Sint Maarten & Saint Martin: Two Countries, One Island, And a Helluva Good Time, Pt. 1
Sint Maarten, the Dutch side of the island of Saint Martin, is good for a spectacular view or two, such as this panoramic shot of Cole Bay, Simpson Bay, & Princess Juliana International Airport
Perhaps, at some point in time, you’ve come across them, much the way you discover most anything on social media — by mindlessly scrolling. Perhaps, when you saw them, you wondered: “Why would they put an airport right next to the beach?” But perhaps, upon further reflection and additional discoveries of them, you thought: “Kinda crazy, but I kinda want to go.”
“Them,” in this case, would be videos of people on a thin slice of sandy shoreline, holding up their phone or camera to reveal an airplane seemingly flying right toward them and, eventually, over their heads, before touching down on a landing strip just 200 feet away, on the other side of a barbed wire fence. “Them” would also be videos of people attempting to stay in place along that same thin slice of sandy shoreline as they’re pummeled by the jet blast of an Airbus A320 taking off in the opposite direction.
Whether you’ve stumbled upon them or not, they do exist, and they were recorded at a place called Maho Beach on the Dutch side of the island of Saint Martin. Getting blown off your feet (literally, in some cases) at Maho as planes take off from Princess Juliana International Airport may not sound like your cup of tea, but it is on the bucket lists of many travelers the world over. And it happens to be the reason a good friend and I planned a trip to Saint Martin this spring.
While experiencing the “Maho Blast,” if you will, provided the initial motivation to fly down to the Caribbean, we also knew Saint Martin had much more to offer than that. Some things we planned in advance; some things we left to chance, just going with the flow and seeing what the travel gods had in store for us. The end result was a trip for the books.
If you think you’d ever be down to have your own Saint Martin adventure, read on for a handy-dandy guide that could help lead the way.
The jet blast danger zone is clearly marked across the road from Maho Beach
Sint Maarten — The Dutch Side
Getting There
Cruise ships pull into port on the Dutch side of Saint Martin just about every other day (when restrictions imposed by a global pandemic aren’t getting in the way, that is), but if your objective is to spend more than an afternoon on the island, you’re likely flying in from somewhere further afield. U.S. flights tend to originate from the East Coast, as far north as New York and Newark, and on down to Ft. Lauderdale and Miami, with hubs like Charlotte, N.C., and Atlanta sprinkled in.
Most, if not all, of these planes fly into Princess Juliana International Airport, situated on one of the few flat stretches of land found anywhere on the island. The only other commercial airport, Grand Case-Espérance Airport on the French side, deals primarily with passenger flights to and from other parts of the French Caribbean, as well as private aircraft.
But anyway, back to the Dutch side… Once you’ve arrived in Sint Maarten, the process of picking up your rental car (which, of course, you booked online in advance) is easy as pie — especially if you booked through Exclusive Car Rental St. Maarten. As their site explains, you simply set a time to pick up your car and they will be waiting for you at the airport when you arrive. When it’s time to return the vehicle, much the same process ensues. Truly the easiest car rental experience I’ve ever had (except maybe for the times I’ve used Turo).
Where to Stay
We stayed at two different Airbnb’s in Sint Maarten, both of which had their perks. The first was fairly close to the airport, just over in Cole Bay. Room in Villa Casa Blue, situated in a Hollywood Hills-esque neighborhood up above the main part of town, provides an incredible, panoramic view of the southwest side of the island, including Simpson Bay, Cole Bay, and the airport.
Driving up to the spot is an adventure in itself, with steep, narrow roads leading the way, making you wonder if your car’s going to have enough juice to make it. Once you get up there, it’s time for the payoff: that incredible view, paired with a comfortable room, a pool, and the warm welcome of your host, Valerie, who teaches art at a local college. If you happen to be on the island in the early part of the week, she might even meet you out for drinks at the Soggy Dollar, where every Tuesday is Latin Night.
Looking out at Simpson Bay from the bow of Spellbound, a catamaran owned by Adventure Sports Sailing, who does chartered trips around the island
Besides being amazing for the reasons already mentioned, Valerie’s spot up in the hills above Cole Bay is also prime for its proximity to Simpson Bay and Maho, which might be considered the heart and lungs of Sint Maarten’s nightlife scene (more on that below). If a quieter scene is what you’re after, however, you might consider the second Airbnb we stayed at, over in Philipsburg, the capital of the Dutch side.
