This Beach Town Is a Laid-Back Getaway With a Famous Rock, Wild Waves, and French Caribbean Charm
Le Diamant is alive. It starts before you arrive — a winding drive through banana trees and old Creole homes, the Caribbean Sea shimmering just beyond the hills. Then it hits you: that moment when the town opens up and the beach stretches out in front of you, long and wide and unbothered. You feel the energy, the rush of the waves, the sensory power of everything around you: that famous Diamond Rock in the distance, the seemingly endless sand. The views are remarkable: the rock, infinite palm trees, the colors of everything.
Le Diamant isn’t about big hotels or a busy vacation. This is a place where time slows down, where days are measured by the tide and the sunset. It’s a town with one main street, a market square, a few boulangeries, and an endless beach that always seems to be waiting just for you. It’s the essence of what we love about the French Caribbean, and this dazzling island in particular.
And did we mention having a ti’ punch?
The Beach
Plage du Diamant might be the most underrated stretch of sand in the French Caribbean — a three-mile ribbon of cinnamon-colored sand and Atlantic waves. Surfers paddle out before sunrise. Locals take their morning walks beneath swaying sea grape trees. In the distance, there it is: Le Rocher du Diamant, the diamond-shaped volcanic rock that rises defiantly from the sea. You can’t take your eyes off it — and you don’t need to. (And yes, the sand, particularly in some corners, is a volcanic shade of black).
There are no beach bars or clubs here. No jet skis. Just wind, surf, and that view. And somehow, that’s more than enough.
The Town
Le Diamant is quietly magnetic — a fishing village that feels lost in time but fully alive. You’ll find fishermen pulling in their catch at dawn. You’ll smell fresh pain au chocolat from the boulangerie on Rue Justin Roc. On Sundays, the church bells still ring through the square. It’s a place for strolling the sea, cold ice cream, hot espresso.
The best pizza? The cheekily-named Pizzbook. Must try eateries? We like New Cap and Le Poisson Rouge, and of course, you can’t go to Le Diamant without stopping at a restaurant called Hakuna Matata. Yes, that’s right.
Where to Stay
This isn’t a resort town — and that’s the point. In Le Diamant, the best option is in a villa (we like using villa company VillaVeo). There’s also a solid, if unspectacular hotel called Diamant Les Bains, a revival of a historic hotel in the town, which has rooms for just $172 per night. Our last stay here was in a spectacular villa overlooking the sea and the famous Diamond Rock.
Why Now
Martinique is having a quiet moment — and Le Diamant is leading the way. It’s still under the radar for most American travelers, which means now is the time to experience it untouched. Whether you’re road-tripping the island or looking for a place to unplug for a few days, Le Diamant delivers something rare: a French Caribbean town that doesn’t try to wow you — it just is.
And that’s why it stays with you.
How do you get to Martinique? The only nonstop flight from the US is an American Airlines route (on a comfortable Embraer) that runs several times per week out of Miami (that means access to connections through Miami from across the US on AA.
