Image: St. Martin Tourist information Center at Marigot Port.
Highlights
– What to see and do in the tiny Caribbean island of Sint Maarten and Saint Martin.
Time of Visit: January 2026
Duration of Visit: Six Nights
Description
St. Martin is a single island in the Caribbean divided between two nations. The southern half is referred to as Sint Maarten and is an autonomous country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands (Dutch). The northern half, referred to as Saint Martin, is an overseas community of France and its inhabitants are considered French citizens. People and visitors can freely move between the two nations as there is no physical barrier or border crossing.
St. Martin is directly east of the US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. Just like any Caribbean Island, it is blessed with warm weather year round. It has many beautiful beaches and inviting water. But do not worry about the heat. The tradewinds blow frequently to provide relief.
We found the Caribbean islands to be a great island destination. Besides being in a foreign country, we feel the overall cost was cheaper than any beach destinations in the US. This includes airfare and hotel. Additionally, there is no language barrier as almost everyone speaks English. Plus the US dollar is widely accepted.
Here we provide the necessary information such as where to stay, how to get there, activities and expenses so that you can successfully plan your visit to St. Martin.
Activities
Beaches
St. Martin has many beaches to choose from. Fine golden sandy beaches and turquoise blue water is almost everywhere, especially on a sunny day. We were able to visit Anse Marcel, Baie Rouge, Dawn, Friars, Grand Case, Great Bay, Happy, Maho, Mullet and Orient.
Anse Marcel
Anse Marcel is at the island’s northern tip on the French side. The water was calm and there were not a lot of people. However, there were a lot of seaweeds that had washed on to the beach. It is also a short walk from the huge parking lot. This is one of two beaches we went swimming in.
Baie Rouge
Baie Rouge is on the French side at the island’s western end. The beach is tucked away without any sign or direction. There are no bars or restaurants so you have to bring whatever you need. The waves were big during our visit. It has a small dirt and rutted parking lot, probably enough for a couple of dozen cars. Our small rental car made it through but we had to go really slow and carefully pick our path.
Dawn Beach
Dawn Beach is at the island’s eastern end just south of Oyster Bay and the French-Dutch border. We accessed the beach through the JW Marriot resort. We just told the resort security guard we were looking for beach access and he gave us instructions on how to get to it through the hotel lobby. There was a strong current going from right to left as you face the ocean. This is a good place to go snorkeling as there are plenty of colorful fishes.
Orient Beach
Orient Beach is on the island’s east side just north of the border. There is a large parking area at its south end. It is a long beach with many beach chairs and umbrellas for rent. However, the rental costs are on the pricier side so some people just spread towels on the sand. Its water is very inviting for a swim. It is best to go there after 3PM if you plan to go the cheap route so you do not bake under the sun. We would have spent an afternoon here if it weren’t for being rained out for two days.
Friar’s, Grand Case and Happy Beaches
Friar’s, Grand Case and Happy Beaches are located within a few minutes drive from one another. We took one look at Friar’s and immediately left. Besides the waves being big, the beach did not look as nice as the others. Grand Case is a huge beach with hardly any people. The waves were also big and there were a lot of seaweeds giving the water a dirty appearance. So we just took one look and left.
Happy Beach is an adult only beach. We only found out that this is a nudist beach when we got there. It is a bare beach but there are trees nearby that provide shade while still being able to look at the ocean. Parking is on the side of the road and it takes about 10-12 minutes to walk to the beach through a torn down fence that has a private property sign.
Maho and Mullet Bay Beaches
Maho and Mullet Bay Beaches are all on the Dutch side not far from the airport. Maho is at the end of the airport runaway so it is a very popular spot for watching the airplanes land and take off. Maho was packed, almost elbow to elbow. There are a lot of bars and restaurants nearby. Parking is only possible at a paid parking area (free if you patronize the bars and restaurants).
Mullet Bay Beach is no better than Maho when it comes to crowd. The chairs and umbrellas are stacked five rows deep almost the entire length. In most cases, there was not even a space to squeeze in between beach chairs to get to the water. Its parking area is a rutted dirt lot that can hold 50 or so vehicles.
David’s Hole
David’s Hole is a hidden gem. I’ll let the picture speak for itself. To get to David’s Hole, you have to drive or walk the private drive that is about half a mile long. The entrance to the private drive is gated but open during the day (closed from 7PM to 7AM according to the sign). The entrance also has a no cars and motorcycle sign allowed (but we saw some cars going in and out). There is a dirt roundabout at the end of the private drive. David’s Hole is about a minute walk from the roundabout.
