We read great things about the three coves of Les Anses-d’Arlet and decided to stop and anchor in the middle cove, called Anse d’Arlet (ŏnse-d’Arlay), while working our way south. We arrived on a fairly windy day, but once we entered the cove, we found great protection from the strong easterly winds, and easy anchoring in sand. The only downside to this cove is that it gets wraparound swells from time-to-time. In the course of our stay in Martinique, we anchored in this cove on two separate occasions. On our first stop, we experienced southeasterly swells entering the cove which rocked our boat a fair amount. On our second stop, we had no swell at all and the waters were still and tranquil.
This is by far one of my favorite French villages on the island of Martinique. It is predominantly a fishing and agricultural village with a laid back way of life. The people are friendly, and the picturesque town maintains its old-world charm. You can’t beat the spectacular stretch of sand either.
On our walks through the village, we toured Saint-Henry Church, walked past brightly colored Creole houses, visited the town’s library, purchased baguettes at the boulangerie (bakery), and bought fresh tuna from a local fishmonger. We also sat on a bench in the promenade enjoying the cool breeze and taking in the beauty of the sea, the beach, and the picture-postcard village. When we were done walking around town each day, we’d jump in the water and snorkel around the healthy reef right off the shore in pristine waters. It doesn’t get much better than this!
snorkeling and diving are great in these coves
We enjoyed calm waters and a beautiful sunrise the morning we picked up anchor to leave this quaint little cove of Anse d’Arlet. Our sail to Saint Anne was smooth and uneventful. We had to watch out for the fish pots along the coast (they are everywhere), but we had great easterly winds, ranging from 12-15 knots, as we made our way around the corner of the cove into the open sea. Our sails were up and engines were off for the whole 2.5 hour trip south. We sailed on a comfortable beam reach at 7.5 knots most of the way, and it felt great to be back on the water! Au revoir to this adorable little town!