Geez Photowalk #24 (Les Anses d’Arlet, Martinique)

Every Thursdays, I drop a video on youtube where I’m sharing the street photography experience one shot at a time!

We are going through a few photowalks in Martinique, a French Caribbean island where I’m from. In this episode, we are in the country side on the sea side. Anses d’Arlet is a small fishing town in the south of the island which has that wow factor with the Church being exactly aligned with the pontoon on the beach. Fun fact: Anses d’Arlet was named second best looking village of France in 2020!

And it is understandable, there is something about les Anses d’Arlet, that “je ne sais quoi”.

Indeed the town is charming from the beach but the lifestyle and the tranquility of the inhabitants is transpiring in the atmosphere. You feel at peace and stress free immediately, especially early in the morning when the island is not fully awake but the fishermen are already out and about.

And as always, chatting with people back home is always warming my heart and providing great pleasure. I guess it is a side effect of living abroad and longing for my native Caribbean.

I’ve met a few fishermen ready to do some maintenance on their boats, preparing some fishing lines and also doing their last checks before going fishing.

Another interesting character was Jean-Claude who shares the same first name as my dad. He is from les Anses d’Arlet but lives in Australia with his family. Nice story, he met his wife in Switzerland and went to Australia to work in the maritime industry, renovating and fixing massive boats.

He’s retired now and came home to burry his dear mother, may she rest in peace. It was lovely to share life stories with Jean-Claude on this fine morning, it’s not all about the photographs, it’s mainly about people and stories even when they’re not being told.

I’ve met an Italian tourist as well called Sergio, he was trying to fish on the main pontoon facing the church. A lovely setting to start fishing in Martinique if you ask me since it was his first time.

Exploring the small streets of les Anses d’Arlet is also a treat. The early morning quality of light, the quietness and overall tranquility makes for a soothing experience. The creole houses with bright colours or the religious features are definitely giving that traditional vibe reminding me vividly of my youth on the island.

Les Anses d’Arlet breathes tradition, tranquility and bon vivre. It is amazing for photography but it is just delightful for a heart who beats in creole.

There is one more photowalk based in Martinique on the sea side coming along the way, so stay tuned and see you soon.

You can watch the full (edited) video on my youtube channel and as usual, give it a play. Like and subscribe to show some love if you feel like it!