Page Index: Sightseeing...Beaches...Restaurants...General Info...Photo Galleries

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Sightseeing - the island tour

Don't be afraid to explore on your own. Even without an island map, you can't get lost. There's pretty much only one road that runs the entire loop around the island, through both Dutch St. Maarten and French St. Martin. There are no formal border crossings between each country, just signs welcoming you from one side to the other. The directions below start at The Ocean Club at Cupecoy, which is on the Dutch / French border, just past the Mullet Bay area.

Leaving The Ocean Club at Cupecoy Beach, turn left heading into the Lowlands area. As you come to the first bend in the road, there will be a small dirt parking area on the left side of the road, alongside a white cinderblock wall. This is the entrance to the French side of Cupecoy Beach. You can also reach the French side of Cupecoy Beach via a short beachside path, leading from the parking lot adjacent to Ocean Club, but be careful – this path has seen its share of muggings.

Rounding the bend at French Cupecoy, the road continues uphill with a view of the lagoon on your right, and passes one of the border signs. Once into the French side of the island, you'll travel through an area of exclusive gated villas belonging to the likes of Michael Jackson, Janet Jackson, Sly Stallone, Diana Ross, Frank Perdue, etc.. There is a sign in this area for La Samanna, a resort catering to the rich and famous. To get to La Samanna, turn left off the main road and head down the road a short ways. La Samanna is on Long Bay, however they probably won't let you pass through the resort to get to the beach. A little past La Samanna is a public entrance to the beach at Long Bay, and a short distance down the road past Long Bay is the entrance to Plum Bay (Baie de Prunes). These entrances are not well marked, except for the presence of small parking areas, and fenced walkways through the trees out to the beach. Plum Bay is pretty desolate – if it bothers you not having anyone else around, head somewhere else. If it doesn’t, enjoy the solitude.

Continuing along on the main road, you'll come to the entrance to Baie Rouge (Red Bay). Long Bay, Plum Bay, and Baie Rouge are three of the longest, most scenic beaches on the French side. From the area of Baie Rouge, you'll head down a long straight section of road into the Nettle Bay area. There are many resorts and hotels in this area, as well as bakeries, small shops, car rental locations, a cinema, and several speed bumps. Just after this area is the small village of Sandy Ground. One of the two drawbridges on the island is located in Sandy Ground. Be sure to check and make a note of bridge opening times, usually around 9:00 AM, late morning, and around 5:30 PM. Depending on the amount of boat traffic entering and leaving the lagoon, you could sit there for a while when the bridge opens.

Leaving Sandy Ground, you'll travel on Rue de Morne Rond into Marigot, the capital of the French side. As you enter Marigot, there will be a museum and the Marigot tourism information building on the right as you approach the marina area. If you're heading down to the Marigot waterfront, turn into the parking lot on the left, just before the cemetery with the stone wall around it.

Entering the parking lot, drive straight to the water's edge, and then turn right onto Blvd de France for a drive along Marigot's waterfront, from which you'll be able to see Fort Marigot (also called Fort St. Louis) above the town of Marigot. The view from the fort is spectacular in every direction. The Marigot waterfront is the site of a busy outdoor market, where locally made goods are sold each day. Wednesday and Saturday mornings are the big market days, when boats bring in fresh fish from local waters and produce from neighboring islands, but the market itself pretty much operates every day. The Marigot waterfront was also the location of the Speed 2 movie set.

From the Marigot waterfront, you can catch a ferryboat ride (about $25 - 30 round trip) to the island of Anguilla, BWI, five miles across the channel. Upon arriving at the ferry landing over at Meads Bay, Anguilla, most people then take a taxi and spend the day at Anguilla's Shoal Bay, one of the longest, finest beaches anywhere. The same taxi driver will also arrange for your later return trip back to the ferry dock at Meads Bay.

If you're not heading down to the Marigot waterfront, stay on Rue de Morne Rond into Marigot. The Marina Royale, an area of yachts and sailboats, European boutiques, and French cafes, will be on your right. In the town of Marigot, Fort Marigot is an interesting stop. Shop, have lunch at an outdoor French sidewalk café such as La Vie en Rose, or just walk through the town streets, very reminiscent of the French Quarter in New Orleans. European boutiques are everywhere along the side streets in Marigot.

To continue through Marigot on your trip around the island, stay on Rue de Morne Rond until the road becomes one way in the opposite direction and you can't proceed any further (there’s a pharmacy on the corner). At that point turn right onto Rue du President Kennedy, travel through the "courtesy" intersection at Rue de St James, up to Rue de Hollande. Rue de Hollande is the main road through Marigot, and is one way, so you'll only be able to turn left onto Rue de Hollande. This road passes through the busy center of the city just after the Texaco station. In the center of Marigot are the elementary school, several shops and restaurants, a bakery, a stadium, and a large European grocery store, Le Match.

