Marinas on Martinique: Le Marin, arrival, harbour information and destinations

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Martinique is a French island in the Lesser Antilles; its largest yacht harbour is the marina in Le Marin on the south coast. Here you can read how to get from the airport to the island's harbours, which marina is where, where to shop, when is the best time for sailing, which destinations lie nearby and how skippers moor and clear in.

Which harbours in Martinique are important for sailing trips?

For sailing trips, there are three main harbours on Martinique: the marina in Le Marin on the south coast, the Port de l'Étang Z'Abricots in Fort-de-France and the small Marina Pointe du Bout in Trois-Îlets.

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The other two harbours lie on the large bay of Fort-de-France on the west coast, a good 20 kilometres as the crow flies northwest of Le Marin. On the water the route is considerably longer because you have to round the island's southwest point at Rocher du Diamant.

Feature	Marina Le Marin	Port de l'Étang Z'Abricots	Marina Pointe du Bout
Location	Le Marin, south coast, at the head of a deep bay	Fort-de-France, eastern edge of the city	Les Trois-Îlets, Pointe du Bout peninsula, opposite Fort-de-France
Berths	830 at pontoons, 100 buoys	over 340 afloat, 150 ashore	around 100, of which 14 for visitors
Boat size	up to 60 m	up to 25 m	up to 19 m length, 6 m beam
Clearance on site	yes, at authorised locations	yes	authorised location in Trois-Îlets
Port authority	Commune of Le Marin	CACEM municipal association	Commune of Les Trois-Îlets (municipal enterprise)

Where is the marina in Le Marin?

The marina is located in the village of Le Marin on the south coast of Martinique, right at the end of the deep Cul-de-Sac du Marin bay. Le Marin is the administrative centre for the south of the island.

The bay is well protected from the swell, which is why the island's largest yacht harbour has developed here. Around the harbour there are over 80 specialist businesses for maintenance, repairs and equipment, and the pontoons accommodate yachts up to 60 metres in length.

Facilities at Marina Le Marin

The pontoons provide water and electricity at 220 or 400 volts. There is also a fuel station, sanitary facilities, a launderette, Wi-Fi, shops, restaurants and bars. You'll find groceries and chandlery supplies in the harbour area.

Arriving in Martinique for your trip departure

You can reach all three harbours from the island's airport by taxi or hire car. The final leg depends on whether your trip begins in Le Marin in the south or at the bay of Fort-de-France.

From Martinique Aimé Césaire Airport to the harbours

Martinique Aimé Césaire Airport (code FDF) is located in Le Lamentin, about twelve kilometres from Fort-de-France. It's approximately 35 kilometres to Le Marin via the N5 national road, taking 40 to 45 minutes depending on traffic. The Port de l'Étang Z'Abricots can be reached from the airport in about a quarter of an hour.

Taxis are available outside the arrivals area at exit D and run on meters, with the price depending on traffic. You'll find car hire desks in the terminal, and some companies provide a free shuttle to their nearby station.

By bus or ferry

By bus you'll need to change at the Carrère junction between the airport and Le Marin, so with luggage a taxi or transfer is the usual choice. You can also get to Trois-Îlets without a car: ferries connect Fort-de-France with Pointe du Bout, with the crossing taking about 20 minutes.

Which marina is mine?

If you're arriving for a cabin charter: the marina and pontoon details are in your trip documents. Give the taxi driver the full name: "Marina du Marin", "Port de l'Étang Z'Abricots" in Fort-de-France or "Marina Pointe du Bout" in Trois-Îlets. Le Marin is in the south of the island, whilst the other two harbours are about 20 kilometres away as the crow flies on the west coast. Getting them confused will cost you a lot of time.

Where in Marina Le Marin is my boat?

You will find the Capitainerie on Boulevard Allègre in the Bassin Tortue harbour basin. Boats lie either at one of the pontoons or on a buoy in the bay in front. If your boat is on a buoy, you go over by dinghy from the dinghy dock. Access to the pontoons is controlled and video-monitored.

ID and money

For entry by air, EU citizens need only an identity card or passport. Payment is in euros, usually also by card. If the trip goes to the neighbouring islands, take your passport with you, as the entry rules of the respective state apply there. In St Lucia and St Vincent you pay in East Caribbean dollars.

Showers and sanitary facilities

All three marinas have sanitary facilities. Marina Le Marin and Port de l'Étang Z'Abricots also have launderettes, whilst at Marina Pointe du Bout the sanitary facilities are open round the clock.

Shopping for the trip

A supermarket is within walking distance of Marina Le Marin. You can reach larger shops by hire car or taxi, including along the route from the airport, so you can do your shopping on the way to the marina.

