Sint Maarten and Saint Martin (SXM)
The twin nation island of Saint Martin is located in the Northern Lesser Antilles islands near Anguilla and to the South, Saba, Sint Eustatius and Saint Kitts and Nevis. The island is shared between the Dutch country of Sint Maarten and the French Saint Martin. It’s a highly developed island with a lot to see and do. It’s home to the famous Maho beach where you can watch low flying planes land at the Princess Juliana Airport. It has many great resorts and is a place full of large Yachts of the rich and famous. There are other surprises on the island as well. We have visited twice with one being a cruise stop and the other we flew to Sint Maarten and stayed there for a trip. Here are our experiences when visiting St. Martin!
Getting to St. Martin and Transportation
Sint Maarten and Saint Martin are very well connected to the United States, Europe and other Caribbean Nations. Both countries have airports, but the major international airport is Princess Juliana International Airport on the Dutch side. Airlines such as Delta, American and United fly there from the US and airlines like KLM and Air France fly from Europe. There are airlines like Winair that service islands such as Saba, Barbados and many others. There are other airlines that fly to Canada and other destinations like Caribbean Airways that goes to Trinidad and Tobago. On the French Side, the airport only services destinations in the French Caribbean such as Guadelupe. Going by cruise is another great way to visit the island as most major cruise lines like Norwegian, Royal Caribbean, Carnival and others visit. We visited our first time on a Royal Caribbean Cruise out of San Juan, Puerto Rico that visited Eastern Caribbean islands like St. Lucia, Barbados and others. On our second visit we flew Delta Airlines. Getting around the island is pretty easy. We booked tours and we used the brand new SXM Taxi app that works a lot like Uber on the island. It worked pretty well for us as we went to different restaurants. You could rent a car, but traffic is pretty heavy on the island with the many visitors. It’s easier to book tour and taxis to me.
Country Information
The twin nation island is made up of Sint Maarten (Dutch) and St. Martin France. The Dutch side is around 40% of the island and the French side is larger at around 60%. The Dutch side is more developed and has the international airport. The total island population is around 70,000 people, which is a large amount for a smaller size island. In Sint Maarten, the official languages are English and Dutch so you will have no problem speaking with anyone as everyone speaks English. On the French side, English is spoken but French is the official language so you might run into people who do not speak English well. The US Dollar is widely used on both side of the island but the official currency in Sint Maarten is the Netherlands Antillean Guilder (used by Sint Maarten and Curaçao and is currently 1 Guilder = .50 USD) and on the French side the Euro is the official currency there. Credit cards are accepted throughout the island (except at market vendors in some cases) but we had trouble on our last visit with some credit card readers working. We visited a Subway and it could not connect. That happened to us elsewhere as well, so we used a decent number of US Dollars. The capital of Sint Maarten is Philipsburg, and the capital of the Saint Martin is Marigot. They are the main cities on the island. This is a tropical island, so heat is normal and from May until November you need to watch for possible hurricane systems coming through. A category 5 Hurricane (highest strength) named Irma hit the island and caused major damage in 2017. In regard to safety, at the time of this writing the US State Department rates the countries as a level 1 (lowest level). Crime can happen so we took normal precautions. This is at lease what we the driving can be rather intense so be careful walking along the road.
A Cruise Visit to St. Martin
In February of 2024 we visited the island for the first time on a 7-day Royal Caribbean Cruise out of San Juan, Puerto. Saint Martin was our final stop before heading to San Juan. We decided to take a double decker bus ride so we could see the entire island while seeing both countries on the island. Cruise ships dock on the Dutch side, so we started over on that side. We drove past Philipsburg and then headed up to the French side on the North. There is a monument at the border signifying the peaceful border they have between the two countries.