To head down to the waterfront from the center of Marigot, you can turn left at the Texaco station onto Rue de la Liberte. On this street is the turnoff for Fort Marigot, a side street on the right adjacent to the Midtown Music Store & Café. As you turn onto this side street, you'll be facing one of the oldest churches on the island. Turn right at the church, then make a quick left. This road takes you up past the hospital, and just before the governor's residence, turn right into the fort's parking lot, near the large white cross. You'll need to climb about a hundred steps up to the fort, but the historic fort and the views are well worth it.

If you're continuing on the main road through Marigot, you'll come to a rotary just after the Le Match supermarket. Proceed straight through the rotary and head uphill through the village of Agrement. Just over the crest in the hill, as you start heading downhill, you'll have an excellent view of the British island of Anguilla off to the left. At the bottom of this hill is a sign marking the turnoff on the left for Friar's Bay. From here the main road snakes through the village of Cripple Gate, and then heads uphill again into the village of Rambaud, the location of Pic Paradise (Paradise Peak).

The trip up to Pic Paradise can be a little rough, since the road isn't paved all the way, but it's usually passable by car. From one side of the lookout atop Paradise Peak, near the transmission tower, you can see all the way from Marigot to the Cupecoy area, and maybe the island of Saba in the distance off Cupecoy. A short foot path leads to the other side of the lookout, from which you can see the entire eastern side of the island from Orient to Phillipsburg, and the island of St. Bart's off in the distance to the East. This is also the area of Lotterie Farm, a restored old historic plantation. Here you can have lunch, hike the rain forest, or ride a zip slide through the tree canopy.

After Rambaud, the main road twists through the villages of St. Louis, Mont O'Reilly, and LaSavane, and into the seaside village of Grand Case (pronounced Gran Kahz). Grand Case is widely known and recognized as the gastronomical capital of the Caribbean. It also has a nice, scenic beach running along the entire length of the village. The water in Grand Case is usually very calm. The point off the Northern end of the beach, especially Creole Rock, offers some good snorkeling.

The beachside road through Grand Case (Boulevard de Grand Case) is mostly one way, and provides for a very enjoyable walk. Strolling through Grand Case gives you a chance to visit some of the local bars and shops, check out the menus posted outside the many restaurants, or have lunch at a LoLo (there are the small “barbecue shacks” in Grand Case operated by the locals, where you can get a meal of grilled chicken and / or ribs with sides for about $10 every day. Talk of the Town is the oldest, most popular LoLo, but Sky’s The Limit is good too.

The Grand Case Restaurant Association hires private security seven nights a week from 7 PM to 1 AM on restaurant row, from Spiga to Rainbow Cafe. Harmony Nights starts in mid January and runs every Tuesday night for about four months. Boulevard de Grand Case is turned into a pedestrian zone from Il Nettuno to Rainbow Café with attactions including Carnival bands, shops, artists, local food, etc.. Singers and Carnival dancers parade along the boulevard, all the shops stay open late, and all the restaurants put on their best specials. If you get into Grand Case before 6 PM, you should be able to get a parking spot on the street, or in the municipal parking lot by Talk of the Town. After 6 PM, the street is barricaded, but they will let you out when you're ready to leave. Optionally, you can park at or near the Grand Case airport, and either take the shuttle van (if they’re running) or walk down to the pedestrian zone.

From Grand Case, the road passes a small airport, and brings you into the Mont Vernon area. At the fork in the road just past the nursery and garden center, you can turn off to the left to visit the French Cul de Sac area. There really isn't much to see in that area, although if you follow the road to the end where it meets the bay, you'll be able to catch a taxi boat to the islands of Pinel and Tintamarre. Mr. "Brown Sugar" will give you a lift in his outboard-powered skiff for about $6 per person. Tintamarre is an absolutely beautiful spot where many private and charter sailboats drop anchor for lunch and some great snorkeling. There are no facilities on Tintamarre, however Pinel does offer beach chair and umbrella rentals, and has a couple of small cafes. Snorkeling is not as good at Pinel. Both islands have nice beaches and calm water.

After Mont Vernon and French Cul de Sac, you'll enter the Orient Beach area. Orient Beach warrants a page in itself, and is detailed in the "Beaches" section below. In addition to the beautiful beach at Orient, there are also several beachside cafes and boutiques, watersports, a nudist resort, and a butterfly farm.

