Join us in May 2027 as we head to Martinique, nestled in the sunny turquoise waters of the Eastern Caribbean. This retreat will be in collaboration with our dear friend Freddie at Maison Carib.

The week will be a cultural deep dive into what makes Martinique special, and we're lucky to have have Freddie as our local guide. Each day is a balance of relaxation and exploration, with an intentional focus on learning about the history and culture of the island and giving back to the local communities.

Maison d'Amies (French for House of Friends) was born from our founder Stephanie Scobey's deep love of France, a desire to create space for women to slow down, reconnect, and feel at home in themselves. These women only retreats blend curated cultural experiences with true rest and intentional community. Each trip is designed to feel like a warm, extended exhale and is grounded in slow travel, regional connection, and the kind of soul-deep joy that lingers long after the journey ends. 

Maison Carib, founded by Frederique (Freddie) Stephanie is a company with the insistence that exploring the island of Martinique should not mean harming local communities. By creating experiences that “reveal the fabric” of Martinique, Maison Carib creates a space for curious travelers interested in genuine interactions while getting to know Martinique. Maison Carib plan and curates community-facing trips for visitors looking to explore Martinican life in a conscious, respectful manner.

Please read through these important FAQs. If you have additional questions that aren't answered here, please email our host at stephanie@maisondamies.com

This retreat is designed for those seeking meaningful connection, cultural immersion, and a slower, more intentional way to experience France. Whether you're traveling solo or with a friend, La Martinique welcomes those who crave deeper conversations, beautiful surroundings, and the joy of shared meals and unhurried days. 

This group will include up to 7 participants, plus the hosts Stephanie and Freddie, as well our retreat staff. 

On the registration form, you will see a space to include if you have any dietary restrictions or food allergies. We will do our best to meet all of these requests, if you have additional questions please email us directly to discuss. 

If you have severe food allergies, we advise you email us directly prior to booking so we can ensure this retreat is right for you. 

Getting to Martinique is wonderfully simple. You fly directly into the Martinique Aimé Césaire International Airport, and our driver will meet you outside baggage claim to whisk you away with the group to our retreat home for the week.

Before booking, we recommend you review flight options as we're traveling during the shoulder season in Martinique. While this means fewer crowds and milder weather, it also means that there are less flight options to choose from. It might be necessary to arrive a day or two early, depending on where you're traveling from. If you need hotel recommendations we're happy to pass them along.

Our journey begins as we arrive to the lush, volcanic island of Martinique and make our way to our private villa. The afternoon is yours to decompress, unpack, and soak in your first glimpse of the Caribbean. As the sun dips below the horizon, we gather together for a welcome dinner on the villa, the perfect introduction to the warmth, flavor, and joie de vivre that will define the days ahead.

We ease into island time with a slow, unhurried morning. Take a dip in the pool, wade into the warm Caribbean sea, or simply linger over coffee with a good book. After a leisurely lunch, we make our way to the legendary Habitation Clément, one of Martinique's most celebrated estates. Set among magnificent colonial gardens, we'll tour the historic grounds before settling in for a tasting of the island's prized agricole rhum, distilled from fresh sugarcane juice in the true Martiniquais tradition.

This morning we discover one of Martinique's most beloved and distinctly local traditions, the Yole, a traditional sailing canoe that has been raced along the island's coastline for generations. We'll get an up-close look at this vibrant cultural practice, deeply woven into the identity of the island and its people. The afternoon brings us back to the villa to relax, reflect, and let the rhythm of the island fully sink in.

We start the morning with a hands-on introduction to the art of the Bakoua hat, an iconic piece of Martiniquais craft heritage, handwoven by local artisans from the leaves of the bakoua palm. Our local maker will guide us through the tradition, the technique, and the stories behind this enduring symbol of island life. The afternoon is entirely your own: rest, swim, explore, or simply do nothing at all.

Today calls for a full day of discovery. We begin with a morning visit to the enchanting Jardin de Balata, a breathtaking tropical garden perched in the hills above Fort-de-France. In the afternoon, we venture north to Distillerie JM, one of the island's most storied and scenically situated rhum agricole producers, for a tour of the grounds and a taste of their exceptional terroir-driven spirits.

Today is yours to fill as you please. We invite you to sleep in, stroll along the shore, or do absolutely nothing at all. At midday, we come together for a casual, convivial lunch at a beloved local fish shack right on the beach, where the catch is fresh, the setting is simple, and the company is everything. For those who wish, indulgent massages are available to book in the afternoon (at an additional cost), because a retreat wouldn't be complete without one.

One last leisurely morning to savor: the villa, the views, the unhurried pace we've all settled so happily into. Then, in the spirit of everything we've tasted and learned this week, we come together for a cocktail-making class led by a local expert, transforming the rhums, fresh fruits, and island botanicals of Martinique into the classics and specialties of the Caribbean canon. We close the evening (and this chapter) with a farewell dinner together, raising a glass to new friendships, shared adventures, and the island that made it all possible.

We gather one final time around the table for a last breakfast together before group transfers bring us back to the airport. We leave with full hearts, suitcases slightly heavier from the Bakoua hats and bottles of rhum, and a little piece of Martinique tucked away with us, à bientôt.