History

The commune of Carbet is located on the Caribbean coast in the north of Martinique. To the south of Carbet is the town of Bellefontaine, to the east of Morne Vert and Fonds-Saint-Denis and to its north of Saint-Pierre.

Le Carbet owes its name to the large huts where the Caribbean Indians used to meet. The hut today a vast hut, a model of collective housing in the Antilles.

Le Carbet is the land of Martinique which saw Martinique go from unknown in European maritime charts to an island in the Caribbean. It is indeed at Carbet, on June 15, 1502, that Christopher Columbus would have landed during his fourth and last trip "to the West Indies."

It was also in Saint-Pierre that the buccaneer Pierre-Belain d'Esnambuc took possession of the island with a hundred men. He placed his nephew Du Parquet there who built a brick house near the river and a chapel was consecrated to Saint Jacques around 1645.

Between 1666 and 1667, the English tried several times to seize Martinique through the commune of Carbet. It must be said that the rapid development of the city of Saint-Pierre aroused enormous envy, whether from the English or the Dutch. All English attempts are quickly contained by the French who defend body and soul an island in which they see enormous development potential.

Even today, you can see the English cannonball holes in the cliffs of Anse Turin, the scars of these fierce struggles.

The other major event of the commune of Carbet is the revolt of slaves of 1822. Indeed, on October 12, 1822, armed slaves decide to massacre all the Whites and Free of color that they come across. They plan to leave Carbet in the direction of Saint-Pierre. But their revolt is known and the plot is relayed to the masters who succeed in eradicating the movement in one day.

The commando, 20 in number, is executed in public. Several inhabitants of Carbet attend the executions.

Le Carbet is one of the first parishes of Martinique and will also be one of the first lands most deeply rooted in the Catholic religion.

The development of the city will be increasing thanks to its proximity to the city of Saint-Pierre, its markets and the presence of several sugar factories, agricultural dwellings and then rum distilleries.

Unfortunately, the eruption of Mount Pelée on May 8, 1902 marked a brake on the economic development of the commune of Carbet. Hard hit, it will take several decades to recover from its total destruction. In addition, the decline of the sugar economy and the conversion to the rum distillery at the expense of sugar will severely affect the city's economy.

Economy

Today, Carbet is a mainly agricultural town. Fishing and market gardening occupy a primordial place. But tourism is not left out.

It has several attractive historical places for tourists and those who want to know Martinique as well as possible in one of its municipalities with the oldest history and the determining factor for the island.

Neighborhoods

The municipality's main districts are Anse Latouche, Beauregard, Bel Event, Bout Bois, Dariste, Duvallon, Four, Godinot, Gros Coulirous, La Berlin, La Cafeiere, Lajus 1, Lajus 2, Lajus 3, Le Coin, Le Fromager, le Trou, Longvillier, Morne Aux Boeufs, Morne Gabillon and Petite Rivière.

List of places to visit in the municipality

Distilleries & Rhumeries

Unlike other distilleries in Martinique who have more than a century of history, Neisson distillery was founded in the 20th century.

Known by all rum lovers, J. Bally distillery has been producing a quality product recognized throughout the world for several centuries.

Places to visit

The Canal des Esclaves (slaves canal) also called Canal de Beauregard is a place to hike on the heights of Carbet to the Fonds-Mascret neighborhood of Fonds-Saint-Denis.

The botanical garden of Carbet "Habitation Latouche" is one of the oldest habitation of Martinique. Founded in 1643, it extended at this period over an area of ​​15 hectares.

200 meters after the tunnel of Carbet towards Saint-Pierre, the Jardin des Papillons (Garden of butterflies) is a haven of greenery which mixed flora, fauna and music.

Located near the beach Anse Turin in the Habitation Latouche, founded in 1643, that is already home to Botanical garden and

Museums

At the Gallery of History and Sea, you can find the history of the Native American settlement, with Arawak and Carib to showcase the wonderful world of the sea.

Five months! This is the duration of stay of the painter Paul Gauguin (1848-1903) in Martinique, the island he had already visited as a sailor.

Beaches

The beach of Anse du Carbet or Plage du Coin is known for being the one on which Christopher Columbus landed on June 15, 1502. It is also the place that marks the beginning of the colonization in Martinique.

Anse Turin beach is one of the few black sand beaches in Martinique. Its sand bears witness to Martinique's volcanic past, which dates back nearly 24 million years. If you get there early, you'll be able to see fishermen practicing seine fishing.