Right alongside the Orient Beach area is Coconut Grove, also referred to as Le Galeon Beach or “the baby brach”. This is a long, crescent shaped beach that's well protected by an outer reef. The calm water in the bay is barely waist deep, even a good ways out. This is a popular spot for locals and visitors alike with small children, and is also a popular horseback riding area. There isn't much in the way of facilities here, but there are chair rentals. The beach can be pretty desolate some days.

Leaving Coconut Grove, the road winds for a short ways before becoming a long straight stretch through the areas known as the Orleans Quarter and Spring. This is a mostly residential area, with a few interesting old stone churches and the main police station on the French side. At the yellow and white pharmacy building on the corner, you can turn left off the main road to head out to the Oyster Pond and Dawn Beach areas. While very scenic, the roads out to those areas can be rough, steep, narrow, and unpaved in some places.

Back on the main road, as you pass by another border marker and enter the Dutch side once again, you'll pass by a housing area resembling army barracks. After that development, the road curves around to the left, and just after the curve you'll need to make a quick right to head toward Phillipsburg (there are no signs marking this). This road leads into the residential areas of Mount William Hill and Middle Region. Coming over the last hill before Phillipsburg, you'll have a great view of any cruise ships docked in Phillipsburg's Great Bay harbor.

At the very bottom of the hill where the road levels out again, there will be a grocery store and a Shell gas station. At that point, the road bears around to the right and passes the salt pond (now on your left behind a row of shops). When you come to the rotary, you can bear left to head into Phillipsburg, going straight through the first traffic light after rounding the rotary, and then straight down to Front St.. Otherwise, to continue around the island, proceed straight through the rotary. When the road ends (at another Shell gas station), turn right.

If you're heading into Phillipsburg, be sure take a ride up the hill past the cruise ship pier up to Point Blanche, for a great view of Phillipsburg and Great Bay harbor.

A short ways ahead will be another rotary, which you will go around and bear left. At this rotary is a Texaco gas station and a large supermarket. Passing the supermarket, the road heads uphill through Cole Bay. At the very top of Cole Bay hill, a lookout on the ocean side of the road provides a dramatic view across the entire Western side of the island. After the lookout, head downhill, and turn left where the road ends at the bottom of the hill. If you were to turn right at this point, the road would eventually become the main road into and through Marigot.

After turning left (and passing KFC), the main road will take you back to the airport area, passing by a couple of casinos, then past the Simpson Bay Yacht Club and Simpson Bay Shopping Center on your right. After that, the entrance to the Pelican Reef Resort & Casino will be on your left, as will be the Royal Palm Hotel, just before the other drawbridge on the island. On the right side of the road (the lagoon side) in the drawbridge area are several popular restaurants, entertainment spots, and charter fishing boats.

A short distance ahead is the end of the airport runway, after which the road curves sharply around to the left. Most of the major car rental companies are located in this area. There are also a few restaurants on this road, including the popular Turtle Pier, as you get nearer to the airport terminal itself.

Pass by the airport, past the airport terminal driveway, and where the runway ends at the far other end of the airport, the road will bear around to the right as you come to the beach at Maho. At this point you'll enter the Maho Bay area. The Casino Royale and Cheri's Cafe are on your right as you round the bend, and there will be three large hotels on your left. After a very short ride through Maho Plaza, you'll come to the Mullet Bay area. Here, the road winds through the Mullet Bay golf course, and over several speed bumps. After the last speed bump at the end of the golf course, you're back at the Cupecoy area. The Atlantis Casino will be on your right, and then just over the crest in the road, you'll come to the Sapphire Beach Club on your left, and The Ocean Club is right next door. That completes the tour around the island.

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Beaches

Most beaches have some kind of cafe or beach bar facilities available, and most have lounge chairs and umbrellas available for rent for about $5 per day. All beaches on the island are public, even if they are part of a resort, and beach parking everywhere is free. No one should ever try to charge you to park, although some enterprising local "security guards" may ask for a payment of a dollar or two to safeguard your car while you're at the beach. This usually only occurs at the more secluded beach areas.

Baie Rouge - Well marked signs at the beach parking lot alongside the main road out of the Cupecoy area, a short ways into the French side from Ocean Club. Beautiful, long beach, with large sand dunes. Somewhat of a shore break and current, and soft sand, but it's still fairly easy to get into and out of the water most days. Good snorkeling out around the rocky point at the right end of the beach, if the swells aren't too big. There's also a scenic, isolated beach below the cliffs just around this point. Beach bar and cafe, but no restroom facilities.

