Habitation Clément (Le François): Tour, Gardens, and Practical Information

The Clément Estate, a must-see in Martinique 

In Le François, on the Atlantic coast, visitors often come to Habitation Clément with one thing in mind: to see a distillery. In reality, it’s a multifaceted estate featuring a listed Creole house, a certified botanical garden, an open-air sculpture museum, and the former distillery, which has been converted into a rum interpretation center. Another useful piece of information before you go: rum is no longer distilled on site. What you’ll see today are the preserved machinery and the cellars where the rum is still aging—not an active production facility.

Habitation Clément: Directions, Hours, Prices, and Practical Information

Habitation Clément Hours

Habitation Clément is open to visitors every day of the year, including holidays, from 9:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. We recommend arriving by around 5:30 p.m. to have enough time to see everything at a leisurely pace.

What You’ll Actually See: Four Worlds in a Single Estate

To think of Habitation Clément as just a rum distillery is to miss half the site. The tour is actually divided into four distinct segments, each with its own unique appeal.

The Creole House

The main house, built on the former Acajou estate, was the Clément family’s residence for a century. Restored to remain faithful to the Creole way of life of the 19th century, it can be toured room by room: period furniture, veranda, outdoor kitchen. It is the only place on the estate that tells the story of daily life rather than industry.

The Garden, Designated a “Remarkable Garden”

In 2015, the 16-hectare park received the “Remarkable Garden” designation from the Ministry of Culture, a distinction that is not awarded lightly. It is home to a collection of over 300 tropical plants, a palm grove, and shaded paths that offer welcome relief during the hottest hours of the day. This is the part of the estate where visitors can take their time, enjoying both the botanical beauty and the cool shade.

The Sculpture Garden

Established in the park in 2012, the Sculpture Garden features more than twenty permanent contemporary works by Caribbean and international artists supported by the Clément Foundation. The effect is deliberately unconventional: contemporary artworks set amid tropical vegetation, without any galleries or display cases—a true open-air museum. The Foundation also hosts temporary exhibitions on the grounds, with a program that changes throughout the year.

The old distillery, the wine cellars, and the gift shop

The tour ends at the rum interpretation center, housed in the former distillery, and then at the aging cellars, where the scent of wood and alcohol speaks louder than any long speech. The tour concludes at the gift shop, where you’ll find the distillery’s own blends, with a tasting area at the end of the tour for those who want to compare the aged rums before making a purchase.