Alternatively, provisioning services in Le Marin will deliver to your boat or to the car park near your berth on request. Orders need to be placed a few working days before the trip starts.

Doctor, pharmacy and emergency services

A medical centre is located in the harbour area of Le Marin.

• 112: European emergency number, free
• 15: ambulance service (SAMU), 17: police, 18: fire brigade
• 196: sea rescue via the CROSS Antilles-Guyane rescue coordination centre in Fort-de-France, at sea also VHF channel 16

Port de l'Étang Z'Abricots in Fort-de-France

Port de l'Étang Z'Abricots lies on the eastern edge of Fort-de-France between mangroves and residential areas, about a quarter of an hour from the city centre and the airport. It is the island's second-largest marina.

There are over 340 berths in the water with water and electricity for boats up to 25 metres, and ashore there are spaces for 150 boats. Facilities include a fuel station, slipway, launderette, showers, ice, Wi-Fi and access control. The harbour office is staffed daily during the day.

Marina Pointe du Bout in Trois-Îlets

Marina Pointe du Bout lies on a peninsula in the commune of Les Trois-Îlets, directly opposite Fort-de-France on the other side of the bay. It is small and run by a municipal authority.

There is space for around 100 boats here, with 14 berths reserved for visitors. Water and electricity are available at posts with access cards. The marina has a reception, Wi-Fi, ice and waste separation, with separate collection for waste oil and batteries. Hotels, restaurants and the beaches Anse Mitan and Anse à l'Âne are all around the marina.

When is the best time for sailing in Martinique?

The main season is between December and April. The trade wind then blows steadily from north-east to east, usually at 10 to 20 knots.

In January and February the trade winds can freshen to 25–30 knots for a few days; the weather service then issues coastal warnings. From May to November the wind usually backs to south-east and becomes lighter and more variable at 12–15 knots. During these months tropical waves pass through roughly every three to six days, bringing showers, thunderstorms and squalls. Air temperature is around 30°C, water temperature averages 28°C.

If you're sailing along as crew for the first time, the main season with its steady trade winds is the easiest introduction. In January and February the wind can sometimes blow strongly, so the skipper will decide how far to go each day based on the weather forecast.

What does the hurricane season mean for your trip?

The hurricane season runs every year from 1 June to 30 November. Sailing continues during this period, but with a daily eye on the weather and flexible planning. When a storm approaches, Martinique uses colour-coded alert levels from yellow to violet, then grey after it has passed. The rule for sailors when a cyclone warning is in force: do not put to sea and secure your boat.

Where can you go from Le Marin?

From Le Marin you can reach the sheltered bays of the south coast after just a short passage, and the west coast and St Lucia in a day's sailing. All distances are rounded water distances on the usual course; refer to the chart for exact planning.

• Sainte-Anne, about 2 nm: The anchorage off the village is still within the bay of Le Marin, ideal for the first night. The outlying islets are a bird sanctuary and can only be seen from the water.
• Grande Anse d'Arlet, about 18 nm: On the way you round the distinctive Rocher du Diamant off the south-west coast, after which you reach the calmer bays closer inshore.
• Pointe du Bout and the bay of Fort-de-France, about 23 nm: Many anchorages, the Marina Pointe du Bout and a trip into the capital by ferry.
• Rodney Bay on St Lucia, about 24 nm: The passage south leads across open water in the trade winds; you clear out from Martinique beforehand.
• Saint-Pierre, about 33 nm: The town lies on the north of the west coast at the foot of Montagne Pelée; the bays here have black sand.

If you want to sail further south, beyond St Lucia you will find the Grenadines of St Vincent. An overview of the island chain is given in the sailing area guide to the Lesser Antilles.

What can you do ashore in Le Marin?

For a day off in Le Marin a stroll through the village or a short excursion to the beaches in the south is enough. Distances are short; for the beaches take a taxi or hire car.

• Saint-Étienne church: The church on Place Joffre in the village centre was rebuilt from 1766 onwards and has been listed as a historic monument since 2012. It is less than a kilometre as the crow flies from the marina.
• Morne Gommier viewpoint: From the hill above Le Marin you can see in all directions, over the marina and Sainte-Anne as far as Rocher du Diamant and, when visibility is good, to Montagne Pelée. Telescopes are provided.
• Sainte-Anne: The neighbouring village lies a good four kilometres as the crow flies to the south, with beach, restaurants and the start of the Trace des Caps coastal path.
• Grande Anse des Salines: The palm-fringed beach, about three kilometres long, lies in the far south, roughly eight kilometres as the crow flies from the marina. It gets busy at weekends.
• Beaches on the Atlantic side: Cap Chevalier, Cap Macré and Anse Macabou lie in the area on the east coast, with considerably more surf than in the bay.

