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Caribbean islands

My Favorite Things to Do in St. Martin

by Maggie Leave a Comment

St Martin - favorite things to do in St Martin

St. Martin/St. Maarten is a small and charming island in the Caribbean Paradise that is so easy to fall in love with.

Since the 17th century, the island has been shared by the Netherlands and France. However, there is no official border between the two sides and you do not need a passport to get from one side to another.

The French calls the island Saint Martin. This side of the island is well known for its lovely landscapes, fine dining, pristine beaches, and an appreciation of all pleasures in life.

The Dutch calls the island Sint Maarten. And this side is well known for its festive nightlife, sandy beaches, casinos, and jewelry shopping.

But the nickname “SXM” united both sides with the slogan ‘the friendly island”. The whole island is a melting pot of cultures, history, food, and activities.

After visiting this Caribbean Paradise for a week, I came up with a list of my favorite things to do in St. Martin.

The Dutch side of the island

Explore Philipsburg

Philipsburg is the Dutch capital of the island and is located with a stunning view of the Great Bay beach.

If you like to shop, Philipsburg is the ideal location. Front Street is lined with high-end boutiques and jewelry stores. You will find plenty of fine jewelry, watches, designer clothes, electronics, and more. It is duty-free heaven for shoppers!

Even though plenty of stores got closed during the covid-19 pandemic, many are back and reopened for business.

The Boardwalk in Philipsburg-St Martin

I like the Boardwalk. It is the most popular place in town and has many options for lunch and dinner. You can go for a swim in the blue waters of the Great Bay, lounge on the beach, and then come back to the Boardwalk for a tropical cocktail.

Many beachfront restaurants are serving the fresh catch of the day – Caribbean lobster, grilled snapper, and conch fritters.

However, when a few cruise ships are docked, the Boardwalk and Front Street can be overcrowded with tourists.

Mullet Bay Beach

Mullet Bay beach was one of my favorite spots on the island.

The moon-shaped Mullet Bay is a beautiful beach with perfect soft white sand and bright turquoise waters. Thanks to its protected coves the water is calm most of the time with just a few occasional waves. This is a perfect spot to spend the whole day.

Mullet Bay beach - my favorite things to do in St Martin

We booked beach chairs in advance and brought our own food so we could have a picnic on the beach. But there are two small beach restaurants if you need food and drinks. Beach chairs and umbrellas are available for rent but bring cash.

The French side of the island

Orient Bay Beach

St. Martin island is blessed with 37 gorgeous beaches. But Orient Bay beach is probably one of the most famous in the entire Caribbean and is often called “St Tropez of the Caribbean”.

Orient Bay Beach in St Martin

This 2-mile-long, white powdered sand beach is truly beautiful. It is protected from the Atlantic waves by a reef so, the snorkeling here is just incredible. But be warned! Because one part of this beach is famous for its nudity.

Many bars and restaurants are directly located on the beach. But when Hurricane Irma hit the island in 2017 it left a trail of devastation on Orient Bay. All beach bars were wiped out and all vegetation and many coconut trees were swept away.

Luckily, the vegetation is growing back quickly, and the beach still has soft white sand, and the colors of the sea are still spectacular.

I am glad that most of the beachfront bars and restaurants have reopened for business.

Coco Beach Restaurant in St Martin

We made reservations at the charming Coco Beach restaurant. It lies towards the northern end of Orient beach. After delicious lunch with a view, we spent the rest of the day swimming in clear tropical waters and lounging on comfortable beach chairs with matching umbrellas.

Grand Case village

Grand Case is a charming town facing Grand Case Bay. There is only one major road in Grand Case – Boulevard de Grande Case and it is lined up with restaurants, bars, and clothing boutiques.

Grand Case is a small town, and you may want to park yourself at one of the beachfront restaurants for the whole day. The most popular ones Captain Frenchy’s and Rainbow Café are right next to one another at the end of the main strip of restaurants on Boulevard de Grande Case.

Also, this small town is often called a “Culinary Capital of the Caribbean”. Many top chefs of the world opened their restaurants here. You can find an interesting mix of French Caribbean and Creole cuisines.

If you want to splurge on a gourmet feast via European style, you should make reservations at famous restaurants such as Ocean 82, Le Temps de Cerise or Villa Royale. These restaurants have full bars with great wine selection. Your dinner will be pricey but worth every bit of it.

But if you want to get a taste of less expensive food, I recommend eating at the local Lolos.

Grand Case-local barbeque Lolos

The open-air barbeque stands are called “Lolo” by locals. These are a good place for a well-seasoned rack of ribs, chicken, or grilled red snapper served with rice, beans, and coleslaw. I would highly recommend dining here at least once.

