If you only had time to see one beach in the south of the island, it would be this one. Grande Anse des Salines, at the tip of Sainte-Anne, is the postcard image you see on every poster: a mile of golden sand, coconut palms leaning over shallow turquoise water, and that special dry-season light that makes the lagoon shimmer. But behind the cliché, Les Salines in Martinique hide far more than a beach: a salt pond just inland, a discreet mangrove, and a trail leading to a lunar landscape unique in the Caribbean. Here is our local guide, tested and re-tested, to make the most of it and avoid the Sunday pitfalls.
Why Les Salines deserve their reputation
The beach owes its name to the Salines salt pond, a brackish lagoon located just behind the strip of sand, where salt was once harvested through evaporation. Today it is a protected natural area managed by the Conservatoire du Littoral, which explains why the beach has remained relatively wild: no concrete, no big hotels, just the coconut palms and seaside grape trees offering natural shade.
In concrete terms, what makes this spot exceptional:
- Calm, shallow water: the seabed slopes very gradually, ideal for families with children and for anyone who isn’t comfortable in the water.
- Fine, pale sand stretching nearly a mile, so you can always find a quiet corner even on busy days by walking toward the southern end.
- Free shade under the coconut palms, a rare luxury on developed tropical beaches.
- Snacks and food trucks at the beach entrance: accras, bokit, fresh cane juice, ice cream. Expect €6 to €9 for a bokit, €2 to €4 for a juice.
The best time slot to avoid the crowds
This is THE question we get asked at the concierge desk. Les Salines are victims of their own success: on weekends, and especially on Sundays, Martinicans come here as families to picnic. It’s lively and authentic, but the parking lot overflows by 11 a.m. and the main entrance looks like an anthill.
Our recommendation, after years on the ground:
- Aim for before 9:30 a.m. on a weekday. The sand is still cool, the light is soft for photos, and you’ll have the beach almost to yourself. It’s also the best time for swimming, before the wind picks up.
- Avoid Sundays if you’re after peace and quiet. Go for Tuesday or Thursday instead.
- Walk south: from the main parking lot, follow the beach for 400 to 600 meters to the right (facing the sea). Visitor density drops by half every hundred meters or so.
- At the end of the day, from 4 p.m. onward, the weekend crowd disperses and the golden light of sunset is magnificent. Be careful, though: there’s no lighting, so leave the beach before nightfall (around 6 to 6:30 p.m. at these latitudes, all year round).
When to come during the year
The dry season, the Carême, from December to April is the prime period: clear skies, little rain, turquoise sea. It’s also the high tourist season, so plan ahead. During Carnival (February-March), the island vibrates and Les Salines are popular on public holidays. Outside the Carême, from July to November, the beach stays beautiful but showers are more frequent and sargassum can occasionally reach the coast (the Salines bay is, however, less exposed than the Atlantic coast).
Inland: salt pond, mangrove and birds
Most visitors never leave the sand. That’s a mistake. Behind the line of coconut palms lies the Salines salt pond, a mirror of brackish water fringed with mangrove. At dawn it’s a quiet observation spot: egrets, herons, stilts, sometimes migratory shorebirds. The contrast between the blue of the sea and the silvery reflections of the pond is worth the detour, especially for photographers.
A few practical tips:
- Stay on the trails: the area is protected and the vegetation fragile.
- Apply mosquito repellent at the end of the day; the inland area is home to them.
- Don’t swim in the pond: it’s a lagoon, not a bathing area.
The walk to the Savane des Pétrifications
Here is Sainte-Anne’s best-kept secret. From the southern end of Les Salines, a hiking trail heads toward Pointe d’Enfer and then the Savane des Pétrifications, an arid, mineral, almost desert-like landscape, unique in Martinique. There you’ll find fossilized wood and dry savanna vegetation battered by the trade winds, with spectacular views over the Atlantic Ocean.
To get there on foot:
- Distance: count on about 3 to 4 km one way from the Salines parking lot, or 1 hr 15 to 1 hr 30 of walking along the coastal trail.
- Difficulty: easy to moderate, but very little shade. The sun and wind are intense.
- What to bring: at least 1.5 L of water per person, a hat, sunscreen, closed shoes (the ground is stony), and something to snack on.
- Ideal time: set off early in the morning, around 7-8 a.m., to avoid the midday heat.
Along the way you’ll pass Anse Trabaud and Anse à Prunes, among the wildest on the island and often deserted. Pack your swimsuit: they make perfect rewards halfway through.
