Le Carbet — Decode Columbus's Secret Landing

Your journey begins on Le Carbet Beach, a central site of Martinique's historical heritage. It was here, on this light grey sand, that Christopher Columbus landed on June 15, 1502, during his fourth voyage, seeking water and wood. Facing the sea, the Landing Memorial, inaugurated in 2022 with its three wooden masts, symbolizes the navigator's caravels. A historical panel on the beach indicates the exact location of this foundational event for the colonization of Martinique, laying the first stones of a complex history that would transform the island.

Continuing your exploration near Le Carbet Beach, you will discover, not far away, the memorial slab 'in memory of the Caribs driven from their land'. This poignant site reminds us that this same beach was the arrival point for Pierre Belain d'Esnambuc and his French adventurers on September 15, 1635, marking the effective beginning of colonization. At that time, the beach was occupied by the Carib Indians, whose destiny was disrupted by the arrival of Europeans. The Carib Tomb, a memorial site, also pays tribute to these indigenous populations, driven from their ancestral lands.

Then head towards the Saint-Jacques Church of Le Carbet, another landmark in local history. The initial chapel was built in 1636 by Jacques Du Parquet, governor and successor of Esnambuc, near the Carbet River. The parish was officially founded in 1645 by the Jesuits, shortly after the first governor's departure for Saint-Pierre. This church, whose patronal feast of Saint-Jacques is celebrated on July 25, stands in the Monsieur district, where Du Parquet established his first residence, thus consolidating the French presence on the island.

Your route also takes you to the First brick house of Le Carbet, built in 1636 by Du Parquet on the islet formed by the two arms of the Carbet River. This construction represents the first stone edifice in Martinique by the French colonists. It symbolizes the desire to establish a lasting presence and transform the island's landscape. This modest but historically significant structure marks a crucial step in the architecture and urbanization of Martinique, bearing witness to the efforts of the first arrivals.

Your visit to Le Carbet, in the heart of the Martinique Regional Natural Park, will have allowed you to trace the first steps of colonization. From Christopher Columbus's Landing Place to the Carib memorial site, passing through the remains of the first French constructions, each stop on this circuit offers a concrete immersion in a rich and sometimes painful past. You take with you a deep understanding of the history of Le Carbet, of key figures like Columbus, Esnambuc, and Du Parquet, and of the events that shaped the identity of this French Caribbean island.