The full platter costs from $10 to $20 and is a real bargain on pricey St. Martin. We paid $100 for the four of us for big plates of grilled snapper with vegetables, salads, and drinks. Just remember to bring cash, there is a sign “no credit cards”.

Besides the 5-star restaurants and local barbeque Lolos, you must visit the beach.

Grand Case Bay beach has stunning turquoise waters and golden sand. There are plenty of beach chairs and umbrellas for rent.

Trip to Pinel Island

Pinel Island is located on the Northeast side of St. Martin and is set in the heart of the French Marine Park. This place is popular with locals and tourists so you should come early to find a parking spot.

Pinel Island waters

One day we decided to visit this little treasure in the middle of the Caribbean Sea. We drove to the Cul de Sac on the French side and took a small ferry for a ten-minute ride. The first ferry arrives around 9:30 a.m. and operates every half hour until 5 p.m. Expect to pay $12 per person for a round trip and $25 for the chairs. Bring cash!

Yes, Pinel Island is a bit expensive to visit but well worth it.

The first thing you see is picture-perfect scenery – the turquoise water and the white sand of the beach surrounded by coconut trees.

Karibani beachfront restaurant Pinel Island

There are two cute French restaurants with full facilities and a souvenir shack at the back of the main beach. The two main restaurants are Yellow Beach and Karibuni. We prefer Karibuni. But both places serve fresh lobster and seafood, and you should expect to spend around $150 for lunch with drinks for two people.

Pinel Island yellow beach chairs

We had so much fun laying out under our umbrellas, drinking frozen mojitos, and taking dips in the crystal-clear Caribbean water.

Hiking or driving to Pic Paradis

You cannot miss the adventure of hiking or drive to Pic Paradis.

Pic Paradis is the highest point of the island at a height of 1,391 feet. It rises from the center of St. Martin on the French side and is not far from the village Colombier.

If you are ready to explore St. Martin wilderness, you should go hiking or rent a car and drive to the top of the mountain. There are plenty of hiking trails leading to the observation decks. A view from the deck over the island and the rainforest below is spectacular. If you are lucky, you will see wild monkeys eating peacefully in the shade of big trees.

The coastal hikes and walking trails are also very popular. Make sure to climb to the top of the hills because the views from the peaks give breathtaking panoramic views of the island. You can find many places for incredible photos.

Where did we stay in St. Martin?

When it comes to where to stay, it depends on what you are looking for. The island offers a wide range of accommodation, from the five-star resorts to charming boutique hotels. In addition to that, there is a big variety of timeshare and condo rental options.

Regardless of whether you choose to stay on the Dutch or French side, everything is relatively close and easy to access with a rental car.

We stayed at Divi Little Bay Beach Resort. Divi is a timeshare resort with 235 rooms, three pools, four restaurants, a mini-mart, and a gift shop. You can choose from an all-inclusive package (a rare option on this island) or room only.

Divi location

The resort is located on a peninsula within walking distance of Philipsburg on the Dutch side of the island. The best part that is located on its private beach facing Little Bay waters. I believe it has a perfect location for a relaxing stay on a tropical island.

I would recommend renting a car if you are planning to explore other sides of the island.

Divi amenities

The resort has a full-service spa, gym, water-sports center, and several shops. There are two swimming pools located at Seabreeze bar and a new infinity pool on the hilly side of the resort. The bars and restaurants provide a great mix of fine dining and casual poolside snack options.

Divi hotel value

We stayed at Divi hotel for seven days and paid $2,600 for a junior suite. I believe that on this island where hotels are quite expensive, this was a good value for our money.

Divi Resort -view from my room

Our room was spacious and comfortable with a scenic view of Little Bay beach. The room had an open concept of sleeping and sitting areas with a kitchenette and a bathroom with a jacuzzi and a large-size shower room.

Final Thoughts

There are many great reasons to visit the island – history, culture, beaches, food, fun, and shopping. We did not have time to take in all the sights of this beautiful island.

But we were happy to explore and experience a small piece of this paradise that is a little Dutch and a little French.

Have you traveled to St. Martin? What is your favorite things to do in the Caribbean?

Filed Under: Caribbean, Travel Tagged With: Caribbean islands, Caribbean vacation, things to do in St Martin, traveltips, visit St. Martin

Our Trip to St. Martin

by Maggie 2 Comments

View of St. Martin Island

St. Martin/St. Maarten is a charming slice of Caribbean Paradise that is so easy to fell in love with.

Since the 17th century, the island has been shared by the Netherlands and France. However, there is no official border between the two sides and no passport is required to get from one side to the next.

