Saint-Pierre

Saint-Pierre, on the northwest coast beneath Mount Pelée, is one of the most poignant and atmospheric places in the Caribbean, often called the Pompeii of the Caribbean. Before 1902, it was the glittering economic and cultural capital of Martinique, a wealthy, sophisticated town known as the Paris of the West Indies, with a theatre, tramways and a vibrant social life. In a matter of minutes on the morning of 8 May 1902, the eruption of Mount Pelée destroyed it utterly and killed nearly all its 30,000 inhabitants. Rebuilt as a modest town, it preserves haunting ruins amid the new, from the theatre steps to the prison cell of a rare survivor, and a moving volcano museum.

History

Pierre Belain d'Esnambuc founded the town in 1635 for the Compagnie des Îles de l'Amérique, and in the 18th century it became the main town of Martinique, a port shipping sugar and coffee. It recovered from the Great Hurricane of 1780, and in the 19th century, with its theatres, cafés and newspapers, it was known as the Paris of the Caribbean (Wikipedia, Saint-Pierre, Martinique).

Highlights

• The ruins - the evocative remains of the theatre, church and buildings.
• The survivor's cell - the dungeon that saved a rare survivor.
• The volcano museum - the moving story of the 1902 disaster.
• The bay - the harbour with sunken ships from the eruption.

When to go

December to April, the drier season, for the most comfortable visit; the ruins and museum are best explored slowly, with time to absorb the history, and a guide or the museum greatly enriches the story of the town and its destruction. The bay is also a noted dive site, with ships sunk in the eruption resting on the seabed.

What to expect

Saint-Pierre is a place of immense tragedy and remembrance rather than conventional sightseeing, so it should be approached with respect, and the ruins, while atmospheric, are scattered through a modest modern town and best understood with the museum or a guide. As a deeply moving and evocative place, the Pompeii of the Caribbean, telling the story of one of history's deadliest eruptions amid haunting ruins, though, Saint-Pierre is a genuinely powerful and significant destination.

Nearby

Mount Pelée, the rainforest and the northern rum distilleries are close by.