Le François: White Funds & Josephine's Bathtub Boat Day

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Free cancellation

1/7

Duration7h

GroupUp to 12

LanguagesFR

Mobile ticketAccepted

Eight hours on Martinique's Atlantic side, island to island, reef to reef

You board a boat at Le François fishing port and spend eight hours moving between shallow sandbars and small islands off Martinique's Atlantic coast. You swim in the White Funds, spot iguanas on Ilet Chancel, and see tropical fish around Ilet Thierry. Lunch and drinks are included, and you return to port by 5pm. Bring your own transport to the port.

Step-by-step itinerary

Boat trip exploring Le François treasures

Depart from François fishing port
Explore peninsula and mangrove
Present islets Lavigne, Frégate, Long, Pelée, Oscar, Thierry
Visit White Funds of Josephine's Bath
Discover Ilet Thierry and tropical fish
Sail along barrier reef
Visit Ilet Chancel and iguanas
Explore Trapeze White Backgrounds
Ascend towards Ilet Madame
Lunch break on board

The Experience

The boat leaves the fishing port of Le François at 9am, and the first thing you notice is how the water changes color as you move away from shore — from pale green to deep blue, then back to turquoise where the sandbars rise. You're heading straight for the White Funds, the shallow banks that sit between the islets like a natural swimming pool in the middle of the ocean. The boat slows down there, and you slip into water so clear you can see your own feet on the sand below. It's the kind of place that photographs don't quite capture because the light keeps shifting.

After the White Funds, the day moves between the smaller islands — Ilet Thierry with its tropical fish darting around the boat, Ilet Chancel where the iguanas sun themselves on the rocks, and a handful of others (Lavigne, Frégate, Long, Pelée, Oscar) that blur together in the best way. Your guide points out the barrier reef as you sail past it, and there's a moment where you're moving slowly enough to actually see the structure of it, the darker patches where the coral grows thicker. Lunch happens on the boat — nothing fancy, but solid — and the drinks keep coming: water, juice, beer, rum punch if you want it. The snacks arrive between stops, which means you're never actually hungry, just pleasantly occupied.

The trapeze white backgrounds (the shallower sand formations that catch the light differently) come next, and then the ascent toward Ilet Madame as the afternoon starts to soften. By 5pm you're back at the fishing port, and your legs are tired in that specific way that means you've been on a boat all day — not uncomfortable, just aware. The whole thing is eight hours, which sounds long until you realize you've been moving the entire time, stopping to swim, watching the water change, listening to the guide explain which island is which. It's not a rushed day, but it's not a lazy one either.

You need to get yourself to the fishing port of Le François on the Côte au vent side — that's on you, no pickup from your hotel — but once you're there, everything else is handled. The boat takes groups of mixed ages (no children under 3, no pregnant travelers), and the pace assumes moderate fitness: you're climbing in and out of a boat, swimming in open water, and sitting in the sun for hours. If that sounds like your day, it is.

What’s included

Your day includes a full-day boat trip departing from Le François fishing port at 9am, visits to the White Funds, Josephine's Bathtub, Ilet Thierry, Ilet Chancel, and other islets, swimming stops in open water, lunch on the boat, bottled water, snacks, alcoholic beverages, and a driver/guide.
You return to the port by 5pm.
Transport to the port is your own responsibility.

Good to know

Moderate physical levelStroller friendlyPublic transport nearbyNot for pregnant travelersNot for back problems

Operated by Cote au Vent

Is this one for you?Right for travelers staying on Martinique's Atlantic side who want a full day on the water without arranging a private boat — the fixed schedule and included meals mean you show up at the port and the rest unfolds. Expect eight hours in the sun and salt water, which is exactly what makes visiting six islands and two major sandbars possible in one day.