La Savane, Central park in Fort-de-France, Martinique.

La Savane is an unfenced 12½-acre park on the Fort-de-France Bay, facing Fort Saint Louis on its east side and bordering the Schoelcher Library on the west. Its Caribbean gardens hold a small colorful market selling exotic items, souvenirs and snacks, and a statue of Joséphine de Beauharnais by Vital Dubray, carved in Carrara marble and now missing its head.

La Savane was formerly called Jardin du Roi, and its first purpose is said to have been to host scientific experiments on plants new to the colony. A Carrara marble statue of Joséphine de Beauharnais, born on the island on 23 June 1763, was created by Vital Dubray; it was decapitated and splashed with red paint in 1991, and torn down by rioters in July 2020.

The park's name comes from the French for savanna, and it was laid out as the Jardin du Roi, a royal garden for testing plants new to the colony. Today a small colourful market in the park sells exotic items, souvenirs and snacks. The Carrara marble statue of Joséphine de Beauharnais, born on the island on 23 June 1763, was decapitated in 1991 and pulled down by rioters in July 2020.

The park sits between Fort Saint-Louis and downtown Fort-de-France and is free to visit at any time of day or night. You can walk through or sit down whenever you like without needing to plan ahead.

The Joséphine statue was decapitated and splashed with red paint in 1991, and the city never repaired it; red paint was added each year. In July 2020 rioters tore it down during the George Floyd protests. The Carrara marble figure was carved by Vital Dubray.