St Maarten Vacation Guide

Introduction

St Maarten, one of three Windward Islands in the Netherlands Antilles, is geographically part of the Leeward Group of the Lesser Antilles. It is not strictly an island – it occupies just one third of an island otherwise under French control. St Maarten occupies the southern sector, an area of wooded mountains rising from white sandy beaches. The most prominent physical feature in St Maarten is Mount Flagstaff, an extinct volcano, but the most important for visitors is the excellent beach that follows the south and west coasts. Beach activities and shopping at duty-free centres satisfy most tourists.

Philipsburg, the capital and the only town of any size, is situated on a sand bar that separates Great Salt Pond, an étang or salt marsh, from the ocean. The entire town consists of two streets, Voorstraat (Front Street) and Achterstraat (Back Street). The shingled churches are worth seeing as are the ruins of several plantation mansions set in woodland outside the town. St Maarten’s cuisine is as varied as its history, combining Dutch, French, English and Creole influences. Seafood is a speciality.

Full country name: Sint Maarten
Area: 34 sq km
Population: 32,000
Capital City: Philipsburg
People: Mixed African and European descent
Language: Dutch, English
Religion: Roman Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, Seventh-Day Adventist
Government: municipality of the Netherlands Antilles
Time Zone: GMT/UTC -4 (Atlantic Standard Time)
Dialling Code: 5995
Electricity: 110V ,60Hz
Currency: Netherlands Antilles Guilder or Florin (ANG)

We constantly update vacation deals and flights + hotel packages for St Maarten and the Caribbean. You can also check out some of the best hotels and resorts in St Maarten with exciting attractions like golf, casino, scuba diving and other water sports. Popular hotels & resorts in St Maarten are Sonesta Maho Beach Hotel and Sapphire Beach Club Wyndham Resort.

US and Canadian citizens arriving at Juliana Airport on the Dutch side of Sint Maarten can stay up to three months with proof of citizenship. Acceptable ID includes either a birth certificate with a raised seal plus a government-approved photo ID such as a driver's license, or a passport that is not more than five years past its expiration date. Citizens of other countries entering the island on the Dutch side require a valid passport. A round-trip or onward ticket is officially required of all visitors.
More Information About Visa Requirements

Travellers from the US have the best air service to Sint Maarten. There are direct flights between Philipsburg and New York and Miami. There are also direct flights from Paris and Amsterdam; San Juan, Puerto Rico; Antigua; Guadeloupe; and St Barts and Martinique, some of which land in Espérance on the French side.

Cruise ships land passengers in Philipsburg. There are numerous daily ferries to and from Anguilla; daily catamarans to and from St Barts; and a ferry several times a week to and from Saba. Yachts can clear immigration at Philipsburg; there are marinas at Philipsburg, Oyster Pond and Simpson Bay Lagoon.

Despite its dual nationality, the border crossings between the French and Dutch sides are marked only with inconspicuous signs and there are no stops or other formalities when crossing over.

Renting a car is the best way to get around Sint Maarten. There are scores of agencies and your home driver's license is valid. Driving is on the right. There are also motorcycles (motorcycle license required), scooters and bicycles available. Taxis are plentiful and are a convenient and inexpensive way to get around during short stays. There are two kinds of buses available: public buses that run between Philipsburg and Mullet Bay, Simpson Bay and Marigot on the French side; and smaller (and more frequent) private minivans. Service to other destinations on the Dutch side is sketchy, so touring the whole island by bus is not practical.

St Maarten is comfortably warm all year; room rates are cheaper during the low season (December to February). St Maarten's Carnival usually begins the second week after Easter and lasts for two weeks, with steel band competitions, jump-ups, calypso concerts, beauty contests and costume parades. Sint Maarten Day on 11 November commemorates the peaceful 1817 reconciliation of the Dutch with their French neighbors. The Heineken Regatta, held the first weekend in March, features competitions for racing yachts, large sailboats and small multihulls.

St Maarten has beautiful white-sand beaches, ranging from crowded resort strands to long secluded sweeps. Most of the best and least developed beaches are on the French side. Dawn Beach has good snorkeling and swimming. Snorkelers can expect to find waving sea fans, soft corals and small tropical fish. When the swell picks up, Mullet Bay can be good for bodyboarding.

The island has good bicycling. You can cruise around Simpson Bay Lagoon, or cross to the French side and pump up to the top of 425m (1395ft) Pic Paradis.

Maho Bay, on the southwestern shore, is Sint Maarten's main resort area. It feels a bit like the Las Vegas strip: while little more than a block long, it's dense with multi-storey buildings, exclusive jewellers, boutiques, art galleries, restaurants and a huge resort and casino.

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