St. Maarten (officially: Sint Maarten) is also known as the Dutch side of the island of St. Maarten / St. Martin. It is also referred to as the “southern side” of the island. It is an autonomous country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands and officially has approximately 50.000 inhabitants. Its capital is Philipsburg and this half comprises of 38% of the island.
The country has its own prime minister and government, but shares military and foreign affairs with the other countries in the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The King of the Netherlands, Willem Alexander, is head of state and represented permanently on island by his Excellency the Governor of Sint Maarten. The country has a unicameral parliament system of 15 seats.
The national flag of St. Maarten consists of a white triangle situated at the hoist charged with the constituent country’s coat of arms, along with two horizontal band of red and blue. It was designed by Roselle Richardson in her high school years in 1985 as part of a contest. In its emblem the flag carries the monumental Philipsburg Courthouse, the national bird the Brown Pelican, the national flower the Sage Flower and the border monument between the Dutch and French side. The emblem has an orange line symbolizing the relationship with the house of Orange. Its motto is “Semper Pro Grediens”, or “Always Moving Forward”.
With Philipsburgs AC Wathey Pier, St. Maarten boasts one of the largest cruise ports of the Caribbean. Princess Juliana International Airport is a busy gateway for both sides of the islands as well as surrounding islands Anguilla, Saba, Statia and St. Barths. Apart from St. Maarten being a popular cruise port and vacation destination, Dutch side St. Maarten is also one of the most important yachting hubs of the Caribbean.
Famous beach resort areas on the Dutch side are Philipsburg, Maho, Cupecoy, Oyster Bay and Simpson Bay.
The most famous beaches on the Dutch side of the island are Great Bay Beach, Mullet Bay Beach and Maho Beach where planes fly over.
Next to its beaches, some of the main attractions on the Dutch side are the Philipsburg Boardwalk, shopping in Front Street and the world’s steepest zipline in Rainforest Adventure Park.
Ferries come in in Philipsburg from Saba, Statia and St. Barths.
Nature on St. Maarten can be found below the sea, along the shorelines and in the hills. Hiking trails are abundantly available. Walks to the Mangrove forests in the Simpson Bay Lagoon, the Natural Pool and a visit to Sentry Hill / Rainforest Adventure Park can be of interest for nature fans. Professional Diving tours are available for those interested in exploring marine life of the Dutch side and its marine parks. Fort Amsterdam has a large colony of brown pelicans, the national bird.
The first Dutch settlement was in Little Bay, next to Fort Amsterdam. Already before the official island partition in 1648 between the Dutch and French colonial powers in the Treaty of Concordia, salt fun facts from the Great Salt Pond was a key commodity produced on island. As of the 1960s, St. Maarten became an increasingly important tourism destination. In 1954, St. Maarten became one of the six constituent islands of the Netherlands Antilles, a country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. On the 10th of October 2010 (10-10-10), the country was dissolved. Bonaire, Saba and Statia (St. Eustatius) became part of the European Netherlands, whereas St. Maarten and Curacao received autonomy status within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. (Aruba already had such since 1986). See our dedicated page for more history of Dutch side St. Maarten.
If you land on Princess Juliana International Airport (airport code SXM), you are on the “Dutch side” of St. Maarten. The same applies when you arrive to the Philipsburg cruise port. You can easily take taxis from the main gateways Princess Juliana International Airport and Cruise Port St. Maarten to different areas on the Dutch side of the island.
When yachting and docking in the Simpson Bay Lagoon, you are also on the Dutch side of the island. If you cross the Causeway Bridge you are however bound for French waters.
The island has five open border crossings to reach the Dutch side from the French side. One is from the Lowlands to Cupecoy, one from Cole Bay to Marigot (Border Monument), one from French Quarter to Dutch Quarter and ones at Belle Plaine and Oyster Pond.
Find the Dutch side area on the map below!
• US dollars are being used mostly, but the national currency is Caribbean Guilders.
