Martinique: Josephine’s Bathtub & Islands Small-Group Boat Tour

4.90

(166 reviews)

What’s the experience like?

The first splash of salt hit my lips before I even realized we’d left the dock in Le François. Our captain—everyone just called him Manu—grinned as he steered us past mangroves that looked almost too green to be real. There were only ten of us, counting a little girl who spent half the ride pointing at birds and asking if they could swim too. The air smelled faintly of sugarcane and sunscreen. I’d read about this “bathtub” spot but didn’t expect to actually stand waist-deep in warm water miles from shore, ti-punch in hand. Manu handed out cod fritters while telling us how the Empress Joséphine supposedly bathed here. Not sure if that’s true, but it made me laugh thinking about royalty floating around out here.

We drifted over to Îlet Madame after that—just a patch of sand with water so clear you could see every ripple on the bottom. I tried (and failed) to say “merci” like a local when Manu poured another round. The sun was already high but there was a soft breeze that kept everything comfortable, even for someone like me who usually melts in the tropics. Someone spotted an iguana on Îlet Chancel and suddenly everyone was quiet, watching it move slow and careful through old ruins. It felt strange seeing history and wildlife overlap like that—a sugar house crumbling beside these ancient lizards just doing their thing.

I don’t know if it was the ti-punch or just being out there with strangers who felt like friends by noon, but time slipped by faster than I wanted. We cruised past Îlet Boisseau where Manu pointed out frigates circling above—he said we couldn’t land there because of the birds’ nests, which honestly made sense once you saw how many were swooping around. The boat rocked gently as we headed back toward Le François; I let my hand drag in the water for a minute longer than necessary. Still think about that feeling sometimes—sunburnt shoulders, salt drying on my skin, everyone a little quieter than before.