Coconut Grove (Le Galeon Beach) - Long crescent-shaped beach accessible ffrom the dirt road that also leads to Club Orient and the Butterfly Farm. Calm water, very few people. Fireplaces are available on the beach for cookouts. No restroom facilities. Riding stables are nearby, and you'll often see horseback riders going right into the water on their horses to cool both off after a ride along the coast. The Butterfly Farm nearby is quite interesting.

Cupecoy Beach - Straddles the Dutch / French border, starting at the end of Mullet Bay, in the area of the Atlantis Casino on the Dutch side, and extends all the way to Long Bay on the French side. The French half is a nude beach, and is accessible by a path along a white wall near the sign for Cupecoy Beach and Roland's Beach Bar on the main road. The Dutch half of Cupecoy is accessible from The Ocean Club, or from the parking lot next to The Ocean Club. The sands at Cupecoy come and go with the ocean currents.There is a beach barbecue vendor on the French side, but no restrooms anywhere along Cupecoy.

Dawn Beach - Steep roads uphill and downhill lead to this mile long beach, accessible through the Westin Hotel resort at one end of the beach, or through a small parking lot at the other end near Oyster Bay Beach Resort. This was one of the best snorkeling beaches on the island, with coral formations rising 5 to 6 feet off the ocean floor and colorful fish, until Hurricane Louis hit and trashed everything in this area. There's a current that runs right to left not too far offshore, and there may still be some hotel debris in the water from recent hurricanes. Snorkel with caution. Beach bars / cafes at each end of the beach, some with restroom facilities.

Friar's Bay - Accessible by turning off at either of two signs along the main road between Marigot and Grand Case. The road in just outside of Marigot is paved, while the dirt road in near Grand Case is rough and bumpy. Small beach, calm water most days, nice view of Anguilla, not very crowded, pretty good snorkeling off the rocks at the left end of the beach. Can be a little tough on bare feet entering the water over small rocks, but not bad. Beachside cafe with restrooms. Midnight parties at Kali’s beach bar on nights with a full moon. A short walk along a path from the northern end of Friar's Bay leads to Happy Bay, a very secluded beach accessible only by boat or by foot.

Gran Case Beach Club - Although there's a fine beach extending the entire length of Gran Case village, there's a very scenic spot at the far Northern end of Grand Case (called “le Petit Plage”). To reach it, turn off the main road at Gran Case Airport, follow the road to the end at the beach, turn right onto the unpaved road that runs along the beach, and proceed a short ways until you come to Grand Case Beach Club. Park alongside the road, and the beach is just below the Sunset bar & restaurant, to the right. This is a fairly small, uncrowded beach, with calm water, and a nice view of Anguilla. There's pretty good snorkeling off the rocks at the right end of the beach, if the water is still. The snorkeling out at Creole Rock is superb, but you'll need to take a boat out there. The Sand Dollar out of Pelican Watersports offers a half-day trip to Creole Rock in the $30 to $35 range, with snacks, drinks, and snorkel equipment. The Grand Case Beach Club also runs a glass-bottom boat out to that area.

Great Bay - Runs the entire length of Great Bay along Front St., from one end of Phillipsburg to the other. Accessible at the town square on Front St., by Hodges Wharf, or through any of the many passageways between the beachfront hotels and shops along Front St.. Park your car for shopping on either Front St. or Back St. (each street is one way in the opposite direction of the other) and you need not bother moving it all day to shop and enjoy the beach. Authorities close Front St. often to vehicle traffic to make it a pedestrian walkway, especially on busy cruise ship days. There is a new boardwalk (actually a promenade) that runs the entire length of Great Bay. The government has built up the beach very nicely out in front of the new boardwalk, and all of the hotels and restaurants facing the water have beach chairs for rent (example: $10 for 2 cushioned beach chairs, 1 umbrella, and use of restrooms at Holland House). Some of the hotels and restaurants have music playing, and one of them usually has a live band playing in the afternoon. A very scenic spot to spend the day, and the water is always calm.

Guana Bay - Turn off the main road out of Phillipsburg, just a short way from the end of Front St.. Long, crescent shaped beach, mostly deserted. Sometimes water conditions permit surfing.

Little Bay - Quiet beach at the Divi Resort, not far from the top end of Front St. Great snorkeling off the rocks at the left end of the beach, especially out toward the point at the dive site, if the water is calm. It's a brief hike uphill to the ruins of Fort Amsterdam, overlooking Little Bay and Great Bay. From the fort, there are great views of Phillipsburg, Little Bay, distant islands, and cruise ships in Great Bay harbor.

