The best things to do in St. Maarten

Some of the best things to do in St. Maarten include hiking, beach hopping, and exploring her history and culture.

St. Maarten island and Saint Martin island are unique.  Two separate countries nestled on one 33.5-mile Island.

The Dutch southern side of the island is Sint Maarten and the northern French side of the island is St. Martin. So wait for the corny joke……they’re both St’s. Bahahaha 🙂

I didn’t hear much Dutch spoken on the southern end but lots of French on the northern end. If your only language is English, don’t fret because almost everyone on the island speaks English.

St. Martin appears laid back, untouched and residential. The beautiful island of St. Martin is dotted with sails galore, endless beaches and countless watersports while St. Maarten pops with lively casinos, cruise ships, restaurants and vibrant nightlife.

Traveling with family

My family of five which included my two children, husband and mom ventured out to this beautiful island for four days.  If you want instant gratification as soon as you drive into St Maarten, you are setting yourself up for disappointment. The island’s true beauty is hidden and awaiting exploration.

I held many reservations about visiting St. Maarten due to Hurricane Irma’s recent visit. Reports on St Maarten’s hurricane recovery varied.  I watched this video for some insight and wasn’t swayed from visiting. It was probably the opposite.  Hurricane Irma’s devastation increased my desire to assist the economy.

Best times to visit St. Maarten

The best time to visit St. Maarten is November through June with lower rain showers. We visited in April over the Easter weekend.  St. Martin in April is beautiful. The St. Martin weather in April hovers around 83 degrees. We had no rainfall.

Visiting St Martin during Easter

If visiting during the Easter holiday, be aware that many things on the island are closed due to Good Friday and Easter Sunday.  It is a relaxing time of year to visit with families out and about. The breezy heat was pleasant. It was warm enough to enjoy the sand, but not hot enough to feel as if you could stop the world water shortage with your sweat.

Getting to St. Maarten

Jet Blue began running nonstop flights from Fort Lauderdale to St. Maarten airport in early 2019. This is a big boost for the St. Martin economy.

Yippee, Fort Lauderdale Airport is close to my home base!

This recent Jet Blue travel destination made it extremely easy for us to travel from Fort Lauderdale Airport to the island of St. Maarten. A passport with six months until expiration is necessary but, a visa is not.

I like traveling Jet Blue when possible for the following reasons: Jet Blue check-in is simple, Jet Blue legroom is great for taller individuals and Jet Blue seats are very comfortable.  It is a quality airline.

Unfortunately, our flight was delayed due to mechanical issues.  This appears to be a trend in most of our excursions.  Jet Blue’s flight delay was a pain in the rear end because we boarded the flight and after sitting on the plane for two hours they discovered we had irreparable fuel tank issues and needed to de-board.  We waited an additional two hours for a new plane.

After consulting with a gate agent, they provided each of us with a $10 meal voucher.    Unlike Air Canada or Southwest Airlines, Jet Blue did not announce the availability of meal vouchers however, Jet Blue was very kind to provide each traveler a $100 inconvenience credit.

How long is the flight from Fort Lauderdale, airport code FLL, to St. Maarten, airport code SXM?

The flight from Fort Lauderdale Airport to St. Maarten Princess Juliana International Airport is 2.5 hours.  Our plane landed smoothly with very little turbulence.   Princess Juliana International Airport sustained a significant amount of damage during hurricane Irma and while the damage is still evident it doesn’t take away from the beauty of landing nor does it slow down the customs process.

The oddest part of arriving in SXM is that after walking onto the tarmac we took a very short 400 ft. bus ride to customs. We could see the customs door.  It was comical that we weren’t expected to walk such a small distance.  Luxuries, I guess.

Arrival

Sint Maarten Airport customs is a breeze.  We rented a car from D Best Car Rental.  This was arranged through our Airbnb host.  The Saint Maarten car rental location was offsite but our host kindly transported us to the location. This is a friendly island! If we weren’t escorted, D Best Car Rental has a shuttle van for customers.

We rented a small Toyota Yaris. I would recommend you rent a small car or a small SUV because St. Maarten island is small and so are the parking spaces.

What currency is used in St. Maarten?

The Dutch south uses the Netherlands Antillean guilder and the French north uses the euro.  If you have US dollars there is no need to exchange money.  Dollars, MasterCard and Visa are accepted across the island.  Most items are priced in dollars alongside the local currency.

Where to stay in St. Maarten

St. Maarten island boasts many resorts, of which we utilized none.  Homestays are our preference when traveling with family due to greater space and amenities.  A kitchen is our number one amenity requirement.  Kitchens save money on dining out and allow you to chill water, drink wine and eat as much as you please without being dependent on a restaurant.  Therefore, we opted to stay in a St. Maarten Airbnb.

We chose an island home within Upper Prince’s corner. A lovely hillside Caribbean style home surrounded by local families.

