SIMPSON BAY

Simpson Bay: St Maarten’s Center of Watersports & Nightlife

Simpson Bay is another part of the island which holds a lot of culinary hotspots and entertainment. You can find many St Maarten resorts here like Atrium, LaVista, Hilton Grand Vacations Flamingo, Simpson Bay Resort and Hilton Grand Vacations Royal Palm resort.

Even though there is a great nightlife on the strip, there is also a quieter side of Simpson Bay where one can relax. Such as on Kim Sha Beach next to many local vendors for the authentic taste of the island and quiet Simpson Bay Beach which is one of the longest beaches on the island. This bay is a hotspot for mega yachts and sailing. In March, you are prone to find the lagoon totally full when the St Maarten Yacht Club’s Heineken Regatta sets sail.

If you are into hiking, try the westcoast trail leading from Kim Sha beach to Mullet Bay, passing by no less than 5 beaches bordering the Caribbean and the Simpson Bay Lagoon.

Old picture of the Simpson Bay Bridge

History of Simpson Bay

It is said that Simpson Bay village was named after captain John Simpson, who defeated and sank two pirate frigates in the vicinity of what is now Simpson bay, which is located on the west side of the island. This most probably happened during the second half of 17th century. Apparently captain Simpson was from Scandinavian origin, related to chose colonist that came to St. Barthélemy and of which some settled here as a fishing community.

Historically, Simpson Bay was part of one long sand bar also including the current St Maarten airport area. A storm in 1819 forced a gap connecting the Simpson Bay lagoon to the Caribbean at the Pelican area. This gap further isolated the settlement from other villages on the Dutch side of the island. Roads to Philipsburg were not in place yet. Much business was done with Marigot, as this was easy to sail to via the lagoon. The Halley sisters were famous for operating a flatboat ferry to bridge the gap.

Lieutenant Governor J.D. Meiners initiated the construction of a first bridge in 1933, a wooden structure that provided a direct link between Simpson Bay Village and the main island. In 1950, the wooden bridge was replaced with a more durable stone-cement bridge featuring iron handrails.

In 1970, a canal was dug further down the isthmus to connect the sea and the lagoon. The sand that came available by this excavation was used for “Snoopy island”, the artificial island in the lagoon currently in use to dock superyachts at IGY Marina. The Captain John Sainsborough Lejuez swivel bridge now became the bridge connecting both sides, to be replaced in 1989 by the current bridge.

Fisherman Statue, Simpson Bay Fishmarket, St Maarten, St Martyn, St Marteen

Remnants of old Simpson Bay Village

On the Fish Market you find a statue honoring the old times of the fishing village. In between of the bustling Simpson bay strip and Simpson Bay beach surprisingly quiet roads still provide a feeling of times gone by.

The Simpson Bay Bridge letting boats go through to the Simpson Bay Lagoon

Getting to and from Simpson Bay

A great benefit of staying in the Simpson Bay area is that it has many amenities like supermarkets, restaurants and pharmacies within walking distance. This also applies to many activities (see below).

Due to the large amount of resorts, many car rentals can be found in the Simpson Bay area. The main road is also on the Maho to Philipsburg minivan busline and vice versa. From Aquamanias location at the Simpson Bay Resort, ferries depart to St Barths and Saba.

See our overview of St. Maarten taxi rates what pricing is in place from Simpson Bay (Pelican) to your place of departure.