Small island, big heart: Martinique’s tropical charm heats up Toronto

STORY BY LEAH RUMACK 

The “Island of Flowers” was in full bloom Tuesday night (Nov. 11) as the Martinique Tourism Authority brought a welcome dose of tropical sunshine and French-Caribbean flair to the slushy streets of Toronto for the 2025 edition of Martinique Sensation.

Hosted at the Malaparte Event Space in the TIFF Lightbox, this year’s sparkling event brought together dozens of tourism pros and 70 members of the media and travel agents for a spicy celebration of all things Martinique ahead of the busy winter travel season.

The most exciting news is that Quebecers will now have more ways to access their beloved Martinique, a French-Caribbean island that has long been popular with tourists from La Belle Province.

While there have been direct year-round Air Canada flights out of Montreal for this devoted group of travellers since 2009, starting Dec. 7, Air Canada is launching seasonal direct routes out of Quebec City, too.

Air Transat is getting in on the action as well with new direct flights from Quebec City starting on Dec. 14.

This is all hot on the heels of Air Canada’s addition of high-season straight shots from Pearson to Fort-de-France airport last December. 

Everything is coming up Martinique!

Small island, big heart

Travellers are drawn to this plush, idyllic island in the Lesser Antilles not only because of its iconic Caribbean experiences like beaches (here you can choose from gold, silver or glamorously black sand), scuba diving and snorkelling and, of course, their famous rum, but specifically because of the uniquely French and Creole culture.

“Don’t worry,” Maryne Maisonnave, communication and PR coordinator, Martinique Tourism Authority, joked. “It’s a French island, but people are willing to communicate with you in English. And you can improve your French in Martinique! Martinique is a small island but with a big heart.”

Quebecers have long flocked to Martinique for its sandy beaches, iconic rum and less uber-touristy vibes.

There’s only one all-inclusive on the island — the swish Club Med Les Boucaniers (Buccaneer's Creek), which reopened in 2024 after renovating its original 1969 digs, but many of the tour outfitters, restaurants and accommodations are small or family-run businesses.

Martinique is also a popular port of call for many cruise lines.

Between 2024 and 2025, more than 465,000 cruise passengers visited, spurring the construction of a now-completed cruise village featuring eight kiosks and tented spaces for local vendors as the island looks ahead to the MSC Opera’s maiden voyage out of Fort-de-France in Winter 2026.

While the MTA didn’t have exact figures on just how many more Canadians are opting for this more low-key hot-weather vacation here since the addition of the Toronto flights in December 2024, as of last year Canadians accounted for almost 10 per cent of Martinique’s high- season tourist flow, second only to France.

New and next

Notable new additions on the island include The Ecolodges at Domaine de Puyferrat.

The family owners have been running an organic farm and bed and breakfast on this 5-hectare site overlooking the Atlantic Ocean for 20 years, and finally realized their dream to level up into a full luxury experience that goes hard on eco-friendliness this year.

It features three chic, bioclimatic wood lodges complete with kitchenettes built in the Creole style, a saltwater infinity pool overlooking the ocean and activities that include nature workshops in the garden and farm, yoga classes on the terraces and chilling with their adorable flock of goats.

Everything about the place, from the materials in the walls to the organic breakfast that they serve — often straight from their own garden and chicken coop— is about sustainable development.

(Just ask co-owner Sylvie Thiant about whether it’s air conditioned if you want to see her soul immediately leave her body in horror – we dare you!)

Also on the luxury end of things is a glamorous new villa offering from Archipel Evasion.

The stylish, modern Quatre Vents in Sainte Luce on the Caribbean Sea is now ready for her beachside closeup.

The two-apartment villa — perfect for multigenerational rentals — has a three-bedroom unit upstairs and a two-bedroom one downstairs.

But Martinique has plenty of affordable accommodation options, too, with a wide range of two and three-star spots to choose from.

The night was all about highlighting the many travel partners that make Martinique such a special place.

The delegation in attendance included representatives from Tangarane, Kaouanne, Avis, Club Med, Ecolodge Domaine de Puyfferat, Hôtel Bambou, Hôtel Panoramic, Karibéa Hôtel, La Savane des Esclaves (an open-air museum that takes visitors through 400 years of history, from the first peoples to the post-slavery era), Natiyabel (a scuba and snorkelling outfit that focuses on careful, small tours that max out at eight guests and will take beginners and kids as young as eight) Tropical Tour and Village Créole.

Members of the tourism board also highlighted the top reasons to visit Martinique, including their three UNESCO designations, the warmth of their clear waters — “The water is an average 27C, so it’s hotter than a swimming pool!” said Maisonnave.

And the wonderful French and Creole cooking, not to mention the extreme freshness of the food.

Maisonnave laughed that “The fish you’re eating for your lunch—it was living just a few hours ago.”

The team also encouraged travellers to visit Martinique during their low season, from April to November, to check out one of the many festivals, including the Cata Raid (a five-day catamaran regatta around the island in January), February’s Carnival, the seven-day Yole Boat Race in July/August and the Raid des Alizées, an adventure race through the islands spectacular natural landscapes that happens every December.

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