Caribbean – Martinique – Grande Anse d'Arlet

Grande Anse is the northern bay and the more popular one with cruisers. It is however more commercial and Petit Anse has a much nicer beach and snorkeling.

There are now 52 moorings here for visiting yachts on the north side of the bay – the two inner and northern ones are for yachts up to 8m, the outer five for yachts up to 20m, and the remainder for yachts up to 15m.

The south side of the bay has a further 45 moorings all for boats up to 15m except the inner three rows which are for boats up to 8m.

It is still possible to anchor here in the middle of the bay to the west of the moorings.

In Grande Anse, on the left side of the bay, there is a hotel which tends to have noisy music until the early hours. It is not permitted to leave your dinghy on the beach by the hotel.

The pier for dinghies here is quite high, so you may have to lift your dinghy up to stop it from rubbing underneath the jetty.

Cruisers report that the southern edge of the beach, past the dinghy pier, is slightly less noisy.