Martinique: French Flair Meets Caribbean Cool

Looking for a truly luxurious island getaway? Look no further
Martinique: French Flair Meets Caribbean Cool

When it comes to Caribbean getaways, your daydreams likely transport you from the client’s boardroom to places like Jamaica, St. Lucia and the Bahamas. But if what you’re seeking is a spot that marries French flair and Caribbean cool, it’s time to add Martinique to that list.

Food: What do you get when you marry the French love of buttery pastries and foie gras with a Caribbean flair for curries and stews? Meals that bring you to your knees in gratitude. You can spend a week trying various iterations of the island-original Chicken Colombo (a curry-like spice created on the island from a fusion of its southeast Asian and African ancestors), hire a private chef to take you out on a catamaran sail and casual dinner at sea or plan your day around five-star dining experience (thanks in part to an Alain Ducasse trained chef) inside the whimsical Le Zandoli at La Suite Villas (pictured above), which overlook the lights of the island’s capital of Fort-de-France. Whatever your choice, leaving hungry won’t be an option on an island where cuisine 

is consistently rated among the best in the world. www.la-suite-villa.com

Clothing: Willem Germany’s funky unisex shoe creations mean you can take a colourful part of Martinique home with you. His T.I.N.A.S (This 

Is Not A Shoe) creations play off the traditional Espadrille designs of France, with fabrics that shout originality and showcase the Caribbean island’s joie
de vivre
. Each iteration of the footwear is handmade in limited qualities,
so chances are slim you’ll spot someone in a similar pair. Once they’re gone, they’re gone. www.ThisIsNotAShoe.com

Shelter: Book into one of Villa Veo’s 60 properties on island. The mix of studios, flats and villas sprinkled across the country offer you a choice of locations and styles. Cap D’est offers a secluded upscale experience and a Guerlain spa. Prefer a boutique hotel experience? Hotel Plein Soleil is a designer’s dream. Incredible artwork, a stunning setting and the requisite dirt-road drive to get there combine to leave you feeling like you are in your own private hideaway. www.villaveo.fr; www.capest.com; www.hotelpleinsoleil.fr

Heather Greenwood Davis is a lawyer and award-winning freelance writer. Reach her at [email protected].