I attended a Caribbean medical school on the island of St. Maarten, and lived there for almost two years. I came to love this island and plan to visit as often as I can. It is the smallest piece of land to be divided between two governments, the French and the Dutch. The name of the island even has two different spellings – Sint Maarten (Dutch) and Saint Martin (French). My medical school, American University of the Caribbean, was on the Dutch side of the island. I also lived on the Dutch side, so most of my experiences are in this area. But there are great places to visit all over the island!
The island is quite small, only about 9 miles east to west and 8 miles north to south. The main road goes around the perimeter of the island and it takes less than a full day to make the drive. This means that all of the 30+ beaches on the island are very accessible. There are two main cities, Philipsburg on the Dutch side and Marigot on the French side. The island was hit very hard by hurricane Irma in 2017, and parts of the island are still recovering. I haven’t been back since then, but I’ve heard that many places are back up and running!
The main airport on the island is on the Dutch side. Princess Juliana airport is famous for its runway, which buts up to Maho Beach. Standing on the beach, the airplanes almost graze your head when they land, which is quite an experience with a 747! Sunset Beach Bar is right in the middle of all the action, with great food and drinks. There are also two very large resorts here that are very popular. Just down the road is another favorite beach of mine at Mullet Bay. This is right near the medical school and very popular with locals as well. There is always something fun going on there!
If you ever visited St. Maarten on a cruise, you likely docked in Philipsburg for the day. It is full of tourist friendly (and duty-free) shops and restaurants. Great Bay Beach stretches in front of Phillipsburg and is a beautiful place to relax. There are two historic forts, Fort Amsterdam and Fort Willem, that you can hike up to for great views of Phillipsburg. You can also see St. Barths on a clear day. A little farther inland is where you can find grocery stores and even an island version of Costco.
Simpson Bay is where you will find a wealth of restaurants from all different types of cuisine. This is where the drawbridge is that lets all the yachts into Simpson Bay Lagoon. St. Maarten is a favorite docking place for some of the most amazing yachts. There is even a Yacht Club at Port de Plaisance. Simpson Bay is also home to one of my favorite beaches, which is rarely crowded and a great place to relax.
Every year the island is host to the Heineken Regatta during the first weekend in March. This race has grown to over 200 boats over the years and has some great parties associated with it. After the sailing, participants get to experience local and international performers, all while drinking ice cold beers of course! If you’re into sailing you should really check this out.
On the French side, Marigot is home to a fabulous outdoor market that I always loved. On one side is your typical food market, with locals selling all kinds of fresh food. The other side is an area where local artisans come twice a week to sell their goods. There are lots of touristy booths with little souvenirs as well, but I love the artist booths. Marigot is also home to lots of cafes and restaurants, as well as Fort St. Louis. You can hike up here to get a view of the town.
Grand Case is another town on the French side advertised as the culinary capital of the Caribbean. There are restaurants of every type and price point here, as well as bars and nightclubs for that after dinner experience. Mixed in with the restaurants are little boutiques and art galleries that you browse as well.
Not far from Grand Case is the road to Pic Paradis, the highest point on the island. You can drive most of the way up and then hike the rest of the way. This is a great way to view the island and a great place for pictures. On the road up, you can stop at Loterie Farms, which has been developed as a private nature reserve. There is a tree top zip line course called “Fly Zone” that is a lot of fun, and runs right through the most lush landscape on the island.
Orient Bay, on the northeast side of the island, is a great place for water sports and surfing. It is windier over here, with much better waves than other areas of the island. Orient Beach is also home to a popular clothing-optional section of beach on the south end. This area was hit very hard by hurricane Irma and may still be rebuilding. I always loved the little beach bars lining Orient Bay, and I hope it gets back to normal soon!
All over the island are opportunities for fun water adventures. Multiple beaches offer jet ski rentals. There are snorkeling tours by kayak or small motor rafts. You can scuba dive (I got certified here) and even charter boats for tours around the island. You can even do island tours in jeeps or on ATVs. If you need adventure, there is always something fun going on! There are is also lots of nightlife on the island, with multiple casinos and many nightclubs open until early in the morning. We never seemed to run out of places to go, even on this small island!
St. Maarten was a great place to spend a couple years of my life. You do have to adjust to island life – things move a little slower and people are more relaxed. Some of my classmates didn’t adapt well, but I never had a problem with that. I love beautiful islands and beaches, and can’t wait to go back to St. Maarten again!
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