Day Trips to Anguilla and St. Barths
Day trips to Anguilla and St. Barths is a popular activity while at St. Martin. We stayed at both islands instead of doing the day trip though. We made separate stories for these islands.
Fort Louis
Fort Louis is in Marigot on the French side. The fort is located on top of a hill just above the mall and overlooks the town of Marigot. It is free to roam around the fort ruins which has a few rusty cannons, sections of the protective walls and a French flag whipping on a flagpole.
The fort can be reached on foot from the marina and not far from the tourist information office. Just look for the faded colored concrete stairs. It took us less than 20 minutes to get to the fort at a snail’s pace.
We think it’s best to visit the fort late in the afternoon and up to sunset. Besides the views being nice, you will have good photo opportunities.
Shopping at Marigot and Philipsburg
If you are looking for souvenirs, you can either go to Marigot or Philipsburg. Both are port areas. Marigot is the terminal for the ferry boats to Anguilla and St. Barts. Philipsburg is near the ferry terminal for the cruise ships and St. Barts too. The vendors at Marigot are all set-up by the port area while at Philipsburg, the vendors are lined up along Front Street. Parking at both locations can be difficult.
Parotte Ville Aviary
This is a must do while in St. Martin in our opinion. It is not everyday or everywhere that colorful and friendly parrots will land on your arms, head and shoulders. The admission may seem pricey but the experience was delightful and the memories will surely last a lifetime.
Rotary Lookout Point and Burger House
The rotary lookout point is an elevated wooden deck that provides a nice view of the shallow bay. You can even wade to the nearby islets when the tide is low.
Burger House is not really a destination but we included it because the food and the price were good. This one person food shack is a favorite by locals. The cook/owner/operator is friendly too. Don’t be put off by the loud music or the locals huddling together at the corner drinking their favorite beverages. They mind their own business and leave the customers alone.
How To Get There
The Princess Juliana International Airport (code SXM) connects St. Martin to the world. There are several flights from the eastern US that go to St. Martin.
Where To Stay
We stayed at an AirBnB on the Dutch side. There are a lot of resorts and hotels around the island. Picking a place to stay depends on primarily what you want to do on the island.
How To Get Around
There are no rideshares on the island. If you are not renting a car or scooter, your options are to hire a taxi or ride the minibuses. Taxis are very expensive but will efficiently get you around the island. However, taxis do not have meters. The cost would be whatever the driver tells you based on set rates. There is no haggling.
Minibuses are cheaper but they do not run on a set schedule. All you can do is wait at the bus stop until one comes by. Minibuses will have their route or destination written on a sign and placed behind the windshield.
We rented a small car while at the island. We found that we would come out ahead by renting a car compared to taking a taxi twice a day.
Expected Expenses
Currency
The island uses three currencies which are the Carribean guilder (XCG), Euro and the US dollar. Locals prefer to be paid in US dollars as it can be used in both the Dutch and French sides. The French side uses Euro and does not accept the guilder so the people on the Dutch side have to exchange their currency if they want to spend on the French side.
Some businesses on the French side will accept the US dollar on a 1:1 exchange to the Euro and others would have the conversion clearly posted. So it may be advantageous to bring lots of US dollars during the trip to cover the payments in cash.
Expenses
All the places written here are free to the public except for Parotte Ville Aviary.
Taxi: Fares are set based on the number of people, distance and how the driver figures it in his or her head. There are no meters, only guidelines as shown in the photo. Three times we rode taxis between Marigot and Princess Juliana Airport and the cost was always $25 for two people. The cost per person drops to $10 per person if there are 3 to 5 people riding according to our taxi driver. We also overheard the conversation between three tourists and a taxi driver. The taxi driver charged the three people $10 per person for a ride from Philipsburg Front Street to Marigot Port which is considerably further than from the airport to Marigot.
Orient Beach Chair and Umbrella Rental: Front row was $25 per chair with an umbrella, minimum two chairs. Back row is $5 cheaper per chair.
Parotte Ville Aviary: $15 per person
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Summary
St. Martin is an island in the Caribbean that is divided between two countries. The north half belongs to France while the south half is an autonomous country within the Kingdom of The Netherlands.
The island is blessed with many golden sandy beaches and turquoise water. Depending on the time of the year, the water can be calm or have big waves. Even on the windiest days, Anse Marcel and Orient Beach can be relatively calm compared to others.
Parotte Ville Aviary is the island’s unique attraction. This is the only place in our travels where we get to interact with friendly colorful parrots. And if you try hard enough, some may even talk to you.
With so many beaches and activities to choose from, we can understand why St. Martin is a popular tourist destination.