enough snorkeling spots in Martinique to my satisfaction on my first visit, but Anse d’Arlet might have been the best experience so far. That comes even given that I had to snorkel in the rain. I would love to come back and explore more, which is complicated with small children. I think it is a great point to finish this article.