Sainte-Marie: Craftsmanship and the History of Sugar Cane

In Sainte-Marie, a range of cultural sites leads to very different stories: the craft knowledge of the Indigenous peoples of the Americas, a restored lime kiln, and the stages of sugar cane and rum production. The diversity of bananas is also the subject of a permanent exhibition. If you are planning a trip filled with discoveries to share, you can choose the topics that spark your curiosity most—and find a holiday rental whose location suits your plans for visiting them.

Craftsmanship and traces of earlier work

In the district of Morne des Esses, the Centre de vannerie caraïbe preserves the craft knowledge and techniques of the Indigenous peoples of the Americas. The centre was founded as a cooperative in 1967. Basket weaving here is about more than a finished object: it also embodies the knowledge and techniques passed down through a craft. Those interested in traditions and their history will find a different way to discover Sainte-Marie than through the subjects of agriculture and rum. The name Vannerie Paille Caraibe highlights the centre’s focus.

The restored Four à Chaux de l’Anse Azérot offers another perspective on the area’s history. The former lime kiln is located at the entrance to the beach. Its original purpose was the artisanal production of lime. Unlike the Centre de vannerie caraïbe, it is less about inherited craft knowledge and more about a structure that recalls an earlier form of production. These two places therefore offer different points of focus when choosing cultural subjects to explore on your trip to Sainte-Marie.

Sugar cane, rum and bananas

The Musée du Rhum Saint James presents the history of agricultural rum on Martinique through photographs. The series of images spans everything from sugar cane cultivation to ageing in barrels. The focus is on the journey from cultivation to aged rum. The Musée de la Banane takes a different approach: in the former sugar factory at Habitation Limbé, in the Quartier Fourniols, a permanent exhibition showcases the diversity of bananas. Both subjects belong to the history of agriculture, but the exhibitions prompt different questions: one explores the stages of rum production, the other the variety of a fruit.

At Habitation La Salle, a historic trail leads through various stages in the journey from sugar cane to rum. These include wooden mills, where sugar cane was crushed and its juice extracted, as well as the Guildiverie—a distillery for the first rums. The described stages let you follow the sequence from processing the sugar cane to distillation. Check before your visit whether the visitor route is currently available.

Which subjects would you like to shape your trip?

The cultural sites do not share a single common focus; instead, they offer different starting points for planning your trip. If you are especially interested in craftsmanship, Morne des Esses and its basket weaving stand out. The former lime kiln and the sugar cane stations at Habitation La Salle offer a window into building and production history. The museums explore their own subjects: rum production and the diversity of bananas. This distinction can help you organise your visits around your interests, rather than treating all the sites as one supposedly unified experience.

The place names mentioned—including Morne des Esses, Anse Azérot and Quartier Fourniols—can support your own planning without prescribing an order or itinerary. This lets you choose accommodation to suit your travel plans, rather than assuming without checking that all the destinations are close together.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Le Robert, Grand'Rivière, Hyacinthe, Le Lorrain, La Trinité.

Return to the main travel overview: La Trinité.