Martinique’s well-dressed capital, Fort-de-France, looks unnervingly like a French provincial city that has been given a tropical makeover. Which isn’t surprising when you realise that Martinique is both a French département and a textbook Caribbean island. But don’t worry about split personalities. Just 50 miles from tip to toe, it combines some of the best of both — French flair and Caribbean warmth, eye-popping beaches and delicious food, fabulous hotels and easy-going bars.

WHERE TO STAY

You can find big resort-style hotels here, but Martinique’s real speciality is the smaller, more traditional creole-style house, converted into a hotel and set in colourful gardens.

Unless stated, prices are for a week in May, per person, B&B, based on two sharing and including flights and transfers, as quoted by the island specialist Onyx Travel (0118 947 2830, www.onyxtravel.co.uk)

Top end: the Cap Est Lagoon Resort & Spa (00 596 596-548080, www.capest.com; £1,315) is far and away the hippest, classiest, most expensive place to stay, a new enclave of luxury in Martinique’s “Beverly Hills”. Its Atlantic-facing beach is nothing special, but everything else — from the wafts of incense that greet you on arrival to the plasma TVs, maxibar (nothing mini here), exquisite food, watersports and Guerlain spa — combines to make this a perfect choice if you want total pampering.

Staying on the seven-acre Habitation Lagrange estate (£1,090) is like stepping into Martinique’s colonial past. Rooms in the 18th-century plantation house are magnificently, creakingly atmospheric, while fully appointed at the same time. Others in converted outbuildings are more functional. It has a pool and one of the island’s best kitchens, with good walking nearby. Head- water (01606 720099, www.headwater.com) uses the estate as the base for its seven-night Contrasts walking tour (from £1,497 in May).

If you want to be in a tourism hub, Pointe-du-Bout, around the bay from Fort-de-France, fits the bill. It is home to some of the island’s larger hotels, of which the creole-style Sofitel Bakoua (£905) stands out. The beach is a narrow belt of sand, but the views are good and the facilities are extensive.

Mid-range: La Maison de l’Ilet Oscar (£1,470, full-board) is the wild card here. Ilet Oscar is a mini-island, 15 minutes by boat from the west coast, and La Maison is a veranda-ed house in which you can act out your Robinson Crusoe fantasy, though with delicious food, gracious service and plenty of activities to hand.

The Manoir de Beauregard (£845) lives up to its title. The old manor house was gutted by fire in 1990, but has been restored to its former glory and still oozes charm, with its thick stone walls and cool marble floors. Three of the 11 rooms are in the old house, with the others in an annexe, but all are decorated in traditional creole style. There is a pool, and the wonderful beach at Les Salines is a short drive away.

La Frégate Bleue (£799) is a Relais du Silence, which means no screaming kids round the pool, although well-behaved ones are welcome. A fine creole mansion on the Atlantic coast near Le François, it offers old-fashioned Caribbean hospitality and Caribbean antiques, along with sweeping ocean views, kitchenettes and a pool. There is good snorkelling and diving nearby.

Budget: Hameau de Beauregard (00 596 596-767575, www.hameau-beauregard.com), near the southern town of Ste-Anne, is a time-share development clustered around a garden, a swimming pool and a dining area. Rooms with kitchenettes are available by the night or the week (£110/£763, both B&B) and, again, the beach at Les Salines is a short drive away.

The best way to stay on a budget is to rent a gîte, or self-catering property. For details, visit www.gites-de-france.fr.

BEST BEACHES

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