This small Caribbean island is considered the smallest island in the world to have two countries occupying it—the French rule the upper two-thirds of the island, and the Dutch rule the southern third.
Whilst the tiny Caribbean island contains two countries, it does not have a physical border between them. Therefore once you have cleared passport control, you are free to roam the island without any further border checks.
St Martin/St Maarten is nicknamed the ‘Friendly Island’ and we can certainly testify to that. It is very safe and travelling around the different areas gave us no issues.
Where is this Caribbean island?
Located in the Leeward Islands in the northeastern Caribbean sea, where the Atlantic and the Caribbean seas meet in close proximity to . Next to others such as Anguilla and St Barthelemy (St Barts).
A bit further west you will find the British Virgin Islands, the US Virgin Islands, and even further west is Puerto Rico.
St Martin/Sint Maarten is located in the Lesser Antilles, a long arc of islands that start at the Virgin Islands and extend southward to Grenada. Which also include Trinidad and Tobago, Margarita Islands, and Aruba.
What is the French side like?
Any search on Google will tell you that the French side is about laid-back Parisian-style living. The cuisine is everything from creole to fine dining, and the people and the shops are more ‘chic’ in their products and appearance; dare I say it, it’s a prettier part of the island due to it being more mountainous and green..
This is due to having different standards when it comes to planning permission. For example, the French side requires buildings not to be too tall and even to follow a specific colour palette to match other architecture in the area.
By doing it this way, it maintains it’s a relaxed and peaceful atmosphere. Even in built-up areas of the Capital of Margot, where traffic can build up, the houses are similar and have beautiful flowers growing at the front.
The locals speak French, some a french based creole, but everyone speaks English, so getting around and asking for a beer or directions are easy.
What is the Dutch side like?
The Dutch side, Phillipsburg being the capital, is a typical cruise port town. It has been built around the cruise industry, offering a long boardwalk of shops, jewellery stores and many souvenirs. Some of the buildings just off the boardwalk still retain their historic architecture, but we found the dutch side to be built up quite heavily, with a lot of high-rise concrete buildings, which is a stark difference from the buildings you see on the French side.
However, the Dutch side is more about the party side. There are plenty of bars and clubs that stay open much later. So whilst the French side sleeps, the Dutch are clubbing away.
English is spoken on the Dutch side. A french local told us that the dutch locals don’t speak Dutch, but we don’t know how true that is. We didn’t hear Dutch there, but then we didn’t meet many people due to it being very low season.
What is there to do?
The beauty of the island is tenfold. Firstly it’s a small island. You could drive around the whole island in a few hours, which means you have easy access to experience everything it offers in only a few days if you wish, but holidays are not about rushing around.
Beaches
St Martin/Sint Maarten has 37 beaches which are all public, so it’s easy to pick and choose if you fancy a change.
There are so many to choose from. There are quiet beaches, activity/watersports beaches, and nudist beaches. The famous Maho beach retains an attraction (often seen on YouTube posts) with its proximity to the airport runway. Planes are feet from the ground as they come into land, passing over people trying to take photos while sand is blown into their eyeballs and knocking them off their feet!
Hiking
There are plenty of hiking trails around the island, covering both coastal and inland, and as the peaks are pretty high, they offer breathtaking views on a clear day. Hikes can be done alone, but plenty of tour guides can provide advice and support if you prefer to go with others. Make sure to bring water and snacks if you are out for an extended period and avoiding the midday sun os always best! You will encounter the local flora and fauna, especially the iguanas. As with any hot country, mosquitos are everywhere, so plenty of repellant is always necessary!
Casinos
There are around 13 casinos on the Dutch side, but none on the French. Therefore if you fancy gambling, the dutch side will have all you need to enjoy your time.
Boating/Watersports
There are plenty of opportunities to play or enjoy the water around St Martin. You will find many activities around the beaches and marinas all over the island, from water-skiing, canoeing, and paddleboarding. Etc.
Check out our Private powerboat charter exploring the stunning white sands of St Martin and Aguilla.
With 37 beaches to choose from on the French and Dutch sides, finding activity on the water is super simple.
Where we stayed
On our trip, we opted to stay in an Airbnb in the Cul-De-Sac area of the island, which overlooked Pinel island on the northeastern side. It took us around 25 mins to drive there from the airport, and it was a tranquil and relaxing place to call home for the first few days. Our single-story house faced the sea, had everything we needed, and was set in a peaceful, quiet part of the island. From here, we could walk to the ferry to take us across to Pinel Island or take a few minutes to drive to shops, restaurants and bars.
Due to cancelled flights and losing a chance to visit Saba, a small island just southwest of St Martin/ Sint Maarten, we chose to stay another week in St Martin, but this time in Grand Case Beach Club, located on the north-western side of the island.
Grand Case Beach Club is a secluded but easily located location a short walk from the town of Grand Case. The place was quiet, had two beaches, and staying guests had access to a pool above the bar and restaurant.
Our room was fitted with a kitchen, a sitting room and a big bedroom and balcony facing west so you could sit outside and watch the sunset without venturing too far.
We loved staying here, we found it very relaxing, both the beach and pool area were big enough not to feel too crowded, and the whole place was chilled and located about 6 min drive to a supermarket, shops, ATMs, and for us, a self-service laundry which was perfect due to our extended stay on island. Ensuring we could wash our clothes periodically is becoming a thing due to our small suitcases – I never knew we needed to think about it so much before!
Getting around
As already pointed out, the island is relatively small. You can travel around the island in a few hours, which is straightforward by car. We took a drive one day and found ourselves doing that without trying. We kept driving until we discovered we were back to where we had started.
The roads were in excellent condition, in some towns the traffic may build up, and some main roads may be a little tight, especially on the French side but if you are familiar with Europe, there won’t be any surprises. Other road users are polite and non-aggressive. They may pass you if they feel you are going too slow on certain parts. However, they know the roads better than any visitor, and it’s always best to leave others to drive how they want to.
We chose Europcar due to their availability and the fact I was already a member. They were helpful and courteously picked us up and dropped us off at the airport.
Next stop – St Kitts and Nevis…