Musée de la banane Sainte-Marie Martinique

The Banana MuseumA visit under the world's tallest grass

Immersion in the Banana Museum

I’d like to take you on a tour of the Musée de la Banane, in Sainte-Marie in the north of Martinique. It’s a visit that children love, too, because you learn so much while walking through a real banana plantation. With its mix of history and botany, it’s a very interesting museum.

In the heart of Sainte-Marie

House Limbé Fourniols

When you live in Martinique, you think you know everything there is to know about bananas, so much so that this emblematic fruit of the West Indies is part of our daily lives and banana fields part of our landscapes. And yet, when you enter this museum, you realize you have a lot to learn! The Museum is located inland, 5 minutes after the Saint-James Distillery. We arrive on the estate of Habitation Limbé Fourniols, a former sugar estate whose main activity has been banana cultivation since 1950.

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The exhibition museum

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The visit begins in a magnificent, tiled stone building housing the museum’s permanent exhibition. Beautiful, well-illustrated panels tell us more about this herbaceous plant of the Musaceae family. Yes, the banana is a giant herb! This exhibition explores the extraordinary world of the banana through its history, botany and culture. The texts are not very long, and are translated into several languages. They are precise and pleasantly inviting to read.

You’ll learn when the banana arrived in the West Indies, its importance in the local economy and worldwide, the farming techniques used here, how to cut a bunch, the many uses of this fruit (or vegetable, depending on the variety), etc. Daniel, at the reception desk, explains the tour and proposes a small banana tasting session, which the children are delighted with.

The park and the banana plantation

Already a little more knowledgeable, we continue our visit with a stroll through the large, well-kept park. There are over 60 varieties of banana! I confess I didn’t know half of them. It’s amazing and rewarding to be able to compare them. Big ones, small ones, chunky ones, plump ones, even the “trunks” have a palette of colors to offer.

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Banana Diet Banana Museum Sainte-Marie Martinique

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As you make your way along a concrete path, you’ll come across signs at the foot of each variety, introducing you to the silver banana, the M’Bouroukou banana, the Serpent, the Kankambou, the Yangambi from Indonesia , the Pisang Lilin, the Grande Naine, the Corne banana and the Figue Oiseau. sie, the Pisang Lilin, the Grande Naine, the Corne banana or the Fig Oiseau… Each one has its own flower, diet, size, beauty… We have fun comparing them to each other, strolling quietly under the large green leaves of the banana trees with their heavy, fleshy fruits.

Banana tree Museedelabanane Saintemarie Martinique

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Yellow banana Banana Museum Sainte-Marie Martinique

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The site is hilly and very pleasant, with a small river running through the park, and carbets dotted around for stopping off… At times, you’d think you were in the forest! The tropical vegetation of northern Martinique reinforces this impression, with a multitude of magnificent exotic flowers: alpinias, balisiers, birds of paradise… as well as cocoa, coffee, guava and pineapple trees… I even discovered two colors I’d never seen before: the pink heliconia pendula and the all-white porcelain rose! Allow an hour or so for a leisurely stroll.

Cafe Museedelabanane Saintemarie Martinique

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Cacao Museedelabanane Saintemarie Martinique

Heliconia Museedelabanane Saintemarie Martinique

I love this vegetation, it’s really beautiful!

La Case Créole

Souvenir and gourmet store

At the end of our walk through the park, we arrive near the little Creole huts, one of which houses the museum store. Here, the banana is celebrated in all its forms, some of them unusual. There are products created by the Museum and others from all over the Caribbean: liqueurs, jams, plain or spiced plantain chips, sweet white wine and even banana ketchup! I buy a few sachets of dried bananas, perfect for a snack or after sport. It’s also a good opportunity to pack a few souvenirs of the island in your suitcase…

Boutique Museedelabanane Saintemarie Martinique

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The other two huts host temporary exhibitions by artists, and the other features a video room dedicated to… the banana!

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On the menu, Creole classics revisited with… banana! We came to discover it, so we played the game 100% and dared to make an alcoholic (or non-alcoholic) cocktail with… banana, which we enjoyed with cod accras… then it was the turn of the velouté de patates douces, lambis and ti-nain-morue (a pure delight!).

Codfish Accras Banana Museum Restaurant La bananeraie Sainte-Marie Martinique

Of course, banana mille-feuille has also found its place (actually a revisit of lasagne where the pasta is replaced by yellow bananas), or grilled fish with banana gratin.) or grilled fish with banana gratin… And we finish with the classic banana flambé or ” Bananeraie gourmand “!

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Grilled fish Yellow banana gratin Banana museum Restaurant La bananeraie Sainte-Marie Martinique

Restaurant2 Labananeraie Museedelabanane Saintemarie Martinique

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The menu is tempting, the plates colorful and creative. The challenge of creating a menu based around bananas has been successfully met. And frankly, it’s good!

Reserve your table

Fô pa ou palé bannan mal anba balizyé.

Creole proverb: (One should not slander people in the presence of their relatives.)

Information & free booking

Immersion in the Banana Museum

In the heart of Sainte-Marie

The exhibition museum

The park and the banana plantation

La Case Créole

La Bananeraie restaurant

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