The Caribbean is the perfect destination if you're looking for sand, sun and sea. Best of all is that it's a year-round destination and you don't have to wait for summer to enjoy warm weather. There are many great places to visit in the region but for one that offers something different, you may want to go Dutch: that is, St Maarten.
Sint Maarten, as the country is more officially called, makes up the southern part of the island of Saint Martin. It's located due east from Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands and just to the south of Anguilla. The northern part of the island belongs to the French and is known as Saint-Martin and it's incredibly easy to hop between the two sides.
Sint Maarten's capital is Philipsburg, which is also the largest settlement on the island in its entirety. Philipsburg is renowned as a shopper's paradise and is a popular port for cruise ships. It lies along Great Bay and is backed by the Great Salt Pond, so the town itself has a long, narrow lay-out. Apart from the shops, restaurants and beaches here, you'll also find museums and historic sights such as Fort Willem.
The capital of the French side, which is called Saint-Martin, is the town of Marigot. It lies in the west. For the best food on the island, however, head north to Grand Case, which is renowned for its excellent restaurants.
Of course the main attraction of any Caribbean destination is the many idyllic beaches and on Saint Martin Island you're spoiled for choice, with plenty of water-based activities to choose from too. One beach that is very famous for a rather unusual reason is Maho Beach. To get there, it's only about twenty minutes' drive from Philipsburg. What makes this beach famous is that it's directly on the flight path of landing aircraft and they fly over at a very low altitude. Plane spotters from around the world come here to get as close as possible to airplanes in flight.
While many of the activities on offer on Saint Martin Island are centered in or on the water, you'll find plenty to do on those days when you want to stay dry as well. Go for a hike or a ride on horseback, try a canopy tour, play golf or tennis or, for something different, wage a paintball war. On the French side there is a popular butterfly farm while on the northern shores of the Great Salt Pond you'll find Sint Maarten Zoo.
The best time to visit is, well, any time you want. Humidity and night-time temperatures are a little lower in the first third of the year, when it's dry season. However, this is high tourist season too. Low season coincides with the rainy season, which here only means short showers before the sun comes out to play again.
One way to get to Sint Maarten is by cruise ship, which will dock at Philipsburg. Even better is to fly into Princess Juliana International Airport, the main airport serving the entire island, with flight connections to the entire Caribbean, Panama, the USA and Canada as well as Amsterdam and Paris. Besides, you then get to see the airplane-watchers at Maho Beach from a different angle.
Sint Maarten, as the country is more officially called, makes up the southern part of the island of Saint Martin. It's located due east from Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands and just to the south of Anguilla. The northern part of the island belongs to the French and is known as Saint-Martin and it's incredibly easy to hop between the two sides.
Sint Maarten's capital is Philipsburg, which is also the largest settlement on the island in its entirety. Philipsburg is renowned as a shopper's paradise and is a popular port for cruise ships. It lies along Great Bay and is backed by the Great Salt Pond, so the town itself has a long, narrow lay-out. Apart from the shops, restaurants and beaches here, you'll also find museums and historic sights such as Fort Willem.
The capital of the French side, which is called Saint-Martin, is the town of Marigot. It lies in the west. For the best food on the island, however, head north to Grand Case, which is renowned for its excellent restaurants.
Of course the main attraction of any Caribbean destination is the many idyllic beaches and on Saint Martin Island you're spoiled for choice, with plenty of water-based activities to choose from too. One beach that is very famous for a rather unusual reason is Maho Beach. To get there, it's only about twenty minutes' drive from Philipsburg. What makes this beach famous is that it's directly on the flight path of landing aircraft and they fly over at a very low altitude. Plane spotters from around the world come here to get as close as possible to airplanes in flight.
While many of the activities on offer on Saint Martin Island are centered in or on the water, you'll find plenty to do on those days when you want to stay dry as well. Go for a hike or a ride on horseback, try a canopy tour, play golf or tennis or, for something different, wage a paintball war. On the French side there is a popular butterfly farm while on the northern shores of the Great Salt Pond you'll find Sint Maarten Zoo.
The best time to visit is, well, any time you want. Humidity and night-time temperatures are a little lower in the first third of the year, when it's dry season. However, this is high tourist season too. Low season coincides with the rainy season, which here only means short showers before the sun comes out to play again.
One way to get to Sint Maarten is by cruise ship, which will dock at Philipsburg. Even better is to fly into Princess Juliana International Airport, the main airport serving the entire island, with flight connections to the entire Caribbean, Panama, the USA and Canada as well as Amsterdam and Paris. Besides, you then get to see the airplane-watchers at Maho Beach from a different angle.
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Before you take a trip to the amazing St Maarten island, you should first read the guide that's published on our website. Come and check out this page now at http://www.st-maarten-island-guide.com.
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