St. Martin is a magical island that is shared by the French and the Dutch; the two countries share an almost indiscernible and friendly border. However, each side maintains its distinctiveness and represents its own culture.
The island has a very calm and secluded environment that makes it a perfect spot for vacationers. The fact that the island has two distinct cultures makes it an exciting place to visit. The beautiful island is warm and sunny throughout the year, the average temperature is about 82 degrees Fahrenheit.
Marigot, the capital city of St. Martin, has a vibrant French culture – it has colonial houses, bistros, pastry shops, luxurious boutiques, and European fashions. The best part is that the entire city is very accessible and vacationer-friendly because it only has four wide streets.
The figure of Fort St. Louis is a huge historical monument that is located on the side of the island and it overlooks the Marigot Bay. While you’re looking at this monument, you can get a great panoramic view of the island. At the South of Marigot, there is a museum that preserves the island’s history and culture as it has an abundance of pre-Colombian treasures and extensive displays that manifest the plantation and slavery period.
Paradise Peak is the highest point on the island, after climbing 1,400 feet to the top, you can get a magnificent view of the landscape and tropical forest. On the east of the island, there is a small village called Orleans, or French Quarter, which still preserves some of the seventeenth-century structures. Spending a day in this beautiful village is a great learning experience that you will thoroughly enjoy.
There are a ton of fun-filled activities that the great island offers. St. Martin has thirty seven stunning and unique beaches. The beach at Grand Case and the Anse Marcel beaches have vibrant local cultures and are great beaches to visit with families. Orient Bay beach is unique because it has white sand and it offers a great variety of water-sports.
Dining in St. Martin is world famous- the cuisine there ranges from French delicacies to Asian and Indian cuisine. There are plenty of renowned restaurants on this island; many of them play music for dancing as well.
Given the rich culture of St. Martin, the gorgeous beaches, the historical sites, the enjoyable activities, and the romantic and peaceful atmosphere, a trip to this beautiful island will be a magical one that you will cherish for the rest of your life!
I visited St. Martin years ago and found the local bus system to be a good way to get around. Do you know if it still runs and is reliable?
I stayed in the DIVI Little Bay resort in 1999 and still class this as probably my best holiday ever. My friend and I dived with Dive Safaris in Philipsburg every day for a week, including a night dive, and at the end of the week we were made to feel like part of the family. Bobbie and Witney (the owners of Dive Safaris) even invited us to their home for a party with some friends and let us kip in their spare room on our last night there!
The accommodation at the DIVI was great – we self-catered and the resort had just been refurbed after a hurricane. Staff were very friendly. Philipsburg was a nice place to walk around, everyone spoke English and the bars and restaurants were varied and reasonably priced (apart from when the USS John F Kennedy aircraft carrier appeared in Great Bay and prices almost doubled overnight!).
We got a good deal on car hire through the DIVI resort (Thrifty Hire) and travelled the island several times over the week. The character of the island is different on the French side, very French, whilst the Dutch side is just Caribbean, or almost American. Marigot is lovely, and it helps if you can speak French although not essential. Restaurants and bars are a little more expensive than the Dutch side but very good with a definate French style. The whole town is very stylish in a very French way.
If travelling the whole island by car I would suggest paying the extra for a 4×4 as our little 1500cc FWD Kia struggled on some of the steep inland hills.
Combining a couple of days in Antigua, a weeks diving and exploring in St Maartens, and then Saba for a weeks deep diving, and a few days touring St Kitts and Nevis this was a busy but wonderful self-planned holiday. There were a few problems with delayed LIAT flights due to a strike but nothing too major to worry about.
I would recommend it to anyone, especially a reasonably experienced diver – Saba diving can be 40 metres (130 feet) so check qualifications.