Long Bay - Long, beautiful beach lined with exclusive villas accessible through La Samanna resort, if you can get past the security guard. There is public beach access through a fenced pathway just down the road from La Samanna. Nice beach, but there are some coral rocks along the shore, and there may be no other people around on the beach.

Maho - One of the most unique beaches you'll ever come across, because of the attraction of the planes, including jumbo jets, that touch down at Princess Juliana airport, literally right over the beach. The Air France 747 afternoon landings and takeoffs attract quite a few sightseers. Don't get caught in traffic on the narrow road between the beach and the runway when planes depart, and don't be on that part of the beach when any jet takes off, especially a 747. The beach sand really flies, and cars shake as the engines of the larger jets rev up for takeoff. The beach just off to either side of the runway is much calmer and safer. Waves at Maho can be big some days, but still plenty safe for swimming access. Don't miss Sunset Beach Bar, a St. Maarten institution on Maho beach near the end of the runway. Arriving and departing flights are posted on a surfboard at the bar, and you can listen to the airport tower radio transmissions broadcast over a loudspeaker at Sunset Beach Bar.

Mullet Bay - Long, family oriented beach at Mullet Bay Resort and Golf Club. Take the road off the beach side of the golf course to the public parking lot adjacent to the beach. Along with Orient, one of the largest, finest beaches on the island, and a favorite of ours and other regular island visitors. Waves at Mullet can be big enough to surf some days, but most days access to the water is no problem. Nice family beach. Beach vendors, barbecue shack, and restrooms (although the restrooms leave a LOT to be desired). Shade trees between the beach and the parking lot, but watch out for fire ants if sitting under the trees. Don't miss Mullet Bay. We could spend every day of our vacation at this spot.

Orient Beach - Enter via the road to Boo Boo Jam, or at one of the two Orient Bay residential area entrances, or via the dirt road leading to the Club Orient naturist resort, Coconut Grove, and the Butterfly Farm. One of the most popular beaches on the island, but still plenty of room, with a stiff breeze blowing pretty much all of the time. The far end of the beach past the rock jetty and Pedro's is a nudist resort and nude beach. The remainder of the beach to the left is tops optional (as are most beaches on the island). There really is no dividing line, as people from both sides stroll the entire beach just as they please.

Orient Beach is actually made up of many individual sections, with names such as CoCo Beach, Bikini Beach, Kakao Beach, Waikiki Beach, and Kontiki Beach. Taxis and buses from the cruise ships drop off plenty of passengers for the day at the narrow beach area around the main entrance to Orient, near Pedro's Beach Bar, so that spot gets crowded fast. That is, however, the section with the best prices on rental chairs. The "big 5" have become very snobbish and independent, and charge some ridiculous prices for their beach chairs, like Kakao charging more for the chair the closer it is to the water.

Orient Beach can also be entered at the transmission tower near the lookout point (the best way into Bikini Beach, Kakao, Kontiki, and the most scenic). At this entrance, paved roads lead through private homes and villas down to the beach. A sandy road with plenty of free parking runs along the backside of the beach in the area of Bikini and Kakao. There are plenty of water sports at Orient, from jet skis to sailboards to sailboats. Expect to pay about $1 per minute for jet ski or wave runner rentals. Parasailing is also available.

There is great snorkeling along the reef that runs diagonally out to the right from in front of Pedro's Beach Bar and Robert's Watersports. But for the best snorkeling on the island, take one of the water taxis (about $15 round trip on the back of a JetSki) out to Green Key, the small island attached by a reef to the far right side of Orient Beach. If you've got an underwater camera, bring it; if you don't have one, get one. Even the small disposable underwater cameras work great in the crystal clear water. The snorkeling is just as good out at Tintamarre Island, easily visible about two miles off Orient Beach (about $20 round trip by taxi boat from Orient Beach). There are nice beaches out at both islands for when you need a break from snorkeling. Don't miss Orient Beach!

Plum Bay - Between Baie Rouge and Long Bay, not very well marked (follow the signs for “Baie de Prune”). Turn off the main road at La Samanna resort, continue down a long, mostly dirt road along an inland salt pond. Once you get to the small parking area, you can walk down either one of the two short, sandy passageways between the chain link fences to the beach. Mile long beach, yet you might not see too many other people all day. You can get to Long Bay beach and La Samanna from here as well.

Simpson Bay - Long, little used beach stretching from one side of the Princess Juliana Airport runway to the Pelican Reef Resort on the other side of the bay. Fairly calm water. Full water sports available on the Kim Sha Beach section of Simpson Bay, in front of the Atrium. The section of beach out in front of the Royal Palm Hotel is about the only place on the island where you'll find shells.