We arrived in Marigot while our guide continued to narrate and give great information about the island. We could see Fort St. Louis high on a hill overlooking the capital city of the French side. We stopped there for a quick walk around the city and shopping at the outdoor marketplace right at the harbor where the ferries take you to Anguilla and other destinations. At the marketplace you can buy pretty much any souvenir from the island. Shirts, license plates, magnets and more. Sometimes in the Caribbean there are more adult themed souvenirs you’ll find from time to time and there were some at the market as well. On our tour after visiting the French side we headed back over to the Dutch side to visit Topper’s Rhum Distillery. Rum is very popular and common to be found throughout the Caribbean. Topper’s had plenty of interesting flavors of different fruits to taste. They of course had plenty of rum to purchase but we opted to get some homemade ice cream that was great on a relatively warm day.
We next stopped at the famous Maho beach where you have beautiful clear blue water and a white sand beach a very close distance from the runway at Princess Juliana International Airport. It is there where you can see planes land right above your head or feel the jet blast as planes take off. We only had around 10 minutes or so to watch and we did get the chance to see a small Winair prop plane land before we had to leave. While it’s a nice beach and a great plane watching spot it’s a really crowded beach in a fairly small area. One of the main roads on the island is between the beach and the airport so you have to be careful walking.
Our final stop was the Amsterdam Cheese store. The Dutch are known for wonderful cheese, so they have a store dedicated to cheese in downtown Philipsburg. There you can try different cheeses and buy souvenirs and liquor. It was extremely crowded in the store with the multiple cruise ships docked so we tried some cheese and then headed out. We decided to stay in Philipsburg since we had a few hours before our ship left so we could walk around downtown and visit a couple unique museums we had read about.
Yoda Guy Movie Exhibit
In downtown Philipsburg there is a very different museum that is very unique on a Caribbean island. Nick Maley is an artist that specializes in film. He worked on characters and many different films over his career. One of the most famous film series he worked on was Star Wars. He helped create Yoda and other characters in Star Wars. His museum contains many props from Star Wars including Yoda, blasters, Sand People, droids and much more. He also has face masks from different movie stars and props from other movies he worked on. It’s not a huge museum but if you are a fan of movies and especially Star Wars this is a must see. There is a great giftshop where you can get unique items such as original pages of Star War’s script from all three original movies. You can also get Nick’s autograph and a picture with him as he humbly runs. We got a picture with him before we left. It’s a museum you will see on no other island in the Caribbean, so it’s well worth heading to this museum for a bit!
Sint Maarten National Heritage Foundation and Museum
Visiting beautiful beaches and relaxing is always great on a vacation but we really like to spend time learning about the nations we are in and the people. Heading to a nation’s National Museum is a great way to learn about the history of the nation, where the nation is going and what their culture is like. Not too far from the Yoda Guy Movie Exhibit is the National Museum of Sint Maarten. It’s a fairly small museum that goes over the history of the island, seafaring history and the Dutch Caribbean. We spent around 45 minutes there before we had to head back to the ship. We went ahead and walked back to the port that took around 15-20 minutes to walk there. We passed through the downtown area with it’s restaurants and shops as we headed back. We stopped by the beach that is right outside the shopping areas of Philipsburg. We ended by going through the cruise port and headed on our way to Puerto Rico.
Staying in Saint Martin
In December of 2024 we headed back to Sint Maarten/St. Martin to stay of the island on a long weekend. We wanted to see other areas of the island and also visit some of the neighboring countries that can be reached by plane or by ferry. We stayed in the Simpson Bay area and used taxis to get around the island. On this trip, we also took a day trip to Saba and then took a second day trip to Anguilla. Here is what our experience was like staying in Sint Maarten.
