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North America : Caribbean : Saint Martin

Saint Martin

Saint Martin is an island split between French Guadeloupe and the Dutch Netherlands Antilles. It is one of the smallest land masses divided between two countries.

Regions

The northern, French side of the island is known as Saint-Martin, and is 20 square miles. The southern, Dutch side of the island is known as Sint Maarten, and is 13 square miles. To avoid confusion between the three variations on the name, the two regions are commonly referred to as "the French side" and "the Dutch side".

Cities

Other destinations

Understand

Although this island is owned by two countries, there is no real borderline. There are only monuments and signs that delineate the border. Over 350 years ago the two countries decided that residents of either country could travel across both sides of the border without worrying about any trouble. The two countries live peacefully without difficulties which increases tourism. Any separation is more from separate and dissimilar utilities systems, e.g., power on French side is 250V 50 Hz, while the Netherlands side is 110/120 60 Hz. In addition, one must take special care when dialing from the French to Dutch or Dutch to French side as it is, in effect, an international call and requires special dialing instructions. These instructions are typically posted at hotels and tourist locations.

The Dutch side, Sint Maarten, is much more heavily developed than the French. It has become a leading destination in the real estate market with more and more developments being constructed. There are high rise condominiums and waterfront communities, all of which are popular to buyers, especially American. Tourists on the streets are frequently approached by timeshare offers for them. The language on this side of the island is English and the de facto currency is the US dollar. Note that grocery stores and other local businesses may have prices expressed in Netherlands Antilles Florins (NAF). The US dollar will be gladly accepted at these establishments as well. Many large resorts have been built and on many days cruise ships flood Phillipsburg with their passengers. Phillipsburg is one of the Caribbean's best shopping towns. If shopping's not your thing, you can sit out back on Phillipsburg's harbor beach and have a drink. Or play at one of the casinos just down the street. There are nine on this side. When it all gets too mellow, go rip it up with a 4x4 excursion around the island.

The French side, Saint Martin, consists of the Northern two-thirds of the island. It is governed by the neighboring island of Guadaloupe, and is more European than the Dutch. The native language is French and has the same guiding laws as France. There are no casinos on the French side. It is less developed than the Dutch side, but contains more of the island's natural wonders. The French side is popularly known for clothing-optional Orient Beach and the adjacent nudist resort, Club Orient. http://www.cluborient.com/home.html However the towns of Marigot and Grand Case provide some of the best gourmet meals anywhere and plenty of interesting shops. Beauty abounds on the island, with bluffs overlooking pretty harbors, sandy-cliffed beaches or just tranquil rocky coves where fish provide the beauty. Neither country, and side of the island would be able to stand on its own without the other.

Talk

Dutch and French are the official languages on their respective sides of the island. English is widely spoken, especially in tourist areas.

Get in

By plane

  • Princess Juliana International Airport (IATA: SXM) (ICAO: TNCM), Tel: 599-545-2060, [1]. This airport on the Dutch side is the larger airport on the island and one of the Caribbean's busiest. The runway was very short, but has been extended and the terminal rebuilt, opening in December 2006. Planes land and take off unusually close overhead to sunbathers at Maho Beach. Maho Beach itself is a tourist draw for die-hard aviation enthusiasts for this reason, and the airport is something of a holy grail for them. You don't want your hotel too near. There were over 1.6 million visitors that came through Princess Juliana Airport in 2005. It is not only a beautiful airport, but a very busy airport, especially on the weekends when many timeshare owners are coming and going.
  • The other airport is near Grand Case to the north, and primarly serves inter-island flights, commercial and private.

By boat

  • There are over 1,300,000 visitors to the island by Cruise ships, mostly in Philipsburg, using an extended wharf from a 3-year project that ended in 2005. There are at time as many as 4 cruise ships in port at once, making the city of Philipsburg the busiest city on the island. A second wharf is now well under construction to cater to the super cruise ships that visit. Marigot port is limited to one cruise ship berth, but is also served by attractive marinas supporting yachts of all sizes. Most inter-island ferry service also arrives/departs at Marigot.
  • Windward Islands - Windward Islands, one of the worlds largest yacht charter companies, can take care of all charter requirements, from bareboat to crewed in Saint Martin. Operating from 8 international offices (USA, UK, Germany, France, Spain, Switzerland, Caribbean, Monaco).

Getting Around

Rental cars are available at Princess Juliana International Airport. There is a dedicated area for rental companies. Cars can be picked-up just outside the airport. It is common to negotiate daily rental rates. E-Z Rent-A-Car [2] is available at the Pricness Juliana Airport, along with other major car rental vendors such as Unity Cars [3], Hertz [4] and more. The roads are narrow and quite bad on the Dutch side but much better on the French side. See also "Stay Safe" below.

Taxi cabs are usually vans, which are geared towards servicing the cruise ship traffic. To go completely around the island will cost about $25 USD with a taxi.

Saint Martin has a bus system using small minivans. If you are not in a hurry you can get most anywhere on the island for just a few dollars.