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Restaurants

Listed below are moderately priced popular restaurants that we visit on each trip. Dinners are mostly priced in the $15 - $20 range, some a little higher. Just about all are casual, with shorts and sport shirts welcome most everywhere. Much dining is outdoor cafe style or on open terraces. Most people dining out on the island tend to eat dinner later, usually after 8:00 PM, so there's hardly ever any problem getting into any restaurant before 7:00 PM without a reservation. At the popular restaurants, though, you'd be wise to make a reservation no matter what time you plan to have dinner.

Boathouse - On the airport road and directly on Simpson Bay lagoon, not far from the drawbridge by the Royal Palm Hotel. Good variety, mostly seafood and seafood with pasta. Outdoor seating available on a deck overlooking the lagoon. The fresh catch of the day is always a good choice, as are the conch chowder and conch fritters. Our favorites are the Mahi Mahi, and any one of the pasta / seafood combinations on the back of the menu

Carlo @ Bella Napoli - Italian pizzaria cafe in the front courtyard at Atlantis Casino. Now that Luigi (the master pizza maker formerly of Mama Mia's) has set up his wood-fired brick oven in the courtyard, they draw a good crowd every night. Best pizza anywhere on the island, and the pasta dishes are outstanding as well. 15% service charge added to your bill.

Cheri's Cafe - One of the most popular spots on the island, in Maho Plaza, if you can deal with the typical tourist trap type of restaurant. American menu - steaks, burgers, sandwiches, pasta, and seafood. The Mixed Seafood Pasta is always a good choice. Open air cafe, some under cover, some under the stars, next door to the Casino Royale. Usually no problem getting a table before 7:00 PM, after that time you might have to wait in line. A local show band plays island music starting around 8:00 PM, and then dance music around 9:00 PM. Even if you don't dine there, you can catch the music from anywhere in Maho Plaza.

Il Nettuno - On the waterfront in Grand Case. Great view of Anguilla 5 miles across the channel, especially as the sun sets and lights come on across the island. Excellent service, Italian opera music, nice atmosphere. Another place where you should reserve a waterside table.

Tijuana Yacht Club – Our new favorite for Tex-Mex, next to BoatHouse in Simpson Bay, a short ways from the drawbridge. Excellent food and very reasonable prices. Mexican buffet at happy hour from 5 – 7 PM. Free Coronas and Margerhitas for the lLadies on Thursday night Make a reservation, otherwise they might sit you out on the side porch and forget about you.

Other places for TexMex are Jimbos (across from Tutte Pasta, in the Simpson Bay Yacht Club shopping center) and Tequila (in the Simpson Bay area, a little past the airport, above the Rancho Argentinian steak house). The food quality at Jimbos has gone down somewhat, and the prices are fairly high at Tequila.

La Rosa Too - Very nice Italian restaurant in Maho Plaza, above the row of shops adjacent to Cheri's Café, at the other end of the plaza. Good menu variety, high quality food, excellent service. Caesar salad and pasta fagioli that sets the standard. For something special, try the Caribbean Lobster Penne ($28, no longer on the menu, but still available on request). The Seafood Fusili is a unique and outstanding dish - very popular. There is a 15% service charge added to your bill.

Lee's Roadside Grill - A good spot for very reasonably-priced fresh fish dinners (about $17 for the grilled Mahi Mahi, served with veggies, potato saled, and your choice of rice and beans or potato). The fish at Lee’s comes right off the charter fishing fleet every day. Across from The Royal Palm, by the draw bridge, in Simpson Bay. Slow service sometimes if they’re busy, but they tell you on the menu that this is not fast food.

Mark's Place - Our favorite place for all-you-can-eat ribs, reasonably priced at about $12, including rice or potato choices, veggies, and salad. Many other reasonably priced dinners. In the le Grand Marche food market parking lot, at the Cole Bay rotary across from the Texaco station, just outside Phillipsburg.

Mario's Bistro - French bistro serving contemporary French cuisine, at the Sandy Ground drawbridge just before Marigot, that's always the talk of the island. Superb service. You definitely need a dinner reservation here, so it's best to stop by or call ahead from home. They will take a reservation 30 days in advance. Not your traditional menu - awesome fish dishes, prepared like you've never seen, and their signature garlic duck is known by all. Save room for their desserts. Presentation like you see in gourmet magazines. You might even be tempted to take a picture of your entree or desert before digging in.

