French Antilles
French territories in the Caribbean
The French Antilles (French: Antilles françaises), historically known as the French West Indies, refers to all French departments and overseas collectivities in the Antilles.
Regions
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Map of French Antilles
| Guadeloupe With a population of 384,239 (2019), this French department was the French Caribbean. For many years, Guadeloupe also included the French side of Saint Martin and Saint-Barthélemy until these two were separated in 2007. The department holds many beachside cities and a national park – a place where the mountains truly meet the sea. |
| Martinique There is no better place to experience a French and Caribbean culture than Martinique. Rainforests dominate much of the island's north (you can even see a volcano that destroyed large parts of Martinique in 1902), while the island's south expose much of the Caribbean's dark history. |
| Saint-Barthélemy Known for its pristine beaches and a shopping paradise. Although the island is now a French collectivity, Saint-Barthélemy was once a Swedish colony until the Napoleonic Wars. Today, this distinctly French island is an illustrious splurge destination, popular during the Northern Hemisphere winter. |
| Saint Martin (part) If you saw a map of Europe and thought that France and the Netherlands don't border each other, then you wouldn't be forgiven. This divided island between the French and the Dutch is another popular beachside island. |
Cities
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Other destinations
editGet in
editSee the respective pages on how to get in. All departments plus Saint-Barthélemy have an airport, but the French side of Saint Martin does not. Nonetheless, there is one on the Dutch side – most travellers visit the French side from the Dutch side.