Sargassum at Anse Caritan (Sainte-Anne): today's conditions
Clear
Clean, hit it
Anse Caritan lines the Caribbean coast just south of Sainte-Anne, at the bottom end of Martinique. It faces west, on the leeward side of the island, only a few kilometres from the southern point where water from both coasts comes together.
This page reports the day's sargassum at Anse Caritan, with a 0 to 5 rating summing up the situation, a map to get your bearings along this shore and an update carried out each morning before the beach fills up. A leeward beach reads differently from an Atlantic one, and the daily bulletin accounts for that difference.
Anse Caritan on the sargassum map
What to know about this beach
The Caribbean coast rarely takes influxes head on. Easterly trade winds drive rafts toward the Atlantic side, and the island's own bulk screens west-facing beaches such as this one. Anse Caritan sits in that sheltered position, which is why it often serves as a fallback when the windward coast is loaded.
The qualifier is how close the southern tip lies. A few kilometres away, Atlantic beaches in the very same town, around Cap Chevalier and Anse Trabaud, receive the flow directly. During heavier episodes some of the weed can round the south of the island and work its way up the Caribbean shore: uncommon, but possible, and exactly what a same-day reading settles.
Frequently asked questions
Why does Anse Caritan see less sargassum?
It faces west on the leeward side. The easterly trades push rafts toward the Atlantic coast while the island itself acts as a screen, which limits direct arrivals along this stretch of shore.
How do I check before heading to Anse Caritan?
The FanGass map posts a 0 to 5 rating for the beach every morning, together with the observed state. A glance when you wake up confirms the outing or points you to another southern cove.
Do the other beaches in Sainte-Anne behave the same way?
No. The town reaches both coasts: beaches turned toward the Atlantic, near Cap Chevalier and Anse Trabaud, take the flow directly, while Caritan stays on the sheltered western side.
Can a leeward beach still be affected?
Yes, during sustained episodes. Part of the weed rounds the southern tip of Martinique and travels up the Caribbean shore. It is infrequent, though often enough to justify the morning check.