Where we stayed
We stayed at the Hilton Vacation Club Flamingo Beach Sint Maarten. It’s a Hilton Timeshare property but you can get hotel rooms there. We personally do not own any timeshares and will not be looking into getting any in the foreseeable, so it is nice that we could stay there as a hotel. Hilton has two properties in Sint Maarten, and they are both Hilton Vacation Club Properties. Our room was very nice and included a full kitchen, a nice table, a nice large couch, two TVs, ceiling fans and a nice patio. The hotel is right on a beach where you can see the famous Princess Juliana Airport far in the distance. There is a small restaurant that served pretty good food while we were there. It was international and not true local food. They have a nice pool that overlooks the ocean, and the staff are very friendly and helpful at the hotel. Being a timeshare property where the rooms are larger checkout time is at 10am versus a normal hotel being around 11am-12pm. It’s a short taxi ride to get to multiple nice restaurants at Simpson Bay. We spent time on the beach that was very relaxing and enjoyed time at the pool where there is a small bar and games like shuffleboard to play. We would stay here again for sure!
Day Trip to Saba
St. Martin is close to many different countries and islands in the Northern Lesser Antilles. Anguilla, St. Barts, and Saba can be reached by ferry and even more by plane are a short flight away. On our first full day in St. Martin, we headed on a day trip to Saba. To see more about our experiences in Saba click the link below:
Day Trip to Anguilla
We also took a day trip up to the British Island of Anguilla. It’s the closest island to St. Martin and is a great place to visit as well. To read more about our time in Anguilla click the link below:
Marigot, St. Martin - Fort St. Louis
After our trip to Anguilla our wonderful driver Soraida who helped drive us throughout the trip drove us up to Fort St. Louis that overlooks Marigot. It’s a 1700s era fort that was expanded over the years. Today only some of the walls are still there. You can drive part of the way up the hill and then walk upstairs to the fort. Inside the fort there are a few vintage cannons and an amazing view of Marigot harbor and Anguilla in the distance. The historic signs were a bit worn due to the weather on the island but it’s still a nice place to visit and experience a bit of history and see one of the many forts in the Caribbean that protected colonies from other European nations and pirates.
Local Seafood at Astra
On our last night we decided to head out into Simpson’s Bar to try some local food. Many different seafood and a local BBQ restaurant is in the area, and we had staff from the restaurants come to show us their menus before we decided. We ended up heading to Astra which has very fresh seafood. In a saltwater lagoon they had fresh Caribbean lobster and you can pick your own lobster for dinner that’s priced by its weight. We opted not to get that but the very fresh Red Snapper that had been caught that day. We got some sides such as spinach and Caribbean Lobster mac and cheese. They made the red snapper blackened with great seasoning and it really was probably the best fish we have had so far. Everything was fresh, hot and delicious. We saw other groups picking out and catching their own lobsters and enjoying their meals in a nice setting overlooking a small bay/marina. We really enjoyed our meal there and the great and friendly service.
Full Island Tour
On the day we flew out we decided to take a 3-hour tour that drove us completely around the island and to both countries. In the beginning, we drove through Dutch areas that we had not seen before that included colorful Dutch architecture buildings. After driving for a little while on our private tour we headed to our first stop amongst a few that we had on the tour that was customizable.
Parotte Ville Bird Park
Our first stop was a spot that has one of the most unique bird experiences that we have ever had. The Parotte Ville Bird Park (yes that is the right spelling) has many different exotic birds and parrots in a large enclosure. They only accept cash at this location, and they have a small cafe that sells different drinks and snacks. We headed in after they gave us a cup on a stick full of bird seed. Once you walk in the very tame birds jump on the cup to get a meal. At one point we each had 5-6 different colorful birds on our cup, shoulders, head and arms. It was amazing to be that close to these beautiful birds. The setting is also nice with benches and many different tropical plants. The park also has a small museum where our guide went over the history of the island and many different antique tools used on the island. You can also see pictures of the old days on the island as well. It’s a great place to visit that I really recommend going to.
Rotary Lookout Point
We headed over to the French side of the island and made a stop at the Rotary Lookout Point that has a small observation tower that overlooks the ocean. There are several small islands off the coast that at certain times the low water depth allows you to “walk on water” to the small islands. It was a pretty windy day, so we just enjoyed the scenery from the tower and then headed to our next stop where we were told we could meet some mini dinosaurs.
