MUST DO EXPERIENCES – BEACHES
BEST OF THE BEACHES
Here’s how to find the one that’s right for you.
By Jeffrey Laign
Some things are just plain impossible, no matter what you may read on the internet. It’s impossible to flap your arms and fly to the moon. It’s impossible to click your ruby-red slippers and suddenly turn up in Kansas. And it’s nigh impossible to have a bad day at the beach when the sun is shining on St. Maarten/St. Martin. The Dutch-French island boasts 37 remarkable beaches, all of them postcard perfect; but as insiders will tell you, no beach is exactly like another. Some are crowd-pleasers; others are havens from the hustle and bustle. On some beaches, you’ll see little ones splashing in the surf, while others attract aquatic athletes honing their skills. What are you looking for in a beach? Here are our picks for beaches that are sure to please and satisfy your needs.
Get Social
St. Maarten
Maho Beach: Sharing a thrill is a surefire way to make new friends. Scream with strangers as jumbo jets fly right over you on their way to adjacent Princess Juliana International Airport. Later, you can swap stories over drinks at a lively beach bar.
St. Martin
Orient Beach: See how many celebrities you can spot on this Riviera-like stretch of sun-kissed sand, dubbed by jet-setters the “St. Tropez of the Caribbean.” But be forewarned: You may really get to know folks if you venture to the far southern end of this two-mile-long beach. It’s where unclothed sun worshippers like to let it all hang out.
Lose the Crowds
St. Maarten
Guana Bay Beach: You may encounter surfers from time to time, but often it’s just you and the views of neighboring St. Barths. Relax, rejuvenate, restore.
St. Martin
Plum Bay Beach: This sandy shore offers an enchanting view of Saba and little else. It’s a great place to crack open that hot new beach read you’ve been wanting to delve into.
Bring the Kids
St. Maarten
Simpson Bay Beach: Families looking to avoid the throngs but not the amenities enjoy this mile-long strip of fine sand. It’s within proximity of Simpson Bay’s many resorts and restaurants, but you won’t find it overrun with tourists.
St. Martin
Le Galion Beach: Relax, Mom and Dad. Your little ones can splash safely in calm, shallow waters sheltered by a large coral reef. Make like a local and pack a picnic lunch.
Court & Spark
St. Maarten
Dawn Beach: If you miss the fabled green flash during a sunset stroll, you’ll have another chance at romance if you wait a few more hours. Sunrises are spectacular at this beach, as its name suggests.
St. Martin
Lover’s Beach: Also aptly named, this tiny slice of seclusion is said to accommodate only two people at a time, making it the perfect spot for a romantic rendezvous.
Make a Splash
St. Maarten
Mullet Bay Beach: Surfers head for the reef break at this beach near the island’s only golf course. It’s also a popular spot to rent a glass-bottom kayak or stand-up paddleboard.
St. Martin
Petite Plage: This pristine stretch of shore at the end of Grand Case’s main street is the gateway to Creole Rock, considered by many to be the best snorkeling site on the island. The easily reached reef is teeming with tropical fish.
Please Your Palate
St. Maarten
Great Bay Beach: Lively bars and restaurants line Front Street near the boardwalk that runs along most of this beach in the heart of Philipsburg. Work up your appetite zooming around on a Jet Ski, then treat your taste buds to some mouthwatering island cuisine.
St. Martin
Grand Case Beach: This fishing-village-turned-culinary-capital is famous for the gourmet restaurants that line the boulevard. Savor the finest French food this side of the Eiffel Tower, but don’t overlook the local delicacies served up at quaint grills known as lolos.
Time Travel
St. Maarten
Little Bay Beach: Imagine what life was like in 1631, when this shore was protected by Fort Amsterdam, the first Dutch military outpost in the Caribbean. Only a few of the fort’s walls remain, but the site is well worth a visit.
St. Martin
Galisbay Beach: The ruins of Fort Louis tower over this small family beach. Completed in 1789, the fort was designed to protect Marigot and its warehouses from marauding British and Dutch pirates. Today it makes for a scenic photo backdrop.
Take Your Pic
St. Maarten
Cupecoy Beach: Your friends will marvel at the images you post of the ochre-colored cliffs that embrace this coral-sand shore at the southwestern corner of the island. Try to capture the magnificent sunsets that wash across cave-peppered sandstone formations towering 20 feet above the surf.
St. Martin
Îlet Pinel: It’s hard to take a bad picture on this idyllic islet reachable only by boat. How can you mess up a shot of gently swaying coconut palms, baby-blue water, and a gorgeous mountain backdrop?
Explore a Shore
St. Maarten
Geneve Bay Beach: Reaching this rugged black-rock shore on the southeastern coast near Philipsburg requires an hour-long hike from Guana Bay through evergreen shrub land. But, oh, what awaits: photogenic geological formations, brown pelicans, and melon-shaped cactuses.
St. Martin
Tintamarre: You’ll feel like Robinson Crusoe on this island that’s devoid of human inhabitants but rich in wildlife. It’s likely you’ll spot turtles and stingrays swimming in crystalline waters protected by the Nature Reserve.