Many of the homes in St. Maarten are closely nestled.  It is quite shocking how close some interior homes are stacked, while the mountain homes are spaciously scattered.

Driving to the home, I was initially underwhelmed.  Sint Maarten has many businesses and a lot of trash. Particularly small pieces of glass. Many trees were lost during the hurricane. The landscape is mountainous, but the mountains aren’t lush but are more akin to a desert mountain.  Cactus are prevalent and the dutch side of the island has a gritty feel. I judged the island too soon because as the days unfolded so did my discovery of its beauty.

Driving in St. Martin

How is driving on St. Martin island?  Should I rent a car or take a bus?  Is driving safe on Sint Maarten?  Driving in St. Maarten is not for the faint of heart.  The mountains are steep with twists and turns on every corner.  Speed bumps labeled and unlabeled are plentiful, and roundabouts are everywhere.  There are no traffic lights, so the speed bumps and roundabouts are necessary.

My husband is great at this style of driving so we fared well.  I am not as confident in my driving this terrain therefore if alone I would take a taxi or bus.  Many of the elevations appeared endless and you need another person as a lookout to see if anyone is coming around the corner.

Buses and taxis are affordable and easy to access.  Uber is unavailable on the island.  Renting a car allows you to explore at your convenience.

 Driving tips for St. Maarten

1. Go over the speed bumps SLOW. If not, your car will scrape the bump and this sound is scary. Nothing compares to feeling like you may have inadvertently cut your brake line or damaged your car rental. Not all speed bumps are marked so they may come with no warning.
2. Rent a small SUV if possible. Being higher helps with the speed bumps and some of the rapid drops that you will encounter when leaving hilly or raised areas.
3. Rent the smallest car you can fit into because parking is tight.
4. Drive cautiously. You can’t see everything so be cautious. That everything includes bikers. (I couldn’t believe people were biking up some of these mountainsides). People crossing the street dressed in black, and other cars cutting you off.
5. Rent a car with dents and scratches. Parking is tight and roads mountainous. Vacations have so many details to worry about the last thing you want to dote on is someone scraping or targeting your swanky vehicle.
6. Enjoy the locally made Guavaberry rum, but Don’t drive under the influence.

7. 

Things to do in St. Martin

What are the best things to do in St. Martin? The island is full of activities and sites to see.  These are not limited to  ATV excursions, beach hopping, visiting the beautiful and historic Fort Louis, eating pastries, indulging in great food, diving, sailing, carnival during the season, day trips to the surrounding islands of St. Barthelemy, Saba, or Anguilla.  Philipsburg, Marigot, and Grand Case are three beautiful places to see lots of life and eat great food.  Hiking is a beautiful way to see the island’s hidden treasures.  St. Martin excursions are easily set up through your home host, cruise line or hotel.

St. Martin’s Rain forest adventures focuses on creating an eco-friendly adventure.  You can tour the Rockland Estate and learn the history of the former slave family’s ownership or view the lush lands from a zipline, gondola, chair sky ride or downhill inner tube adventure.  Loterie Farm is a great way to chill in treetop cabanas, view spider monkeys or zipline through the forest.

For our short three-day trip to St. Maarten we went beach hopping, toured the island, climbed Fort Louis, and chilled at Loterie Farm.

Be aware that some Beaches are clothing optional

A note of caution for anyone who is a constant example of modesty, many of St. Martin’s beaches are clothing optional. Small bikinis, topless women, and or thong bottoms are a thing.  However, the only beach where I saw completely nude bodies was Orient Bay.  ½ of the beach is dedicated a bikini beach and the other half is nude.  This is all music to my ears because I am a fan of the itsy-bitsy tiny weenie bikini.

So, don’t be shy and don’t feel pressured to take it off either.  While St. Martin Island is the place to dawn your Brazilian bikini or thong bathing suit bottom, I also witnessed many full coverage swimsuits.

St. Maarten’s beaches have lovely turquoise waters.  My dear son will only go in the ocean if he can see to the bottom.  St. Martin’s beach water fits the bill because it is not only gorgeous in color but clear.  The sandhills are steep because the tide rises very far on the beach and the sand area is not massive.

St. Martin’s best beaches

1. Baie Rouge or Red Bay Beach

A private beach located on the western side of French St. Martin near the exclusive Terre Basse community, Baie Rouge has soft red-tinted sand.  A group of words to best describe St. Martin’s Baie Rouge beach is velvet opulence.

The sand is not a distinct red, but right where the water meets the sand Baie Rouge beach takes on a reddish-brown tint.   Also known as Red Bay beach, the sand is soft and tender yet firm enough to grasp between your feet.  It has a melt in your foot type feeling.

