A tombolo is a natural phenomenon in which the tide goes out and reveals a sandbar that connects the mainland to a neighbouring islet.
Tombolos occur all along the Atlantic coast of Martinique, but most spectacularly in Sainte-Marie, where the sandbar stretches more than 200 m to link Petite-Anse beach to the islet of Sainte-Marie. From November to April, the winds and ocean currents move the sand and alter the coastline, causing the tombolo to appear at the end of the year and disappear four months later.