Turtle Pier – One of our favorite spots on the island for breakfast, near the airport terminal and next to the Texaco station. Daily happy hour and Wednesday night lobster specials are very popular. Monkeys and parrots (in cages of course) greet you at the entrance

Tutte Pasta - Small, cozy Italian tratorria restaurant on the 2nd floor above the shopping center at the Simpson Bay Yacht Club. Another one of our favorites where we dine multiple times each visit to St Maarten. Closed Saturday. Forty items on the menu, most very reasonably priced in the $12 - 17 range. No credit cards.

LaGondola - Italian, upscale, clasy interior, great service, in the Atlantis Casino. Reservations are a must. Highly recommend the saefood risoto. Owner Davide was formerly the owner / operator at The Ravolina in Sandy Ground, where he made and supplied pasta for many of the Italian restaurants on the island.

Our other recommendations:

Paris Bistro – One of our recent discoveries, French restaurant, good variety, quality, excellent service, Maho Plaza.

Pineapple Pete’s – Very extensive menu, good food. Don’t miss the lobster thermador here.

Skipjack’s – Seafood market and seafood restaurant in Simpson Bay, dining area deck on the lagoon overlooks the mega yachts, real nice when they’re lit up at night.

Rancho Argentinian - Steak house, Simpson Bay area, just past the airport.

Layla's - French cafe and bar on the beach in Baie Nettle, across from Hybiscus Car Rental. Great little outdoor spot for lunch, or dinner on Friday or Saturday. Overlooks Marigot Bay.

Le Sucrier - French bakery, locations by the market in Marigot, and in Simpson Bay. We make a run to Simpson Bay each morning for our croissants, and for a baugette for lunch sandwiches. Nice shaded deck overlooking the lagoon for breakfast and lunch.

Barefoot - Our favorite spot for breakfast when we’re in town, right on the boardwalk at Courthouse Square in Philipsburg. Opens to Great Bay for a great view of the boardwalk activities and the cruise ships.

Cafe Atlantico - French bakery / cafe, across from Portofino Village, just past the airport. Great spot for breakfast, especially the crepes.

Zee Best – Another favorite spot for breakfast, in the Simpson Bay Yacht Club shopping center.

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General Information

Visitors to St. Maarten have to pass through an immigration station upon arrival at Princess Juliana Airport. Be sure to fill out the immigraiton form that is given to you on the flight to St. Maarten. You will need to show your passport (or a birth certificate with a visible raised seal) and a picture ID, such as a driver's license. If you're staying on the French side, you will need a passport to enter. You'll also be given a small entry certificate that you need to carry with you while on the island, and give back at the immigration station when you go through the security checkpoint at the departure area in the airport. When you leave, there's a departure tax to be paid, but most airline have now built that into the price of a ticket.

The island is very European in nature, consisting of two countries - one side Dutch and the other side French. There is no formal border crossing between each country, just signs welcoming you from one side to the other. The Dutch side (St. Maarten) has the large resorts, duty free shopping in the capital of Philipsburg, night clubs and casinos, cruise ships, and is generally busier. The French side (St. Martin) is quieter, and while also offering duty free shopping, is generally more relaxed. The French side has some of the most beautiful beaches and some of the finest restaurants you'll ever visit.

The climate is pretty much consistent year round, in the 80s during the day, and in the 70s at night. Water temperature is usually around 80 degrees year round. You might get a very brief shower from time to time, especially late at night or early in the morning. Sun showers during the day are usually brief. Be careful not to sit in the sun too long at first - it's very intense. And be sure to bring plenty of sun screen - it's expensive if you have to buy it on the island. If you can leave your jacket home, do so. You'll most likely never need it on the island.

If you’re heading into Philipsburg, you’ll find it less busy on Saturdays and Sundays, when there’s little cruise ship activity. The closer you get toward the middle of the week, the more cruise ships there are in port. On a typical weekend day there may only be one ship in, but on a busy Wednesday, there could be a half dozen ships docked for the day. Keep in mind that some stores in Philipsburg may not be open on Sunday if there are no cruise ships in port that day.

Trying to find a parking spot in Philipsburg can be maddening, especially on weekdays after 9 AM. A word to the wise – get in town early, by 8:00 – 8:30 AM at the latest, and grab a spot in the municipal parking lot (located between the Police Station and the Post Office, just up behind the courthouse, $1.00 per hour). Parking is also available in two small free public ares along the salt pond, but those free areas fill up early. If you do get into Philipsburg early, it’s nice to walk around town or along the boardwalk before things get too busy, or just have a nice breakfast at Barefoot Terrace.

