Event· Martinique· Windward Islands
Fort-de-France Carnival Parades
14° 36.2′ N · 61° 4.1′ W · approximate
Martinique's Carnival fills the streets of Fort-de-France with marching bands, burlesque cross-dressed 'weddings', red devils in mirrored horned masks and finally the burning of King Vaval, a tradition carried here from Saint-Pierre after 1902.
Practical
Martinique tourism: festivities start on the first Sunday after Epiphany and build to five 'fat days' (Jours Gras). Saturday: the Carnival queens' parade. Sunday: Vaval revealed, with marching groups and bradjaks (painted old cars). Monday: the mariages burlesques. Shrove Tuesday: the red devils. Ash Wednesday: a black-and-white procession and Vaval's farewell. The 2026 Jours Gras ran February 15-18. Noonsite lists Carnival from January onward. Expect road closures, crowds and heavy demand for the Baie des Flamands anchorage (48-hour limit). Noonsite warns that theft and pickpocketing rise during festivals and that drinks should not be left unattended. Position is La Savane, approximate. Carnival runs island-wide, not only in Fort-de-France. For 2027: Lundi Gras is February 8, Mardi Gras February 9 and Ash Wednesday February 10 (vacances-scolaires.com); Vaval is burned at nightfall on Ash Wednesday, around 7:15 pm according to Transat. The Jours Gras are not public holidays, but many businesses close, so provision and refuel before the weekend.
Best for
Experiencing Caribbean Carnival from the anchorage
Season
January to Ash Wednesday (Feb or early Mar)
Nearby
- La Savane Park (Fort-de-France)Right here
- Bibliothèque Schœlcher0.1 NM away
- Caribbean Food Bar (Fort-de-France)0.1 NM away
- Le Joséphine (Hôtel L'Impératrice, Fort-de-France)0.1 NM away
- O'Pub (Fort-de-France Waterfront)0.1 NM away
- Cathédrale Saint-Louis (Fort-de-France)0.2 NM away
- Domb'ox (Fort-de-France)0.2 NM away
- Fort Saint-Louis0.2 NM away