Saint Maarten is the perfect island for a family trip. It is completely safe and has great restaurants, something of a nightlife scene and so many activities to take part in. Here are a few basics to help you plan your next trip.
Where to stay
If you are looking to stay in a hotel, I highly recommend Holland House. Located on the Dutch side of the island (the French side is Saint-Martin) in Phillipsburg, this boutique hotel is the perfect place to consider home base. With extremely comfortable beds and rooms large enough for you to actually move around, it is no wonder this hotel is one of the highest rated hotels on TripAdviser. Another perk to this hotel is that it is located near the cruise ship port—meaning there will be tons of activity all around during peak season months. The hotel is located on what locals refer to as “Front Street,” meaning it is the first streets cruise passengers access. Therefore, tons of shops, both local and high-end, surround the hotel.
If you are traveling with a group of people, I highly suggest you look into renting a home or condo from a website such as VRBO or Airbnb. There are tons of options at a range of different price points. And unlike most places, a lot of listings allow you to book for a just a minimum of two nights. On a recent trip to Sint Maarten, we booked a four-bedroom, four-and-a-half-bath condo in the Blue Marine neighborhood on VRBO and loved every single moment of it. The condo was a penthouse that took up the entire top floor, had a balcony attached to every bedroom, and had a pool on the balcony overlooking the ocean. A really cool perk was that our condo was located so close to the airport that the children I was with could watch planes take off and land from their bedroom’s balcony. And surprisingly enough, not a single airplane woke anyone in the house up at
night or in the morning.
Where to eat
Breakfast is not only the most important meal of the day but also my favorite. So when I am traveling, I have to find restaurants that offer a real American breakfast. A hard-boiled egg, tomato slices and a few slices of cheese will not cut it for me. I found two really awesome breakfast spots on the island of Sint Maarten that just so happen to be located across the street from one another. The first is Café Atlantico. Its authentic French pastries and coffees and small café feel are perfect for a quick breakfast. If you are looking for a little more of an experience, head over to the Sint Maarten Yacht Club. There you can sit on the harbor and look out onto an array of sailboats and yachts and watch them all parade under the drawbridge during its scheduled opening. The French toast is a must and the wait staff there refers to their Bloody Mary’s as “probably the best on the island.”
Dinner on the island is so much fun! My absolute favorite place is Calamos Café, located in Grand Case. The restaurant has picnic bench seating options in the sand, which means throughout your meal your feet will consistently meet the ocean’s tide. On the weekends during high season, the restaurant brings in a local live band to perform Caribbean classics as well as American Top 40 hits with a Caribbean flair. The menu is very extensive, but the burgers are great—try the one with fried goat cheese. Another great dinner option is any restaurant in Marigot Harbor. The area comes alive after dark with music and tons of people. All of the restaurants look out onto the harbor filled with sailboats, catamarans and other various boats. We ended up choosing Le Galion, but it was out of pure convenience. I honestly do not think you could go wrong
with any of the options.
Where to beach
You cannot visit Sint Maarten without visiting its most famous beach, Sunset Beach. Located at the end of the airport’s runway (yeah, you read the correctly) Sunset Beach continues to top the list of the world’s best beaches for one obvious reason: Its close proximity to the airport and visitors’ ability to stand directly under planes as they land. It truly is the coolest sight and one of those “I am definitely not in America” feelings. Beach goers spend all day waiting for the arrival of massive Boeing-747s from airlines such as Delta and KLM. When large planes take off from the runway, their engine blasts are so powerful they blow the beach sand, as well as everyone directly in front of it, which can be painful if you are not prepared. Luckily, you can enjoy the beach and all the fun without the pain by strategically sitting out of the way.
Another great beach on Sint Maarten is Orient Bay. There are dozens of beach bars and restaurants lining the beach, making it the perfect refuge for cruise passengers and tourists alike. The beach always has a great crowd, and there are tons of activities to take part in (think shopping, parasailing, jet skiing, etc.) You won’t find very many locals on this beach, aside from those working and those trying to sell you things as you lie on your beach chairs.
If you are looking for a more secluded beach, try Baie Rouge. Although you will still find tourists, as there are beach chairs and umbrellas available, there are not nearly as many here as at the other two beaches. This beach is much quieter and offers local food, as well as American favorites, from the grill headed by “the island’s best grill master” (if you ask him). The views of the ocean from this beach are breathtaking, and if you can you should try to watch the sunset from here.
Megan Pinckney (@shadesofpinck) is a retired beauty queen turned lifestyle blogger who loves exploring the world and writing about it.