The beach at Anse Céléron, on the northern edge of Saint-Pierre, is one of the town's most accessible stretches of black volcanic sand. Like most of Martinique's west coast beaches, it is sheltered from the Atlantic swell and generally calm enough for swimming. The sand here is dark grey-black — volcanic material from Mont Pelée — which is striking against the green hills and blue water.
The beach is quiet by Caribbean standards. Saint-Pierre does not attract the resort tourism that dominates the south of the island, so the beaches here are mostly used by locals and the divers who base themselves in town. There is no beach infrastructure to speak of. If you want white sand and beach bars, head south to Les Salines; if you want to swim off a volcanic beach with a ruined city at your back and a volcano overhead, Anse Céléron is hard to beat.