Bayside Walk Beachfront Apartment can be found on the east end of the boardwalk along Philipsburg’s main stretch, nestled in between shops, restaurants, a handful of bars, and a couple of casinos. The area is abuzz with foot traffic during the day — especially as cruise ships come into port — but by nightfall things have mostly settled down and all is quiet except for the occasional weekend jazz concert.
Similar to Valerie in Cole Bay, your hosts here in Philipsburg are warm, welcoming, and determined to help you with anything you need. Tim owns and operates the gelato shop the apartment sits on top of (and may or may not give you a free treat upon arrival), while Ludmila is a member of Sint Maarten’s Parliament, as well as the country’s former minister of tourism. Together, they make a formidable team that will go to lengths to make sure you have a good time while visiting.
Of course, there are also plenty of hotels on the Dutch side, including a pair of all-inclusive resorts: Sonesta Ocean Point Resort, which is geared toward adults, and Sonesta Maho Beach Resort, Casino & Spa, which is described as being fun for all ages. Other top-tier accommodations include Oyster Bay Beach Resort, The Morgan Resort & Spa, and Dawn Beach Club Resort.
The view from the balcony of Ludmila and Tim’s beachfront Airbnb apartment on the boardwalk in Philipsburg
Main Attractions/Things to Do
This is the Caribbean, so if all you’re looking to do is drink beer with your toes in the sand, Sint Maarten certainly has you covered. The only difficulty you might encounter is picking which beach to designate as your home base. If you’re an aviation buff, Maho Beach next to the airport is the place to be; if you like to be in the thick of it, Kim Sha Beach in Simpson Bay is near all the action; if you enjoy people watching, Great Bay Beach is the landing spot for cruise ships docking in Sint Maarten; and if seclusion is what you’re after, you might consider Cupecoy Beach, up near the border with the French side.
On the off chance you decide you’ve had enough of the beach, myriad other options await. One excursion you certainly won’t regret is taking a cruise around the entire island on a chartered boat. We employed the services of Adventure Sports Sailing, which offers an array of cruises, including half-day, full-day, and overnight experiences, aboard its fleet of catamarans.
Our full-day cruise on Spellbound, captained by Brent, a North Carolina transplant, set sail from Simpson Bay a little after 9 a.m. The trip saw us circumnavigate Saint Martin, traveling clockwise from the southwest coast around the westernmost point and then onward to the French side, where we eventually stopped to snorkel in the clear blue waters near Creole Rock.
By midday, we had made our way over to Île Tintamarre, an uninhabited island just to the northeast of Saint Martin, where, anchored offshore, we eventually had lunch (BBQ ribs, grilled chicken, pasta salad), before traversing the east coast and coming back around the underside of the island. By the time Captain Brent had steered us back into Simpson Bay, it was about 5:30 p.m — in other words, a day well spent on the water.
Prefer to stay on land? Well, I’m not sure why you traveled to a Caribbean island, but… I kid, I kid. One popular activity for those preferring to stay dry would be taking an ATV tour. There are a few companies that do this, but I would recommend Splash in the Sun, which offers 3- to 4-hour tours and 6-hour tours.
Ryan P. snorkeling in the Caribbean Sea near Île Tintamarre (not pictured)
Both options will see you make your way around the entire island, but the longer version allows for more time at the designated stops, as well as a stop for lunch. Along the way, your guide will share plenty of information about the island and its history (pro tip: I’m told Taz is the guide you want). If you’d rather explore on your own via ATV, Splash in the Sun also does daily rentals for a lower cost.
Aside from relaxing on the beach and zooming around on off-road vehicles, here are a few other activities you might want to check out on the Dutch side:
Devil’s Cupper Trail (seaside hiking trail that leads to Devil’s Cupper, a collection of secluded tide pools)
Rainforest Adventures St. Maarten at Rockland Estate (zip lining, chair lift rides (#views), a museum, & more)
Seaside Nature Park (horseback riding, hiking, camping, & more)
Where to Eat
Burger King, KFC, Subway — they’re all here! That means you’ve got breakfast, lunch, and dinner figured out pretty much every day. Unless I’m totally kidding, which I am. I’m not joking about these American fast-food staples existing in Sint Maarten (they do), but if you really thought I was recommending them, you might be off your rocker. No, no, and no.
