Martinique's highlands offer great hiking within easy reach of Fort-de-France, particularly through the rainforest in the Pitons du Carbet or to the ruins of Château Dubuc on the Caravelle Peninsula. More strenuous trails lead up the flanks of Mont Pelée in the northwestern corner of the island and around the undeveloped northern coast.
Many of Martinique's nicest white or tan-sand beaches and best swimming are on the southwestern coast; the gray- and black-sand beaches on the northeastern coast generally have dangerous water conditions. In the Trois-Ilets area, Anse-à-l'Ane and Anse Mitan both have sandy beaches that attract crowds. Popular east-coast beaches include Cap Chevalier and Macabou to the south and the Caravelle Peninsula beaches of Anse l'Étang and Tartane.
More than a dozen ships were sent to the bottom of Saint-Pierre Bay by the 1902 volcanic eruption, which makes it an excellent area for diving. Grand Anse, with its calm waters and good coral, is a popular dive spot for beginners. Cap Enragé, north of Case-Pilote, has underwater caves housing lots of fish and lobsters. Rocher du Diamant (Diamond Rock) also has cave formations but trickier water conditions. Ilet la Perle, a rock off the northwestern coast, is a good place to see groupers, eels and lobsters when water conditions aren't too rough. Snorkeling is good around Grand Anse and Sainte-Anne, and along the coast from Saint-Pierre to Anse Céron.
