Pardon.  Martinique is a slice of France set down in the tropics. Islanders wear Paris fashions, eat baguettes and croissants from the corner pâtisserie, and pay for them with francs. Zouk music pouring out of tape players, bars and nightclubs will remind you, however, that Martinicans have a culture of their own that's solidly based on West Indian Creole traditions.

Martinique's capital, Fort-de-France, is a chic, modern city of 100,000 people, the largest in the French West Indies. Urbanization has spread to much of the island, and most of Martinique's large towns feel like modern suburbs. Nevertheless, nearly a third of Martinique is forested and other areas are given over to pineapples, bananas and sugar cane fields. You can still find fishing villages and remote beaches untouched by development, and there are plenty of hiking trails into the mountains.

Although it's the largest and most cosmopolitan city in the French West Indies, much of Fort-de-France's charm lies in its natural setting on the edge of the Baie des Flamands, framed by the Pitons du Carbet rising to the north. The city's mix of narrow bustling streets, parks, offices and turn-of-the-century buildings housing boutiques and cafes gives it a flavor owing as much to the sidestreets of Paris as it does to that of the Caribbean.

The city's focus is the Savane, a large park with fountains, tall palms and occasional open-air concerts. The city's other large waterfront space is the Park Floral, where you can shop for coconuts and other island-grown produce at the public market; there's also a fish market nearby.

Fort-de-France's interesting buildings include the Bibliothèque Schoelcher, an elaborate, colorful structure with a Byzantine dome. Designed by architect Henri Pick and built in Paris for the 1889 World Exposition, it was then dismantled, shipped to Fort-de-France and reassembled. Another Pick creation is the Cathédrale Saint-Louis, dating from 1895 and featuring fine stained-glass windows and a massive organ.

Other places worth visiting include the Palais de Justice, a neoclassical 1906 courthouse resembling a French train station; the Musée Départemental d'Archéologie, which has displays on the island's Amerindian past; and the Aquarium de la Martinique, featuring a tropical river habitat.

The French have always known what a good thing is and Martinque is no exception.