Martinique
Martinique in May
🌦️ Shoulder (showers)Warm, humid and often rainy.
🎒 Pack: light, breathable clothes & sunscreen · compact umbrella or rain jacket · quick-dry fabrics
Why May scores 8.3What goes into the score
How it works- Weather comfort7.2
- ✓Warm (30°C highs / 24°C lows)
- !Very humid/sticky (dew point 23.4°C)
- !Wet: ~133 mm rain, ~0 heavy-rain days
- Air quality9.4
- ✓Good (within WHO guideline) (PM2.5 ~9 µg/m³)
- Seasonal hazards10.0
- ·No notable seasonal hazards
- Safety baseline8.0
- ·Normal precautions
| May | Jan | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 8.3 Very good | 8.8 Excellent |
| Season | 🌦️ Shoulder (showers) | 🌦️ Shoulder (showers) |
| High / low | 30° / 24° | 28° / 22° |
| Rain | 133 mm | 114 mm |
| Humidity | dew pt 23° | dew pt 22° |
| PM2.5 | 9 µg/m³ | 5 µg/m³ |
Typical-month data: NASA POWER (MERRA-2 reanalysis) 2015–2024 (modelled, not a forecast). Temperatures: Fort-de-France weather-station normals. Rainfall: Fort-de-France weather-station normals (national met service).
Holidays & crowdsMay 2027
Long weekendThere's at least one long weekend. Domestic travel picks up and popular spots get busier over those days.
- Pentecost Monday 15–17 May · 3 days off in a row
Other public holidays: Labor Day (1 May) · Ascension Day (6 May) · Victory Day (8 May) · Abolition of Slavery (22 May)
National holidays only; regional holidays and school breaks aren't included. Source: holidays (open-source public-holiday calendar).
Explore MartiniqueEvents, sights, food & souvenirs
Check event dates locallyMartinique is a French Caribbean island with Fort-de-France as its capital. Travellers come for its beaches, rainforest, the volcano Mount Pelée and rhum agricole.
Abolition of Slavery DayEvery year22 May every year
A public holiday marking the uprising and abolition of slavery in 1848.
Why go: Commemorations and cultural events; some businesses close.
Where: Across the island
Coming up later
Tour des Yoles RondesDate variesDates vary; usually late July to early August
A race of traditional sailing boats around the island, with crowds at each stage.
Why go: A festive summer event to watch from the beaches.
Where: Coastal towns around the island
CarnivalDate variesDates vary; from January to Ash Wednesday, in February or early March
Parades and themed days culminate on Ash Wednesday, when Vaval, the king of Carnival, is burned.
Why go: Very lively, with many businesses closed during the final days.
Where: Fort-de-France and towns across the island
Bibliothèque Schoelcher
An ornate library in Fort-de-France, built for an exhibition in Paris and shipped to the island.
Saint-Pierre
A town destroyed by the 1902 eruption of Mount Pelée, with ruins and a memorial museum.
Jardin de Balata
A botanical garden in the hills above Fort-de-France with tropical plants and treetop walkways.
💡 Go early to avoid tour groups.
Les Salines
A palm-lined white-sand beach in the south of the island.
💡 Busy on weekends; weekdays are quieter.
Habitation Clément
A historic rum estate with a distillery museum, gardens and art space.
Accras de morue
Salt cod fritters, a classic starter.
💡 Snack bars and restaurants
Colombo
A Creole curry made with a local spice blend.
💡 Creole restaurants
Blaff
Fish poached in a broth with lime, garlic and chilli.
💡 Seafood restaurants
Ti-punch
Rhum agricole with lime and cane sugar, the island's signature drink.
💡 Bars and restaurants everywhere
Rhum agricole (AOC Martinique)
Rum from fresh cane juice, with its own protected designation.
💡 Distillery shops such as Clément, Depaz and J.M., and supermarkets
Spices
Colombo powder, vanilla and other spice mixes.
💡 Grand Marché in Fort-de-France
Madras fabric
Checked cotton used in traditional Creole dress.
💡 Markets and shops in Fort-de-France