The French side calls the island Saint Martin (capital Marigot) and the Dutch side Sint Maarten (capital Philipsburg). The island is a melting pot of cultures, history, food, and activities.

St. Martin’s Dutch side is well known for its festive nightlife, sandy beaches, casinos, and jewelry shopping.

St. Martin’s French side is known for its nude beaches, “Mardis de Grand Case” street festival, clothes shopping, and gourmet restaurants.

Roman and I first visited the island when we were on a Caribbean cruise. We spent around 6 hours on the Dutch side, enjoying the beach, food and some shopping. This time we decided to spend a whole week on the island and explore it in full.

Where is it located?

St. Martin is a tiny island located in the northeast part of the Caribbean not far from Puerto Rico. Several airlines fly directly to the island from Europe, US, and Canada. The Princess Juliana International Airport is considered one of the busiest airports in the Caribbean.

It’s also a favorite port of call for many Caribbean cruises and a popular base for island hopping.

We flew to St. Martin from Boston Logan airport with Jet Blue airlines to spend a week exploring.

As a tourist, I got the feeling that this 34 sq. miles island may offer many things to see and to do compared to similar size Caribbean islands.

Our list of places to visit and things to do in St. Martin

The Dutch side of the island:

Explore Philipsburg

View of the Great Bay and Philipsburg

Philipsburg is the Dutch capital of the island and it is located within the stunning view of Great Bay blue waters. It’s easy to walk around a few streets of this town sandwiched between the Salt Pond and Great Bay.

There are many beach front restaurants serving up the fresh catch of the day, Caribbean lobster and conch fritters. The Boardwalk is the most popular place and has many options for lunch and dinner. You can go for a swim in the pristine waters of Great Bay, lounge on the beach and then come back to the Boardwalk for a tropical cocktail.

If you like to shop, Philipsburg is the ideal location. Front Street is lined with high-end boutiques and jewelry stores. You’ll find plenty of fine jewelry, watches, designer clothes and more. It’s duty-free heaven for shoppers!

Maho Beach and Airplanes

Maho beach is world famous for low-flying airplanes. There is a community of people who try to capture the “rush” of jets flying right over their heads. Many “plane spotters” and tourists try to capture the thrilling experience as the planes land or take-off at Princess Juliana International Airport.

We went to Maho beach, but unfortunately never spotted any airplanes. We did enjoy a couple of cocktails at the beach bar and heard stories about people being blown into the water the jet blast of large planes.

The French side of the island:

Orient Bay (Baie Orientale) Beach

Orient Bay beach - St. Martin
Orient Bay Beach at Kontiki Bar

St. Martin island is blessed with 37 gorgeous beaches. But Orient Bay beach is probably the most famous in the entire Caribbean. But be warned! Parts of this beach is famous for its nudity.

This 2-mile-long, white powdered sand beach is beautiful and protected from the Atlantic waves by a reef. So, the snorkeling here is just incredible.

Orient Bay is the only beach on St. Martin with many bars and restaurants directly located on the beach.

Unfortunately, Hurricane Irma left a trail of devastation on Orient Bay. All beach bars were wiped out. All vegetation and many coconut trees were swept away. However, the beach still consists of a large curve of white sand and the colors of the sea are still spectacular. The vegetation is growing back quickly, and the beach bars are reopening.

We had a wonderful lunch at Kontiki Bar. After that, we spent the rest of the day swimming in clear tropical waters and lounging on the beach chairs with matching umbrellas. No wonder this beach is called the “St. Tropez of the Caribbean”.

Grand Case – Fishing Village

St. Martin has a reputation of a culinary melting pot of cultures and flavors. The small beach town of Grand Case on the French side is often called a “Culinary Capital of the Caribbean”. Many top chefs of the world opened their restaurants here. You will find an interesting mix of French Caribbean and Creole cuisines. If you want to get a taste of less expensive food, try to eat at the local “Lolo”.

Open-air barbecue stand "Lolo"
The barbecue stand is called “Lolo” by locals. It means “locally owned, locally operated”.

The open-air barbecue stands are called “Lolo” by locals. They are a good place for a well-seasoned rack of ribs, chicken or grilled red snapper served with rice, beans, and coleslaw. The full platter costs from $10 to $20, and a real bargain on pricey St. Martin.

I would highly recommend dining here at least once. The Grand Case Boulevard and the beach are lined up with restaurants and Lolos. So, there are plenty of options to choose from.

Grand Case’s Street Festival

The colorful “Mardis de Grand Case” festival starts on the second Tuesday of January. It held every Tuesday evening for 12 weeks.

We were lucky to see the last parade of the year. We drove to Grand Case with friends. There were many tourists and locals sitting at Lolo’s or just walking around. The street was lined up with vendor’s tables and stalls selling art, crafts, and food.

