We help you find the best activities to do in rainy weather

Like the rest of the Caribbean, Martinique has a tropical climate. Two seasons follow each other throughout the year, the one of good weather, known as dry, and the one of rain, known as wet.

To avoid missing out on your vacation by staying at home and watching the rain fall from your bungalow window, remember that there are plenty of activities to do when it rains in Martinique.

The wet season in Martinique

Before listing the activities to do in Martinique when the rain keeps coming down, let's have a brief recap of the weather in Martinique.

The weather in Martinique is composed of two main periods:

• The dry season from December to May

• The wet season, or rainy season, from June to November

If, like many people in France, you take most of your vacations in July and August and you have chosen Martinique as your vacation destination, then you will spend your stay during the rainy season. This period is marked by the presence of cyclones, not systematically violent, rest assured!

Rainfall in Martinique

During the wet season, rainfall is the highest of the year. Up to 200 millimeters on average in October. The rainy season, contrary to what one might think at first sight, is also the period during which temperatures are the highest, above 30°C!

What activities to do on the island when it rains?

Forget the beach, lazing around, sunbathing or hiking! In rainy weather, it's better to focus on indoor activities. On the agenda: visits to museums, churches, distilleries and other covered markets.

1/Museums to visit

Martinique has a remarkable cultural and historical heritage which is honored in many museums and houses.

2/Banana museum

The banana museum in Sainte-Marie is probably the most famous museum in Martinique. It honors the famous fruit with the yellow and slippery skin. Discover all you need to know about the banana: its origins, its culture, its virtues... At the end of the visit, the restaurant La Bananeraie welcomes you to propose Creole recipes, some of which naturally include banana.

3/Memorial of the 1902 disaster

Also called the Franck-Perret Vulcanology Museum, the 1902 Disaster Memorial is dedicated to the volcanic eruption that destroyed Saint Pierre in 1902. The explosion of Mount Pelee was a brutal event that marked the history and population of the island. The museum contains hundreds of objects found in the ruins and traces the lives of the inhabitants of the city of Saint Pierre before, during and after the eruption of the volcano. It is a museum full of history that you will enjoy discovering during a rainy afternoon in Martinique.

4/The shellfish museum

The museum of shells and the sea of Martinique is a place not to be missed by all sea lovers. It exposes about 4000 shells and many sea urchins, starfish and crabs! The visit is pleasant and easy. When it rains, it is really a family destination particularly appreciated by children who discover the wonders of the sea in an educational way.

5/The house of the cane

The cane museum in Trois-Îlets retraces the history of sugar cane and its exploitation through time in Martinique. You will also find a floor dedicated to the making of rum, an alcohol intrinsically linked to the plant. A part of the museum is dedicated to slavery, which is inseparable from sugar cane cultivation.

6/Ecomuseum

The Ecomuseum of Martinique, located in Rivière-Pilote in the old Ducanet distillery, tells the history of the archipelago from prehistory to the 1950s, including colonization and slavery. The museum features collections of pre-Columbian archeological remains of the Arawak Indians, handicrafts from the 1950s (basketry and woodwork...) It is a very charming place because of its collections and its location. To visit without hesitation on a rainy morning!

Even more museums !

These museums are not enough for you? There are others to discover on the archipelago :

• Museum of vegetable figurines

• Gallery of history and the sea

• Paul Gauguin Museum

• The House of the Bagnard

• Departmental Museum of Pre-Columbian Archaeology

• Museum of Natural History

• Father Pinchon Reserve

• Regional museum of history and ethnography of Martinique

• House of the volcano

• Saint-James Rum Museum

• Museum of arts and popular traditions

• Discovery center of earth sciences, Perinnelle house

• Historical Museum of Saint-Pierre

• Dubuc Castle Museum

• Museum of the Pagerie

• The Savannah of slaves

• Museum of fishing in Vauclin

Churches and cathedrals

Christian land, Martinique is home to splendid and majestic cathedrals and churches. Take advantage of the Sunday mass to go there and appreciate their charm. Among the most remarkable, we can mention:

• The Saint-Louis Cathedral of Fort de France

• The cathedral of Notre Dame de l'Assomption in Saint-Pierre

• The church of Notre Dame de l'Assomption in Sainte-Marie

• The church of the Sacred Heart of Balata

• The church of Saint-Henri in Anses-d'Arlet

• the church of the Immaculate Conception in Ajoupa Bouillon

• the church of Saint Jacques in Carbet

• the church of Saint-Thomas in Le Diamant

• the church of Notre Dame de la Nativité in Ducos

• the church of Sainte Hyacinthe in Lorrain

• the church Notre Dame de la Bonne Délivrance.

See our article dedicated to the churches and cathedrals of the island

Visit a distillery

Martinique's rum is famous on the island. The drink has been produced for centuries in the few distilleries established on the archipelago. One of them opens its doors, the Habitation Clément.

Habitation Clément

The Habitation Clément in François is probably the most famous distillery in Martinique. The distillery allows visitors to discover the different stages of rum production from harvest to bottling.

Covered markets

It's going to be an overcast day and you have some shopping to do? Visit one of the many covered markets on the island. Discover local products, Creole colors and spicy scents!

• Fort-de-france : Monday to Saturday from 6am to 3pm

• Diamant : Tuesday-Sunday from 8am to 1pm

• Basse-Pointe : Friday and Saturday from 8am to 1pm

• Anses d'Arlet : Every day from 8am to 1pm.

• Marin: covered market every day from 8:00 am to 1:00 pm

• Saint-Pierre : Monday to Saturday from 6:00 am to 1:00 pm.

• Sainte-Anne : every day from 6:00 am to 1:00 pm

Shopping centers

You can also go to the different shopping centers of the island to complete your purchases:

• Galleria Commercial Center: the largest shopping center in Martinique in Lamentin

• Carrefour Dillon Shopping Center in Fort de France

• Genipa Shopping Center in Ducos

• ESPACE CLUNY shopping mall in Schœlcher

Bonus: an escape game or laser game!

For a few years, an original and friendly leisure activity has been developing: the escape game. Martinique is no exception to this trend. An escape game, "the secrets of time" was born and welcomes the public from 8 to 99 years for unusual and enigmatic sessions!

The same goes for the laser game located in Lamentin (Laser West). Fun and laughter guaranteed.

To spend time with friends or family, it is a serious alternative to cultural visits or shopping! To try without moderation.

To travel between all these places as easily and comfortably as possible, car rental in Martinique is the most practical solution. Book your car in advance on our website!