See

  • Butterfly Farm, Rte. de Le Galion, Quartier d'Orléans, Phone: 590/87-31-21, [5]. Daily 9AM-3PM. Stroll through hundreds of colorful butterflies under a tented mesh. A fun outing. $12 (good for your stay on the island).
  • Pic du Paradis, Route de Pic du Paradis from Friars Bay Beach. Pic du Paradis is the highest point on the island (1400ft/427m) with two viewing areas that provide great views. The road is steep and isolated and four wheel drive is required. This is also an isolated area and is safest seen as part of an excursion or tour.

Do

  • Beaches are a main attraction on the island of Saint Martin. It has 37 beaches total, with hotels holding property on most of them. Beach Bars and Cafes are very popular attractions on the island. They offer exquisite cuisines with European and Caribbean inspiration. Frozen cocktails are also a trendy treat to keep down the heat. Orient Bay, for example, has an underwater marine reserve where snorkeling and other water sports are available. All the beaches of Saint Martin are fine for swimming and sun bathing. The island caters to all, with beaches of fun things to do as well as secluded and more private ones. This being a European island, topless sun bathing is frequently seen. Completely nude sun bathing is also accepted but for the most part is limited to a section of Orient Beach on the French side of the island and Cupecoy Beach on the Dutch side. One particularly famous beach is Maho Bay beach. The beach is situated at the end of the airport's runway, meaning large aircraft fly just feet over your head. Some people hold on to (or attempt to hold on to) the fence on airport premises as aircraft depart, but this isn't recommended. People have been injured doing this. However, the spectacular view of the airplanes landing so close is one that should definitely not be missed. Just beyond Maho Bay is Mullet Bay; some say it has the nicest beach on the island, with food and drink vendors and beach lounger rentals but few facilties. Virtually all beaches are described in web sites for the island. A full complement of tours and excursions are also available as well as watersports and parasailing.
  • Casinos are also a main attraction on the island. The casinos are known for being high class, Vegas-like casinos located in a pristine Caribbean environment. St. Martin offers plenty of casinos located on both sides of the island. Some of the casinos available are Atlantis World, Casino Royale and Paradise Plaza.

  • Kid Connect, ☎ (599)526-6152, [6]. An activity center for kids open daily form 9:00AM until 7:00PM and until 11:00PM on Friday and Saturday. Kid Connect is located on the Dutch Side across the street from Caribbean Cinemas and not too for from both Paradise Plaza Casino and Tropicana Casino.  

  • Loterie Farm, Rte. de Pic du Paradis, Phone: 590/87-86-16 or 590/57-28-55; [7]. Location features an excellent restaurant, a super Lounge with Tapas, Hikes and Ecotours on a 150 acre preserve and "The Fly Zone" a fun Zip Line experience with rope zips and an obstacle course high up in the trees. Also has a "Ti' Tarzan" zip course for the kids and "The Fly Zone Extreme" a new Zip that goes up over 100ft. Prices are in euro's as Loterie Farm is located on the French Side of the island, however because of the large number of American tourist, prices are also listed in dollars. I suggest you call in advance for prices and to check which day a cruise ship off-shore tour is not visiting there, as it is pretty packed on those days. If your going on the Zips, wear closed shoes, flip flops are a no-no. The Activities are open only during the day, but the Restaurant and Lounge are open in the evenings as well. It's a really romantic, out of the way spot, and not to be missed. Try the Curry Chicken.

Buy

Items are often priced in Euros on the French side, so some items are or appear to be more expensive (after currency conversion) than on the Dutch side or elsewhere in the Caribbean. A wide range of quality is available. The French side has a smaller number of retailers; goods (e.g., clothing, perfumes) tend to be premium, European brand-name or designer-oriented. However, unique items (e.g., souvenirs, spices) particularly at the water-front open-air market in Marigot are more reasonable, and the banter among vendors is worth the visit.

The US dollar is readily accepted on the Dutch side. Numerous stores (primarily in Philipsburg on Front Street) offer jewelery, liquor, cosmetics, and tobacco, with souvenirs everywhere. Most merchants touted by cruise lines are east of the courthouse. West of the courthouse you'll find more independent stores, e.g., for liquor at excellent prices for many brands (cash only though). Takes care calculating liters of liquor for customs; many bottles sold here are in the 750 ML size. For cheese lovers, mild Dutch Gouda, in boxes or 5 and 10 kilogram wheels, is a popular buy in super markets, e.g., Grand Marche, Sangs beyond the east end of Front Street in Philipsburg.

Anyone touting "freebies" or "cash" to see a resort/condominium will likely lead you to an on-site sales pitch for condos or time-shares. Many involve high pressure tactics over an extended time, with "freebies" governed by willingness to buy. If you have only limited time, it may be totally consumed at the sales pitch.

Eat

The island has some 300 restaurants with a wide variety of catering available to both tourists and locals. The French cuisine and local flare is an exciting experience to most, but if you are apprehensive about trying new things, there are other restaurants to dine at. The island has restaurants that are American, Mexican, Chinese, Italian, Vegetarian and more. Large modern supermarkets are available with American and European products as well if you would rather not eat out.

