Bathe Like a Queen at Josephine’s Bathtub, Martinique
The bathtub in your villa or hotel room in Martinique may come equipped with Jacuzzi jets, fancy lights, designer French soaps, and all manner of additional niceness, (maybe even one of these!) but it won’t compare to Josephine’s.
A shallow patch of sea nestled between two pristine offshore islets – Ilet-Oscar (where I was standing when I snapped the lead image) and Ilet-Thiery – Josephine’s Bathtub lies just ahead for the lucky few aboard the boat pictured above. It’s named for Martinique’s favorite (and most infamous) daughter, Marie-Joseph Rose Tasher de la Pagerie, better known as Empress Josephine.
Napoleon’s wife is said to have bathed here regularly according to local legends proffered with a sly smile by the cagey fisherman that line the shores of nearby mainland villages like Le Robert and Le Francois.
It’s also said that these same fisherman crafted the whole story to begin with, the better to create some touristic appeal to the area, and in turn, some nice easy side charters out to the Bathtub once the day’s fishing was done.
Either way, you won’t want to miss getting a soak here when you visit Martinique.
Josephine’s Bathtub seduces you, not just with its cool and soothing waters, but also by providing the unique sensation of standing safely atop a sublimely soft, sandy sea floor right in the middle of the sea.
If you’re not keen on making last-minute arrangements with a local fisherman, the friendly folks at any Martinican hotel or guesthouse can easily arrange a trip out to Josephine’s Bathtub for you.
I also highly, HIGHLY recommend the full-day sailing excursions offered by Les Ballades du Delphis.
You sail aboard large, spacious, and comfy catamarans – all locally made in Martinique – to a series of islets (even skirting by this strictly off-limits pristine patch of sand) set off Martinique’s Atlantic coast.
The entire excursion is fantastic, with the final stop at Josephine’s Bathtub truly capping the day in royal fashion.
For more on Les Ballades du Delphis, visit them online.
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