St. Martin's street festival
The local dancers dressed up in colorful costumes

We had dinner at one of Lolos and watched the parade. The dancers in colorful, tropical costumes walked the street under the rhythms of Caribbean music.

I would recommend visiting the event if you happen to be on the island during these months.

Pinel Island (Ile de Pinel)

Pinel Island's beach
Pinel Island’s beach

Pinel Island is located at the North East side of St. Martin and set in the heart of the French Marine Park. The place is popular with locals and tourists.

One day we decided to visit this little treasure in the middle of the Caribbean Sea. We drove to the Cul de Sac on the French side and took a small boat/ ferry for a five-minute ride.

The first thing you see is a picture-perfect scenery – the turquoise water and the white sand of the beach surrounded by coconut trees.

There are two cute French restaurants and a souvenir shack at the back of the main beach. The island is a perfect place for a relaxing day of swimming, snorkeling or sunbathing with a glass of cold rum punch.

Hike to Pic Paradis

Pic Paradis is the highest point of the island at a height of 1,391 feet. It rises from the center of St. Martin on the French side not far from the village Colombier.

One day we decided to go hiking with friends who stay on the island every year for a few weeks. We were lucky that they know this area well. We followed the trails all way up and come to one of the two observation decks. The view from the deck over the island and lush rain forest below was spectacular. On our way down we saw a group of wild monkeys eating peacefully within the shade of big trees.

Loterie Farm

We never stopped at Loterie Farm which is located at the foot of the mountain. But we passed it on our way back from Pic Paradis. I had a feeling that I would love to spend some time at this secret hideaway.

A former sugar plantation, this private nature sanctuary is very popular with tourists. Loterie Farm is well-known as a place for great food and drinks in the lush green surroundings, and swimming pools with cascades and tropical cabanas.

Marigot

Marigot is a capital of the French side of St. Martin. Before going on this trip, I read a lot about this town. It was described as a pleasant place with brightly colored Creole-style houses, chic boutiques, and delicious restaurants.

Unfortunately, Hurricane Irma brought a lot of damage to this charming place. We saw many houses in ruins without roofs, doors, and windows. The whole island suffered huge devastation after September 2017. The town is slowly recovering from the hurricane, but it will take time before the traces of the disaster will be removed from the island.

Where to stay in St. Martin?

When it comes where to stay, it can depend on what you’re looking for. The island offers a wide range of accommodation, from five-star resorts to charming boutique hotels. There are many timeshare or condo rental options. Most hotels and resorts are located on the island’s beaches. Regardless of whether you choose to stay on the Dutch or French side, everything is relatively close and easy to access with a rental car.

We stayed at Divi Little Bay Beach Resort. Divi is part of large chain resorts.

Divi Resort on St. Martin
Divi Little Bay Beach Resort

St. Martin’s Divi resort is located on a peninsula within walking distance of Philipsburg on the Dutch side of the island. It is a timeshare resort with 235 rooms, three pools, four restaurants, a mini-mart, and a gift shop. You can choose from an all-inclusive package (rare option on the island) or room only.

Hotel location: located on its own private beach facing Little Bay waters. It is a perfect location for a relaxing stay on a tropical island. You’ll need to rent a car if planning to explore other sides of the island.

Hotel room: our room was spacious and comfortable with a scenic view of Little Bay beach. The room had an open concept of sleeping and sitting areas with a kitchenette and a bathroom with a Jacuzzi and large-size shower room.

Hotel amenities: the hotel has a full-service spa, gym, water-sports center, and several shops. There are two swimming pools located at Seabreeze bar and new infinity pool on the hilly side of the resort. The bars and restaurants provide a great mix of fine dining and casual poolside snack options.

Hotel value: we paid $2,600 per person for all-inclusive air and hotel package. I believe that on this island where hotels are quite expensive, this was a good value for our money. We stayed at the resort for seven days and enjoyed a good service, great amenities, food, and a beautiful beach.

dinner at Divi resort's restaurant
The sunset and dinner at the resort’s restaurant

There are so many reasons to visit the island: history, culture, beaches, food, fun, and shopping. We didn’t have time to take in all the sights of this beautiful island.

But we were happy to explore and experience a small piece of this paradise that is a little Dutch and a little French.

Have you ever visited St. Martin?

Filed Under: Caribbean, Travel Tagged With: Caribbean islands, travel to St. Martin

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Hi, I'm Maggie. Welcome to Save, Invest & Retire! I am on a mission to help baby boomers learn how to save & invest smart. Follow me on detailed information about retirement planning, travels, and living the life of your dreams.

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