• Whereas the country is part of the Netherlands, it is not part of the European union but has a special status of OCTA within this body.
• The borders with the French side are open and freely accessible
• Its airport Princess Juliana Airport, flight code SXM, serves the vast majority of traffic incoming to the island.
• Philipsburg ranks amongst the most visited ports of call for cruises in the world.
• Its most important yearly events are Carnival and the Heineken Regatta, attracting a large international crowd.
For daily activities and tours on land and at sea, see our menus!
For more fun facts, see our dedicated website. For more travel information, click here.
St Maarten / St Martin is culturally a Caribbean island, with a very special and distinct binational, multicultural culture mix of its own and many monuments but for those who are looking for a ”touch of Dutch”, the Dutch side of St Maarten has various hidden links. From the monument Fort Amsterdam or Peter Stuyvesant in de cruise port to Dutch cafes like: Dutch Blonde Beach bar. On the menu you will find Dutch pancakes and Dutch Blonde, a craft beer made by Caribbean Brewing company.
Go to Holland House Beach Hotel to try ”bitterballen” or to Dutch bar AMAsterdam with their own original Amsterdam tram in it’s so called ”steegje”. The Dutch Side of St Maarten is as Dutch as it can get!
The Dutch side of St. Maarten offers a lot of different activities to do.
Take the Soualiga Sky Explorer up Sentry Hill, enjoy the magnificent view over the Northeastern Caribbean, and take the Flying Dutchman, the steepest zipline in the world, down!
If you prefer to see the sights at Rainforest Adventures Park panorama platform but to take the Soualiga Sky Explorer back up – no problem as the view alone is worth it!
Learn all you need to know (the truth, that is) about pirates in a multimedia presentation at the Rusty Parrot Pirate Ship.
Do a Guana Bay hiking tour to see the beautiful Atlantic coast of the island and the Natural Pool.
The Adventure Race scavenger hunt in and around Philipsburg gives you a great and active discovery of St. Maarten history.
Renowned rum distillery Toppers provides a great Rum tour, and don’t forget their famous Rum cake if you decide to dine in their restaurant after!
Craft Brewery SXM Beer provides a great Brewery Tour with much more included than tasting their delightful home made brew!
Learn how to make your own version of the most celebrated Caribbean delicacy in a Rusty Parrot Rum Workshop!
The Historic Philipsburg bike tour learns you about the history of the island and guides you along the main landmarks of “town” as locals like to call it.
Take an Island Art Tour to learn about local artistry and crafts.
The Rusty Parrot organizes Mural Tours through Philipsburg. Enjoy the wall painting of local artists, learning you about St. Maarten history in the process.
Explore St. Maartens seas in a sustainable manner with Eco Friendly Sailing Tours!
Enjoy the spectacle of a true Caribbean sunset with the Lambada Sunset Sail from Aqua Mania!
For those that want to take a enjoy a full day of sailing, try the Tropical sailing, beach and snorkel tour.
Catamaran “Tango” does dinner cruises along the St. Maarten coast line.
Motorboat Santino does tours around the island with swim and snorkel stops at Tintamarre, Creole Rock and Grand Case.
Bubbly Sunset Cruises are available to enjoy a great champagne while enjoying a great Caribbean sunset.
Go Kayaking along Kim Sha Beach into the beautiful Simpson Bay!
Take a Kayak Lagoon Tour to learn about the nature and mangrove forests of St Maarten / St Martin
Take a “Wave Runner” jetski out, and tour the waters!
When bringing kids, consider spending a day at gorgeous Little Bay beach, with water fun, umbrella and beach chairs included!
The new UnderSXM is a historical statue park just under the surface of the Caribbean. Plunge in and learn about St. Maarten history in the process!
For those fanatics ready for a full day of diving, try the two tank dive!
The Sand Dollar snorkling tour provides a motor boat tour geared towards great snorkeling too.
Have you ever wanted to dive at night? Join the Scuba Night Dive!