Yes, Philipsburg has a McDonalds and a Burger King, both near the center of the shopping area (on/next to Front Street), at least good for a cold drink in the heat of the day.

Enjoy Lunch, swim on a beautiful Beach and watch the Airplanes land at Tortuga at Maho.

Drink

The drinking age of the island is 18 years old. St. Martin's nightlife consists of many bars, nightclubs and casinos where drinking is prevalent. Start out with a happy hour at "Bamboo Bernies" where drinking is free for a half an hour and continues until seven with the highest drink price of a dollar! Many of the clubs have ladies' nights as well as other nightly drink specials. The Dutch side of the island has more night clubs than the French, so if you're up for the party scene, this side is the one where you should stay. Large wine menus are also usually available at most restaurants.

  • Dance. Dance the nights away at Bliss Night Club, located in the Caravansari Resort. This popular night spot, not far from the Princess Julianna International Airport, features a Restaurant, 2 fantastic Bars, Cabana seating around the pool and superb views of the ocean. A popular attraction for both locals and tourists alike. 

Sleep

St. Martin's hotel rooms, almost without exception, rent for US$100+ per night and often much more, and generous taxes and service charges are then also applied. High season is from December through April. Accommodations are considerably less the rest of the year.

French Side

  • Grand Case Beach Club, Grand Case, 1-800-344-3016, [8]. Secluded beach resort in the city of Grand Case on Saint Martin (French). Each room includes a kitchen and the facilities include a swimming pool and onsite cafe, Sunset Cafe.
  • Orient Bay on the French Side has many beautiful hotels and spas on site, and the most popular beach on the island is just steps away. All Orient Bay hotels are far from the main airport, so you will never hear or see an airplane. The ride is only about 15-20 minutes depending on traffic.
  • Budget - Palm Court, Cap Caribe, La Hoste
  • Mid-range - La Plantation
  • Splurge - Esmeralda, Caribbean Princess

Dutch Side

Budget

  • The Royal Turtle Inn, The Royal Turtle Inn Airport road 114,Simpson Bay,Sint Maarten. Phone: 5995-452563, [9]. An attractive, recently converted local residence, this hotel is renowned for clean rooms and friendly service. $89-$145.

Moderate

  • Sonesta Great Bay Beach Resort & Casino, 19 Little Bay Rd., Great Bay, Phone: +599.542.2446 or 1.800.SONESTA , [10]. Great location -- beachfront and a short walk from Phillipsburg. All-inclusive available. 3 restaurants, bars, pools, water sports, tennis court, gym, and children's programs. $$$.
  • Sonesta Maho Beach Resort & Casino, 1 Rhine Road, Maho Bay, Phone: +599.545.2115 or 1.800.SONESTA, [11]. A "destination within a destination,” featuring a casino, nightclub, two outdoor pools, a Sonesta Kids Club, three restaurants, a promenade of 40 boutiques and restaurants, four tennis courts, Good Life Spa, fitness center and more than 16,000 square feet of meeting space. $$$.
  • Divi Little Bay Beach Resort, Little Bay Rd., Phillipsburg. Phone: 011-599-542-2333, [12]. A full-service resort close to downtown Phillipsburg. Some dining options, bars and shops are on-site. Dining may be considered mediocre. There is also a historical fort on the grounds. Rooms need some maintenance, but are safe and generally clean. Beach and watersports (snorkeling, jet skiing) on-site. $180-$280.
  • Radisson

Splurge

  • La Samanna, Baie Longue, Phone: 590/87-64-00 or 800/854-2252, {Fax: 590/87-87-86), [13]]. On 55 acres with an incredible stretch of beach, top notch service, activities and facilities. It's the place to spend your lottery winnings in style. $$$$$

Stay safe

Just beware in Phillipsburg there is very little parking and the tow zone areas are very poorly marked. If the spot is free and you think it shouldn't be then it is probably a tow area.

Tourists report many instances of rental cars being rifled during scenic or other stops away from populated areas, e.g., Orient Beach. Organized teams can break in effortlessly. Best advice: Leave nothing of value in them at any time.

Pharmacies are denoted by a cross symbol, usually in neon.

If you're on Mahoe Bay or Sunset beach, watch out for approaching and departing planes. Get too close and a jet engine from a plane taking off can blast a lot of air into your face, or worse cause serious injury.

Get out

  • When leaving St. Martin by plane, travelers pay an exit tax at the Phillipsburg airport. Travellers departing on international flights pay US$30. Exempt are passengers flying with certain airlines, transit passengers and children under two. This tax is included in some airfares but for others travelers must pay at the airport. As of November 2007, US Airways does cover this tax. The exit tax to the other Netherlands Antilles Islands such as Saba and St. Eustatius is only $10.00. The exit tax does not apply to in transit travellers.
  • Short-hop flights and ferryboats are available to nearby islands such as St Barthelemy, Anguilla, and Saba.

This page was last edited at 02:18, on 29 March 2009 by Anonymous user(s) of Wikitravel. Based on work by Anthony Contorno and Haydee Peterson, Wikitravel user(s) Mdumaine, Huttite, Shaund and Cacahuate, Anonymous user(s) of Wikitravel and others.