Do not fret or think that it is too soft to do the ultimate beach activity.  Sandcastles are built easily and taken down quickly by the rising tides. Along with the amazing sand, I greatly appreciate the beach’s privacy. I decided to dawn my smallest bikini on this beach.

2. Mullet Bay

A local beauty, Mullet Bay is located on the south-western end of St. Maarten. Very close to the airport and popular Maho Beach.  This breathtaking beach was crowded enough to be fun but not feel cramped.  She is full of families, music, and dancing.  We even witnessed a drinking competition, I felt as if we were with the people.

As soon as you arrive on Mullet Bay beach, a man possibly dawning locks will approach you to purchase an umbrella chair. Don’t accept the first price.  He is most likely willing to hackle.

Our first offer was $20 for one chair and one umbrella. We ended up with two chairs and two umbrellas for $15.  Was that the best price?  I don’t know but it was much better than the first, so we felt accomplished.  Parking is difficult as the space to park is packed and homemade spaces are tightly woven.  Families gathered at picnic tables and music blasted.

Beach chair rental ended at 4 pm and people continued to cascade onto the beach as others left.

3. Orient Bay

Orient Bay beach is in north-east St. Martin.  Although the beach was full of water-sports, kite surfing ruled these waters.  One side of the beach is a designated bikini beach and the other is nude and does not allow photography.  The nude side is not visible from the bikini side.  There is a small café alongside the nude side of the beach.

Orient bay beach had the largest sand mass and although public it was not overrun with crowds.  The turquoise water envelops you and the surrounding rocks provide a sense of awe.

We spent the majority of our time on the bikini side. For proper exposure, we also ventured onto the Orient Bay’s nude beach.  I want my children comfortable will their bodies and all body types. In my eyes, the perfect way to see nudity without sexualization.  Orient Bay’s nudist beach has a smaller amount of sand and is lined with nude bodies sitting on beach chairs and exploring the ocean.

4. Maho

Maho Beach is very close to Princess Juliana Airport, adjacent to a resort and casino as well as a fabulous location to watch airplanes flying directly over your head.  Nightlife and restaurants are within walking distance of the beach.  Maho is full of tourists trying to snap that perfect social media photo. The beach is beautiful but overcrowded and not the way I wish to enjoy sandy escapades.

Additional things to do in St. Maarten

Loterie Farm

We were short on time; therefore we weren’t able to check out the fly zone treetop adventures at Loterie Farm.  We explored Loterie Farm’s cabanas, pool, and natural preserve.  Loterie Farm after Irma is not fully restored.  There are still signs of damage and rebuilding but there is a prevalent laid-back vibe.  This is a nice chill spot to relax with your family, friends, or romantic partner.  There are various nightlife celebrations as well.

Fort Louis

I can’t visit an island without experiencing some of its history.  Located in Marigot, Fort Louis is elegantly restored.  It exists as an important reminder of colonization and the untold stories of the many people who have been victims of imperialism.  Fort Louis’ terrain is rocky and offers magnificent views of sailboats and the neighboring island of Anguilla.  For those who wish to take a day trip, a ferry boat leaves from Marigot Bay every 45 minutes to Anguilla.

Enjoy carnival

St. Maarten’s carnival 2019 runs from April 22 – May 6, 2019.  This year marks St. Maarten carnival’s 50th anniversary. Luckily, we visited during this time and participated in a Jump Up that officially opened the carnival village in Philipsburg, Sint Maarten.  St. Marteen Jump Ups are more of a party without the fuss and flare that goes along with the actual carnival parade.

The festivity was small and filled with young and old alike whining and playing steel drums.  I love carnival and soca music.  My mom jumped around as we watched from the side streets.  We weren’t able to dance the night away because my children are still too young to stay up and party all night in a carnival celebration.  Watching from a close distance allowed us to view the carnival trucks and see the spirit of the Jump Up participants.  The music was nice and dancers ready to buss a wicked whine.

Sint Maarten vs. Saint Martin

Sint Maarten is very friendly and has the grit of a city while Saint Martin feels more residential with more green space.  Each side of the island boasts beautiful beaches but my win for the beaches goes to St. Martin while St. Maarten’s people were slightly friendlier.

St. Maarten has greater activity and St. Martin appears to have suffered greater hurricane damage.  The island is small.  I recommend exploring each side of the island to discover her hidden own treasure troves.  St. Martin island after Irma is in a state of repair. Tarps line countless roofs, sunken boats lie in open waters, and many businesses haven’t reopened.

This should not hinder you from exploring St. Maarten after Irma.  What is open and repaired is more than enough to make it trip worthy.  My goal when visiting anywhere is to experience not just the view but immerse myself in some of the culture.  Ultimately, we enjoyed St. Martin island and next time we will visit the adjacent islands and revel in some of St. Martin’s excursions.  Our four-day trip was short and sweet.

Check out more on St. Martin’s beautiful beaches here