St Maarten Airport: 10 Fun Things To Discover When Visiting the Most Famous Runway of the Caribbean
St. Maarten Airport Princess Juliana has reopened, after a thorough remake. It now ranks amongst the most high tech airports in the world and for sure within the Kingdom of the Netherlands and the Caribbean region. New gadgets have added to the ease of travel, entering and exiting.
Expediting your travel (ensure you fill in your entry.sx form before traveling) allows for extra time on your holiday or layover! Are you in the middle of a Caribbean island hopping tour, waiting for your intercontinental flight, are you on an excursion around St. Maarten / St. Martin or did you even deliberately choose to visit spectacular Maho Beach from a Cruise trip? Here are some fun things to discover around the most photographed runway of the Caribbean if you have some time to spend! For most below suggestions, take a 2 minutes bus or cab ride to the Maho roundabout, others highlight remarkable landmarks on the airport itself.
1. The Obligatory Picture At Maho Beach
Millions know about the proximity of the runway to St Maarten airport Maho Beach. It would be remiss not to put this globally known attraction of the island on the first spot of this list of things to do. Enjoy the fun of a jetblast blowing you into the sea when large aircraft depart, or just take a selfie when an airplane is about to land. Did you know that many pilots, when serving the St Maarten airport, also visit the beach to see the spectacle from outside their cabin? They know like no other to take precautions – do not stand near the St Maarten airport fence or before the concrete girder.
2. Mullet Bay Beach is Also Close By!
But the busy excitement around Maho Beach hides the fact there are other famous and tranquil beaches to explore. Within a 15 minute walk from the roundabout to the west (or a 3 minute extension of your taxi or bus ride), you find Mullet Bay Beach, like Maho Beach one of the most famous beaches of St. Maarten / St. Martin. This pristine shore, considered one of the most beautiful Caribbean beaches around, is listed in many guides as suggestion for a full beach day.
3. More Beaches Near The Airport – Simpson Bay Beach
On the east side, you find another treasured St. Maarten beach. Alongside the airports eastern runway side, you find the beginnings of one of the most stretched sandy shores of the island. Simpson Bay Beach starts right off the runway and runs for miles along Simpson Bay. Like Mullet Bay, this beach is just a 15 minute walk from the roundabout. At its very start, you find fun beach club D’s Beach Bar. Though it is right next to the runway, walls prevent most of the airplane noise getting in between of you and a great beach day. If you have sufficient time to kill, try out K’s and Mary’s Boon beach clubs too!
4. See Yourself On The Maho Webcam
Maho Beach has a high tech webcam monitoring every plane landing and departing. Its first year of operations in 2024 – 2025 resulted in no less than 4 million visitors. It is manually guided in such a way that both spectacular arrivals and departures are filmed from the best angles. Like some have done, it allows you to send messages home (and to the world) in a creative manner! Managing company ShowMeCaribbean makes summaries of the most fun departures and arrivals in the year. Tortuga Beach Bar, home to the spectacular cam, allows for a peaceful bite in between of enjoying the Maho Beach airport frenzy.
5. Golfing During Transit
There is a lot of fun facts commonly known about the St. Maarten Airport, but here is a new one. Where in the world, in which Caribbean getaway, can you play golf whilst in between of two flights? The Mullet Bay Golf Course is right off the world famous beach with the same name. It takes you 5 minutes to arrive to the beach from the airport and to have you try out a unique hole in one, with scenic Mullet Bay Beach in the background.
6. Mullet Bay Mangrove Walk
Nature fans can also enjoy themselves well near the St. Maarten airport. Alongside the golf course (on the other side seen from the beach) you find the outskirts of the Simpson Bay Lagoon. This part has a special Mangrove area with a designated walking trail along it.
7. The Monument By Princess Beatrix
It was Princess Beatrix, the former Queen of the four countries of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, that reopened a totally revised St. Maarten Airport in November 2024. She did so by unveiling a large memorial plaque in the airport – now for all to see. Fun fact: Beatrix was the daughter of Princess Juliana, whom the St. Maarten airport was named after. She also was her successor as Queen.
8. Private Jet Parking Paradise
St. Maarten / St. Martin receives a lot of celebrities every year. Some stay in lush villas, others arrive via the St. Maarten airport to connect to their megayacht. In addition, some rich and famous go hop islands to Anguilla or St. Barths from Princess Juliana airport. Whatever the northeastern Caribbean retreat is the “beau monde” selects for its holidays, they use the St. Maarten airport for their VIP travel experience hub. That often leads to an interesting series of private aircraft parked on the airport. Though some are smaller Embraers or Gulfstreams, others are fully equipped private Boeings.
9. For Airport Night Owls: Maho Village
The Maho area is a well known spot for nightlife. You can imagine that for pilots, stewards and stewardesses that makes St. Maarten not the worst place to stay for the crew change in between of flights. Next to those, you will find many tourists and residents also visiting the “Maho Village”, the famous strip in between the beach and the golf course. Dine at Mr Chow, Roma and Spices of India, before you head out to the many bars in this street!
10. Island Cat Rescue SXM
If you are a cat fan, there is something special around the airport corner. In one of the towers of the Sonesta Maho Beach Resort Casino & Spa along the strip, you find a space donated by the resort to house cats looking for an owner, well looked after by a local foundation. If anything to bring from St. Maarten as a cat lover – adopt a most grateful souvenir!
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