While it may not always have been so, major food brands well known in the U.S. are widely available at the supermarkets on the island. Smaller food stores are all over the island; one recommendation is Food Express, at the Maho end of the airport. In general, food is not priced all that much more than what you'd pay at home. Bakeries are located throughout the island, especially on the French side, and fresh fruit is everywhere, but some like strawberries and vine tomatoes can be very expensive. There is a hospital on each side of the island, and there are smaller medical clinics and pharmacies scattered around the island. There is an emergency medical clinic on the road by the airport runway. It’s a good idea to note its location and check the times that it is open.

For happy hour, visit Turtle Pier, on the lagoon across from the airport. It's like a trip to the zoo, with iguanas, monkeys, turtles, exotic birds, and the like. The Greenhouse at Bobby's Marina in Phillipsburg offers two for one drink specials on Tuesdays. Gran Case features street performers and musicians on Tuesday nights in high season. Kim Sha Beach, next to The Royal Palm, parties with live music Thursday nights, as does Boathouse on Friday nights. Boo Boo Jam on Orient Beach has a live band and beach volleyball on Sunday afternoons. Kali's Beach Bar on Friar's Bay has a full moon party each month.

The currency on the French side is the Euro. Just beware of what exchange rate is being offered if you’re paying cash on the French side, as it could fluctuate, especially at restaurants.

On the Dutch side, the NAF exchange rate has typically been 1.75 to 1 US dollar. For example, if you're getting gas on the Dutch side, $10 US is typically 17.50 on the pump in local NAF currency. To easily estimate the cost in US dollars of something priced in NAF, simply multiply by .6 (for example, something that was 10 NAF would cost approximately 6 US dollars).

The US dollar is welcomed and accepted anywhere on the island, so there is no need to exchange your dollars for any local currency.

Carnival Time, like Mardi Gras in New Orleans, occurs on the French side the two weeks prior to Ash Wednesday, and on the Dutch side in late April. Both the French and Dutch sides have carnival villages that feature local food, nightly musical and dance events on stage, and festive parades through the streets day and night. Click here for our page of Carnival photos.

Day-sail catamaran and motorized ferryboat trips are available to the island of French St. Barts (about a 2 hour trip), and Saba (about a 1 hour trip). The Saba Marine Park offers some of the best snorkeling and diving in the Caribbean. You can also sail on any one of several charter boats cruising to nearby populated and uninhabited islands.

Popular trips sail out to Tintamarre island, sail around the entire island of St. Martin, or sail either a half or full day to either Anguilla's Prickly Pear or Scilly Cay islands, two snorkeling spots virtually untouched by recent hurricanes. Most boats offer an open bar, snacks, lunches, and you can help sail if you wish. You pick up these charters primarily at Bobby's Marina in Phillipsburg, or at the fishing boat dock across from the Royal Palm Hotel in Simpson Bay.

If you're calling back home to the US, it’s probably best to rent a cell phone, otherwise you'll be at the mercy of your hotel or the local phone company. Cell phone rentals are available through Sharon Harris at Royal Palm Hotel in Simpson Bay, or from Mitch at Ocean Club. Mitch also rents beach chairs, umbrellas, and cars.

Be sure to note the various times that the island's two draw bridges open each day to allow for boat traffic into and out of Simpson Bay. If there's a lot of boat or car traffic, you could wait for twenty minutes to a half-hour sometimes until the bridge closes. Opening times are posted at each bridge, and are subject to change. One drawbridge is located not far from the airport, on the airport road near the Royal Palm Hotel. The other is located about halfway between The Ocean Club and the French capital of Marigot, in the Sandy Ground area near Mario's Bistro.

Once in St. Maarten, US citizens should stop by any airline counter or office to pick up a U.S. Customs form. Everything you purchase duty-free, except for locally made items, must be itemized on this U.S. Customs form. It's a lot easier to keep track of purchases daily as you go along, rather than trying to remember and record everything on the flight from St. Maarten, which can be very short if you're heading to US Customs at San Juan. And keep all your receipts in one place in case you're asked to show proof of your purchases.

U.S. visitors are each allowed to bring back $800 worth of duty free goods. Individual amounts can be combined into one larger limit for families traveling together. The best buys are on jewelry, perfume, liquor, and tobacco products. A word to the wise - know what you're buying, jewelry or otherwise, and what you'd expect to pay for it back home. You're only allowed to bring home one liter of liquor per person duty-free, but some liquor is so cheap that it's worth it to pay the 10% duty charge. Actually, if you take home a little more than the allowed amount of liquor, and declare it through customs, you'll probably never be asked to pay the extra duty because it's so little.

On the day you leave, you can stop by the airport and check in after the early morning flights leave. The small airport does get very busy with departing flights, especially late afternoon and early evening on weekends.

Have a great time, and enjoy your stay.

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