Martinique is a tiny island located in the eastern Caribbean. It's bordered by the Caribbean Sea to the south and west and the Atlantic Ocean to the north and east. The island of Dominica is Martinique's neighbor to the north; St Lucia is to the south.

Roughly 65km (40mi) long and 20km (12mi) wide, Martinique has a terrain punctuated by hills, plateaus and mountains. The highest point is the 1397m (4582ft) Mont Pelée, an active volcano at the northern end of the island. The center of the island is dominated by the Pitons du Carbet, a scenic mountain range reaching 1207m (3959ft).

Martinique has lots of colorful flowering plants, with the type of vegetation varying with altitude and rainfall. Rainforests cover the slopes of the mountains in the northern interior, which are luxuriant with tree ferns, bamboo groves, climbing vines and hardwood trees like mahogany, rosewood, locust and gommier. The drier southern part of the island has brushy savanna vegetation such as cacti, frangipani trees, balsam, logwood and acacia shrubs. The island has lizards, possums, mongoose and venomous fer-de-lance snakes. Endangered birds include the Martinique trembler, white-breasted trembler and white-breasted thrasher.

Martinique excels in warm, sunny weather, averaging temperatures between 21°C (70°F) and 28°C (83°F) whether it's January or July. Measurable rain falls an average of 13 days a month in April, the driest month, and about twice as often in September, the rainiest month. Martinique's average humidity is high, ranging from 80% in March and April to 87% in October and November. The mountainous northern interior is both cooler and rainier than the coast.

Budget travelers should expect to pay at least US$80 a day on Martinique, while you can keep a moderate budget from going much over US$150 by sticking to public transportation and a few picnic meals. Traveling in total comfort will run to US$300 a day or more for food and lodging, although you'll obviously spend more if you shop till you drop.

Hotels, larger restaurants and car rental agencies accept Visa (Carte Bleue) and MasterCard (Eurocard). For most other situations, you'll need to use francs. Avoid changing money at hotel lobbies, where the rates are worse than at exchange offices or banks. As in France, taxes and service charges are included in hotel rates and tips are usually included in restaurant bills.

Martinique is warm year-round, with temperatures usually peaking close to 30°C (around 85°F) during the day. Humidity is highest in September and lowest in April. The best time to go to Martinique is the slightly cooler, drier season of late winter to early spring (February to May). Note that this is also the peak tourist season and prices will be highest and attractions and lodgings most crowded.