We sampled a variety of restaurants during our 6-day stay on the island, none of which served whoppers, foot-longs, or the colonel’s famous fried chicken. Of the places we went to stuff our faces on the Dutch side, there were a couple of standouts. For breakfast, Chesterfields Restaurant & Bar next to Bobby’s Marina in Philipsburg is a cozy, nautical-themed spot with reasonable prices (and $15 T-shirts, if you’re on the hunt for souvenirs that don’t scream, “I got this at a gift shop”). Ludmila, the co-host of the Philipsburg Airbnb on the boardwalk, also suggested Réveil Matin, a breakfast and lunch spot in Simpson Bay that she described as a “little pricey, but consistently good.”
For lunch and dinner, two joints worth checking out are Skip Jack’s, a seafood place just up the road from Réveil Matin where you can indulge in all your fishy favorites, such as calamari, escargot, oysters, shrimp, the catch of the day — you know, the works; and Aziana, an Asian fusion restaurant in Philipsburg where I’d recommend sampling a little bit of everything by ordering the signature snack platter, which comes with chicken wings, shrimp tempura, fried mussels, vegetarian spring rolls, calamari rings, and chicken skewers.
What’s more, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the various lolos, or open-air, roadside food stands, you’ll likely encounter on both the Dutch and French sides of Saint Martin. Two of the more well-known/established ones on the Dutch side are Rosie’s Snack Bar at Mullet Bay Beach and Johnny B’s Under the Tree in Cole Bay.
Out at the Soggy Dollar for Latin Night, we ran into Valerie, the host of our first Airbnb in Cole Bay, and her man
Nightlife
There are essentially two hubs when it comes to nightlife on the Dutch side: you’re either headed to Maho or Simpson Bay. When it comes to the former, the primary choices include Moon Bar, a rooftop club with a big, moon-shaped disco ball hanging over the dance floor and a DJ likely spinning techno/house-style beats, and Mykonos, an outdoor nightclub right on the ocean found in between the Sunset Bar & Grill and The Morgan Resort & Spa (mentioned earlier).
Both Moon Bar and Mykonos are stellar options, but if you are looking to bar/club hop, the menu is a bit more extensive in Simpson Bay. To get the night started, you might try something like Roxxy Beach Bar & Restaurant, which opens up right onto the bay and oftentimes hosts events that begin in the afternoon and bleed into the night, or Nowhere Special, a newer spot with a large selection of rum and a social media-friendly moniker that’s just begging you to make a corny dad joke.
When you’re ready to turn the night up a notch, it’s time to head to Lotus, the (self-proclaimed) most popular nightclub on Sint Maarten. Here you’ll find the kind of club scene you’re used to encountering in the U.S., only the collection of people inside will typically be a more diverse bunch, with representation from various parts of the world. You could run into a couple from Canada on a two-week vacation; a group of friends from the Netherlands taking part in an internship program on the island; a bachelorette party from Atlanta that’s booked one of the roped-off, VIP sections — it’s truly an eclectic mix.
The same could be said for another popular spot in this area, which would be the aforementioned Soggy Dollar. While Latin Night on Tuesdays is something you absolutely must experience, Ludmila confirms the Soggy Dollar "is always good” and has a “very chill vibe” no matter what day of the week you go. One thing I would add: it is a cash-only establishment (but even if you run out of dough, there’s probably a manager around willing to act as a human ATM if you send them money through Venmo or Paypal (which totally didn’t happen to us (obviously))).
Lastly, if you’re in need of a place to sober up prior to the drive back to your hotel/Airbnb, there are a few casinos in the area that would be more than delighted to entertain you. Your options include Hollywood Casino, Paradise Plaza Casino, and Tropicana Princess Casino, all three of which are within easy walking distance just to the south of Lotus.
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Stay tuned for Part 2, which will focus on the French side of Saint Martin, and, after that, a standalone post all about Anguilla (part of the British Caribbean).
-LTH