"Mini Dinosaurs"
A little further down the road we stopped near a waterway with tall grass. There we saw our mini dinosaurs, aka Iguanas. A family for years has manned a small booth where for a few dollars you can get lettuce to feed the Iguanas with a stick. The parents passed away recently so the children have continued the tradition but, on this day, they were not there. A local tour guide was handing out the lettuce for free. We were able to feed multiple wild Iguanas that chomped on the lettuce. It’s a neat and unique little stop on the French side.
Orient Beach
We made another quick stop in a more resort filled area of the quieter French side of the island. There we visited a beautiful beach called Orient Beach. The sand was white and the water crystal clear. There were plenty of water sports activities you could do there including parasailing, jet skis and more. We didn’t spend long there so we could have time for our last stop. After the beach we headed past the French Side airport and back through Marigot. We could have stopped to shop but we decided not to since we have been to the market before, and we wanted a little more time at Maho Beach to do some more plane spotting.
Maho Beach
We made it to Maho Beach back on the Dutch side where we were dropped off at the beach to watch some planes come in. Like before it was very crowded, and many cars were driving by, so we had to be careful. We were there in the mid-morning, so we only saw smaller planes as the larger aircraft come in the afternoon and evening generally. We did get to see a private jet and a few Winair planes coming from around the Carribean. As the jet came by it caused decent waves in the ocean from the jet exhaust. After spending a bit of time there it was time to head back to our hotel to pick up our luggage and head to the airport to fly home.
Heading Home and Tips
Our pre-arranged transfer showed up right on time and took us to Princess Juliana International Airport. The airport is fairly large compared to many Caribbean Nation’s airport but not overly large. It’s a very nice airport with nice shops and restaurants. After the normal check in procedure, we headed through exit passport control and into the terminal. It was decorated for Christmas, and we took a look at the shops. The National Museum has a shop with different crafts and items from the island. We got two lace art pieces in the shape of St. Martin and Anguilla. After a slight delay due to a mechanical issue, we headed off the island flying over Maho Beach on our way to Atlanta. I want to say of all the US international gateways we have been through Atlanta is the most efficient and well done. Some airports like Miami have massive lines for passport control, relatively cranky staff due to that and not so great facilities. In Houston the facilities are great, but the Homeland Security officers are understaffed, and it leads to long lines as well. Each time we have flown through Atlanta the passport line is pretty quick and the TSA staff very kind and helpful as we are changing planes. We made it home after a great trip.
Going by cruise will give you a good glimpse into St. Martin but you miss out on the chance to visit other island nations nearby that cruises do not visit. Have plenty of cash on hand as not everyone takes credit card and sometimes, they do not work. Using the SXM Taxi app is a good transportation option along with booked tours and transfers. They have a great night life in St. Martin if you enjoy that. Give yourself plenty of time if you are catching a ferry, flight or have appointment due to the heavy traffic in especially on the Dutch side. Enjoy time on the beach but also spend a bit of time exploring the island and the museums. The Parotte Ville Bird Sanctuary is a place well worth visiting for a unique experience. Also prepare for the heat, possible rain and be cautious during hurricane season watching the forecast before you visit. St. Martin is an amazing island and a great base to visit nearby islands. IF you get the chance head there and you will enjoy it!
If you are Interested in this trip:
Contact Donna or Jason Miller and we can help you book your dream trip today including customized trips, guided tours, cruises and much more. Our travel planning services are completely free if you book with us. Contact us at donnamiller.etfamilytravel@gmail.com or jasonmiller.etfamilytravel@gmail.com to book today!
Some Sint Maarten/St. Martin Tour Options:
Island Tours:
Sailing and Snorkeling Tours:
Beach Tours:
Family Tours:
ATV Tours:
Transportation Options
For Taxi Services use the SXM Taxi app or contact Soradia Richards – Taxi 462 Telphone Number +1-721-550-3603 Email: sosorichards73@gmail.com
