Where to Stay in Martinique? Sainte-Luce vs La Diamant vs Sainte-Anne vs d'Arlet

Sainte-Luce

I’ll start with my own personal choice – Sainte-Luce. There are no clear advantages to this town in comparison with La Diamant or Sainte-Anne, except of it being in the middle of the other two. Thanks to its convenient geographical location, Sainte–Luce is the most populous one. Despite that, the core of town feels somewhat lackluster compared to the touristic Sainte–Anna, posh La Diamant, or even remote Les Anses-d’Artlet. Nevertheless, Sainte-Luce feels more authentic and ‘closer’ to the local people. It also provides many more facilities and options. It is a true fishermen’s village with somewhat more affordable prices, and much less popular beaches, though without facilities.

To be honest, the real reason I chose Sainte-Luce for my base was Pierre et Vacances Hotel; it is a perfect accommodation if you have children or simply want a very, very comfortable, safe zone base. Even so, with time, I learned to love Sainte-Luce and would consider staying there again.

Advantages:

• Next to a major road
• Less pricey
• Many non-crowded beaches

Disadvantages

• No obvious highlight
• No well-facilitated beach

La Diamant

A good choice for many, but not for everyone. La Diamant was almost my choice as well, but in the end, I decided to go to a resort and not a rental home. In other words, my decision was not location-based but rather property-type-based.

It’s not like there aren’t any big hotels in La Diamant; it’s just that, like most of everything else in the town, it’s not for everyone’s pocket. Do I have regrets? No. Do I think I would have regretted staying in La Diamant? No, I don’t think so.

It might feel less authentic compared to the other settlements on the list, but La Diamant has those little details easy to succumb to, like more familiar menus, baby chairs, and other features you’d expect in France or Europe in general.

In general, La Diamant is pretty straightforward: There is a town; There is a long beach; There is a rock; A viewpoint; And you need a car to get everywhere else. On top of that, it is even more European than most of Martinique, which is already a relatively European tropical island.

Advantages

• Diamond Rock
• More modern cuisine and hotel options
• Has its own microclimate
• Close to the best snorkeling & ping locations

Disadvantages

• Further from the main roads
• Posh/On the pricey side

Sainte-Anne

A chic little gem situated on the southernmost part of Martinique might just have been forgotten if it wasn’t for its unique landscapes and long white beaches covered with leaning coconut trees and friends. As it tends to happen to islands, the south of Martinique is very dry, hosting savannah instead of a typical rainforest. The savannah is the home for natural salty lagoons, hence the names of the most popular beaches in Martinique – Les Salines.

However, the big drawback of Sainte-Anne is the distance from everything else, except for La Marin & maybe Sainte-Luce. Unless you want to spend a big portion of your time in Martinique on the road, visiting Northern regions might be a pain in the ass. Then again, if you want to explore, Sainte-Anne is probably not for you. If you want to spend most of your time on the best beach in Martinique, you might think again. While Les Salines Beach is very beautiful and has plenty of space for everybody, it is somewhat unfacilitated. Some restaurants will point you to the central WC, which is situated at the same spot as probably the only working shower, etc etc. The point is: Les Salines is a wild beach in a wild area, and many people want it to remain so.

So, who should pick Sainte-Anne? Easy. People who are changing their base every few days as they stroll around the island.

Tip: If you want a well-facilitated, convenient, beautiful beach, La Marin/Sainte-Anne Beach is actually what you are looking for.

Advantages

• Best beaches in Martinique
• Very chic
• We’ll maintained
• Beautiful landscapes

Disadvantages

• Hard to reach
• No infrastructure except for the two main beacheas
• Not that many options

Les Anses-d’Artlet

I was hesitant to add Les Anses-d’Arlet to this list at all, but decided to go with it nevertheless because before visiting the island, I considered it for accommodation myself. I loved the area, and my top memories from the trip to Martinique are from this area, but I’m so glad I didn’t pick it. You don’t want to be stranded on a tiny corner of Martinique during your stay on the island. Even a small rain can make driving out of the area uncomfortable for many drivers.

The upside is obvious–a picturesque town surrounded by mesmerizing beaches, stranded between cliffs. Still, it feels to me like, unless you are a diver, Les Anses-d’Artlet is more of a perfect day-trip destination in Martinique rather than a good place to stay. Of course, unless you plan to stay there just for a few days and move on.

Advantages

• Best snorkeling spots
• Turtles
• The Church of St Henry

Disadvantages

• Difficult connection with La Diamant
• Difficult connection with Les Tress Illets
• No other connections
• Disconnected from the rest of the island
• More rainy
• …and did I mention less than ideal location for exploring the rest of the island?