Appartement face à la marina du marin martinique

People live aboard their boats here and come ashore by dinghy, which gives the place a homely feel. There are plenty of trolleys to move supplies to your yacht, free spacious parking, and, in my opinion, good prices. Shops, restaurants, bakeries, and an Auchan market are nearby, though it only has basic things. Bathrooms require a code, and laundry is within walking distance; the bathrooms close at 22:00. The fuel dock is public, so you can stay overnight if needed. This is Marina du Marin, the largest marina in Martinique and allegedly one of the biggest in the Caribbean. It’s popular with sailors for obvious reasons, but it isn’t a modern, top-end marina. There isn’t much to do beyond some restaurants, and there’s no beach here. Public transportation is poor, and don’t expect fast or reliable WiFi.

(Updated as of January 2024) The claim that this is the Caribbean’s largest marina doesn’t make the stay any less disappointing. There are no public seats anywhere, and nowhere comfortable to work or even take a rest. Shopping is limited to Auchan, with a small selection, and a small market store. The toilets are basic, the showers often don’t work, and you need a code from the Capitanairie to get in. WiFi also requires a code, and its weak signal doesn’t reach the boats. Getting diesel and water can take most of the day. With the large EU investments already made, there’s still a lot of room for improvement.

There are lots of boats, yachts, and catamarans here. Auchan is nearby for shopping, and there’s a garbage area and check-in.

Provisioning options are good, but service and parts are pretty limited here. It’s a huge marina, with hundreds, maybe thousands, of boats on docks, mooring balls, and at anchor. For a place this size, the marina facilities themselves are fairly sparse.