Martinique is a slice of France set down in the tropics. Islanders wear Paris fashions, eat baguettes and croissants from the corner pâtisserie, and pay for them with francs. Zouk music pouring out of tape players, bars and nightclubs will remind you, however, that Martinicans have a culture of their own that's solidly based on West Indian Creole traditions.

Martinique's capital, Fort-de-France, is a chic, modern city of 100,000 people, the largest in the French West Indies. Urbanization has spread to much of the island, and most of Martinique's large towns feel like modern suburbs. Nevertheless, nearly a third of Martinique is forested and other areas are given over to pineapples, bananas and sugar cane fields. You can still find fishing villages and remote beaches untouched by development, and there are plenty of hiking trails into the mountains.