For skippers: Berthing, clearing in and marine weather on Martinique

In Le Marin you report on VHF channel 9 before entering and berth at the place assigned by the harbour office. Those arriving from abroad or sailing to another country also need to complete clearance.

Registration and berthing in Le Marin

On channel 9 the harbour office will assign you a berth at a pontoon or a buoy, depending on boat size and occupancy. The office is staffed daily, on Sundays only in the morning; current times are on the marina website. Payment is by card or cash, and staff speak French and English. In an emergency, as everywhere, use channel 16.

Prepare warps and fenders on both sides. In Pointe du Bout the basin takes boats up to 19 metres in length and 6 metres in width.

Approaching the bay of Le Marin

Drive slowly in the bay: many boats lie on moorings or at anchor, with dinghies and water taxis moving between them. Keep to the buoys and chart; outside the fairway it shoals quickly.

How do you clear in to Martinique?

Martinique is a French overseas department and therefore part of the EU. Nevertheless, every yacht arriving from abroad or departing for abroad must complete clearance, i.e. report arrival and departure to customs. This applies regardless of flag and nationality, private or commercial.

Since September 2024, clearance in the French Antilles has been electronic. The skipper fills in the French customs form online, before arrival or before departure. This includes details of the boat, the last and next port, and the name, date of birth, nationality and passport number of everyone on board. You receive a certificate with a digital customs stamp in return. The automatic acknowledgement of receipt is not sufficient; what counts is this certificate.

Because many neighbouring states do not yet recognise the digital certificate, print it out and have it stamped at an approved clearance point. Without internet you can also fill in the form directly there. In Le Marin there are such points in the harbour, including the capitainerie and the fuel berth at pontoon 3, which offers clearance daily until 16:30 (as of October 2026). Further approved points are located in Port de l'Étang Z'Abricots in Fort-de-France, Trois-Îlets, Sainte-Anne, Anses d'Arlet and Saint-Pierre, amongst others. The French customs information sheet links to the form and the current list.

If you stay with the boat around Martinique, you don't need clearance. If the trip goes to a neighbouring island such as St Lucia, you clear out in Martinique, clear in there and on the return clear in to Martinique again.

Which sea weather forecast applies to Martinique?

The sea weather forecast for Martinique is issued by Météo-France. You can find it on the website meteofrance.mq and hear it on VHF from the rescue coordination centre CROSS Antilles-Guyane.

The coastal weather forecast is broadcast on VHF three to four times a day and announced beforehand on channel 16, with a note of which channel it will follow on. Times are given in UTC or local time; in the Antilles local time is UTC minus four hours. From wind force 7 Beaufort onwards Météo-France issues a strong wind warning (BMS) for the coast. CROSS Antilles-Guyane transmits it immediately and thereafter hourly at half past the hour. At sea VHF is still the better choice, as the range is greater and channel 16 is monitored continuously.

Trips from Martinique on Törnfinder

In October 2026 there are 122 sailing trips on Törnfinder in the next twelve months with departure or destination on Martinique. Most start in January, February and March; typically 15 days on board. The trips come from 17 providers, sailing on monohulls and catamarans. Offers in the region can be found at Sailing in the Caribbean. Anyone wanting to build longer passages, for example on the delivery across the Atlantic from Las Palmas, should look under Mile building.

Frequently asked questions

How do I get from Martinique airport to Marina Le Marin?

Easiest by taxi or hire car; the drive via the N5 takes 40 to 45 minutes depending on traffic. Taxis are available at the arrivals area at exit D; by bus you have to change at Carrère.

Are there sanitary facilities in the marinas on Martinique?

Yes, all three marinas have sanitary facilities; at Port de l'Étang Z'Abricots expressly with showers. At Marina Pointe du Bout they are open round the clock; Le Marin and Port de l'Étang Z'Abricots also have a launderette.

Is there a supermarket near Marina Le Marin?

Yes, a supermarket is within walking distance of the marina. Larger shops are accessible by taxi or hire car; provisioning services deliver on board on request.

Which is the largest marina on Martinique?

Marina Le Marin on the south coast. It has 830 berths at pontoons and 100 moorings, plus a fuel berth and over 80 specialist businesses for maintenance and equipment in the vicinity.

Do I have to clear in on Martinique even though the island belongs to the EU?

Yes, if you arrive by boat from abroad or sail to another country, for example St Lucia. Clearance is done online or at an authorised office. If you stay around Martinique, it is not required.

Which VHF channel does Le Marin marina monitor?

Channel 9. You contact them before entering and they assign you a berth on the pontoon or a mooring buoy.

When is hurricane season on Martinique?

From 1 June to 30 November. The main sailing season therefore runs from December to April.