Seven Answers On Questions How To Plan Your First St. Maarten / St. Martin Visit
Research has shown that one of the factors St. Maarten / St. Martin has many recurring guests, is because of its wide diversity of beachside towns, landscapes and areas. Clearly, the fact that the island is uniquely binational and multicultural helps, but diversity of scenery does not stop there. Within both the “Dutch” southern and “French” northern side, there is a broad variety of areas – from bustling resort areas to rural, from hilly and lush to flat mangrove beach areas. So where to start? This article intends to assist you in some key questions you might have before planning your ultimate St. Maarten or St. Martin holidays.
1. When to visit St. Maarten?
The most profound question is when to travel to St. Maarten. St. Maarten has a busy winter season; summer is more relaxed. This is mainly caused by the fact that most visitors of St. Maarten are from the United States and Canada, where the sunny island is a pleasant alternative to the snow up north in winter.
Summers are also more quiet because many yachts and cruise ships frequenting the island in winter cross the Atlantic around April, to return in October. For many, the above makes summer the more attractive to visit St. Maarten / St. Martin. All hotels, restaurants and activities are open during summer too, lodgings often available at a lower price.
January, February, March and April are the most important months for events. In January, massive fireworks can be seen in Philipsburgs Great Bay on New Year’s Eve. “Crew Year’s Eve” follows suit a week after in Simpson Bay, celebrating the yachting and hospitality sector. The Caribbean Multihull Regatta is held in the first days of February – a prelude to the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta, the largest regatta of the Caribbean in the first week of March. Right after (mid March), the SXM Music Festival kicks off. The full month of April centers around celebration of Dutch side Carnival. For a full overview of annual and monthly events, see the St. Maarten / St. Martin Events Calendar.
Weather differs between summer and winter, but not greatly. See our St. Maarten weather page for a month by month overview of what weather to expect.
Most frequent St. Maarten / St. Martin visitors know that hurricane season (May – November) is not a factor to plan around (though a cancellation policy is a good idea for any travel). The chance a hurricane occurs on the small island is very tiny, let alone during your stay. Oppositely, chances are real that at the point you fly to St. Maarten you would already know if the country is in “the cone” of such an event.
2. Should I Stay on The Dutch Side or French Side?
In general, it is best to see St. Maarten / St. Martin as one destination. The border is open, so you can be at any point on island within an hour, wherever you stay.
Due to national regulations, the French and Dutch side developed a bit differently over time. The Dutch side has more resorts, nightlife and casino areas. The French side has more villas and nature reserves. But to confuse you for now, the French side also has resort areas and the Dutch side plenty of villa and nature areas too. So again, it does not matter on what side you stay, but on the area.
3. What lodging type should I choose?
St. Maarten / St. Martin basically offers five main types of lodging. The island offers three all-inclusive resorts, about ten additional larger resorts with personalized services, many boutique hotels, villas and short term rented condominiums. In addition, it is not uncommon to charter yachts on St. Maarten. If you choose a lodging type, you can choose a befitting area below.
4. What area should I stay in?
Like lodging and the choice for visiting in summer or winter, your area to stay depends heavily on personal preferences. It depends if you prefer bustling resort areas versus quieter ones, or want to have an exclusive feel away from hotel areas.
Resort areas
When it pertains to resort areas, Little Bay (Belair Beach Hotel, Divi Little Bay Resort and Divi Oceans), Maho (Sonesta Maho, Sonesta Ocean Point, Morgan Resort, Royal Islander La Plage and Royal Islander La Terrasse) , Cupecoy (Sapphire Beach Club), Oyster Bay (Oyster Bay Beach Resort and JW Marriott) and Pelican / Simpson Bay (Atrium, Simpson Bay Resort, Hilton Grand Vacations Flamingo Beach, Hilton Grand Vacation Royal Palm) all contain multiple larger resorts. All these are on the Dutch side. Though Orient Bay on the French side does not have large resorts, the area does have a resort town feel due to the many smaller hotels.
In case of Maho, Pelican, Simpson Bay and Orient Bay, these areas have lively areas with nightlife, restaurants and activities nearby.
Oyster Bay, Little Bay, Grand Case, Anse Marcel and Cupecoy are also flourishing beachside resort towns with restaurants and amenities, but quieter in nature.
Divi Little Bay, Sonesta Maho and Sonesta Ocean Point provide all-inclusive arrangements.
Boutique hotel areas
The Dutch side capital Philipsburg has multiple smaller hotels like Holland House, Seaview, Horizon View, Alicia’s Inn and Pasanggrahan. Also L’Esperance and Princess Heights (Oyster Bay) are close by.
Around the Simpson Bay Lagoon, you find boutique hotels like Port de Plaisance, Horny Toad, Azure and Carl’s Unique Inn.
On the French side, Grand Case and Orient Bay have many smaller lodgings.
In case of both resorts and boutique hotels, verify our booking engine for availability and pricing.
Villas and Condominiums
Villas can amongst others be found in Oyster Bay / Dawn Beach, Pelican, Indigo or Cay Bay, Little Bay and Orient Bay / Mont Vernon and the Lowlands on the French side. For advice on villas and condos, consult the professional rental agencies that manage these properties.
5. What airport do I arrive at?
Both St. Maarten (Dutch side) and St. Martin have an airport. If you travel to the island, it is unlikely you will arrive via the small French side airport L’Esperance (SFG), only serving the French islands in the region. All large aircraft arrive at Princess Juliana International Airport (SXM) on the Dutch side.
6. Choosing Things To Do
Now you have an idea of time and lodging, a key question is, what are interesting things to do?
Choosing Activities During the Day
As with all above, this will depend on your personal dreamt St. Maarten / St. Martin vacation. To get you started, see some draft itineraries for tranquillity seekers, thrillseekers, nature fans and history buffs. St. Maarten is also a great base for sailing, scuba diving and snorkeling and island hopping to surrounding islands for a day.
See an excursions overview for an even wider array of possible activities to choose from. You can use the Check Availability buttons to see if activities befit your planning, and book directly if so desired.
What Beaches to Choose
With 37 beaches to choose from, you might also like some help with this part if your journey. Not to miss the landmark St. Maarten & St. Martin shores, see an overview of the five most famous beaches on island with their advantages and disadvantages.
Those and all other beaches on island can also be found on the beaches page, including a guide that helps you choose a beach per mood you are in.
What to do in the evenings
St. Maarten is the Culinary Capital of the Caribbean, so a nice evening of dining out is a must. See the restaurant page what taste and setting is to your liking. On the weekly specials page, you can find weekly offers, theme nights and activities of restaurants alongside your dish.
After dinner, there is plenty of nightlife options, especially in the Simpson Bay and Maho districts.
7. What to pack?
See a detailed list of nine packing tips for St. Maarten / St. Martin when in doubt about what to pack.
Two key elements to pack are a passport with correct validity and an ED Card. ED Cards can be filled in online before departure or at dedicated devices at the airport. The government however recommends to do such as much in advance as possible to expedite your arrival process.
It is also recommended to download the SXM Taxi App in advance for efficient travel on island. You can also decide to book a car rental.
Safe travels! Should questions about traveling to St. Maarten linger, see this site’s general information page about the island, the travel information pages and the FAQ page.
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