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Visitor
Activities
Beaches
 St. Martin
is famous for its beaches. They are great in number and
each distinctively attractive. You will find them with
waves high enough for surfers, and calm ones for the small
kids. There are busy and deserted beaches for the honeymooners.
Tiny beaches between rocky cliffs and some which seem
to stretch endlessly. One thing they all have in common,
they are clean, the sand is white, and the sea is crystal
clear.
Fishing
Deep Sea Fishing is available and you can angle for yellowtail
snapper, grouper, marlin, tuna, and wahoo. Costs (for
four people) range from $400 for a half-day to $700 for
a full day. Prices usually include bait and tackle, instruction
for novices, and refreshments. Ask about licensing and
insurance. The Marlin Cup occurs in the month of May and
the Saint-Martin Billfish Tournament takes place every
year in the month of June.
Diving & Snorkeling
The water temperature is rarely below 70°F (21°C),
and visibility is usually excellent, averaging about 100
feet (or more). Beginners and night divers will appreciate
the tugboat Annie, which lies in 25 feet to 30 feet of
water in Simpson Bay. The coral reefs offer a wide variety
of sea life. Dive operators may be found at many of the
major resorts and hotels as well as at a number of independent
shops around the island. Instruction from beginning to
advanced is readily available, and certified divers should
remember to bring their licenses as well as their diving
logs. Equipment may be rented easily, and snorkeling is
especially inexpensive.
Some of the best snorkeling on the Dutch side can be found
around the rocks below Fort Amsterdam off Little Bay Beach,
in the west end of Maho Bay, off Pelican Key, and around
the reefs off Dawn Beach and Oyster Pond. On the French
side, the area around Orient Bay, Caye Verte (Green Key),
Ilet Pinel, and Flat Island is especially lovely and is
officially classified, and protected, as a regional underwater
nature reserve.
 Sailing
The island's waters and winds make it ideal for exploring
or relaxing by boat. Small boats, like Sunfish and Sailfish,
may be rented out at many of the hotels, and larger craft
can also be chartered from a number of different operators
around the island for longer trips to more isolated spots
like the Ilet Pinel. Sailing instruction is also included
if desired. For racing enthusiasts, a number of regattas
are held here every year usually at the end of March.
Windsurfing
If you're thinking about windsurfing you should definitely
go to Orient Bay Beach, the most popular beach on the
Island for sailing activities. Orient Beach lies on the
northern part of the French side on the Windward Atlantic
coast. The possibilities are endless here: flat water
sailing; swell and chop sailing between Green Key and
Pinel Island; speed runs to Pinel from Club Orient; or
wave sailing in the reef at Green Key!
Hiking
For those who want to experience the natural beauty of
the island on foot, there are 25 miles of clearly defined
footpaths running through the mountains and along the
shore, revealing some truly spectacular panoramas.
Horseback Riding
Island stables offer riding packages -- from novice to
expert -- for $25 to $40 per hour for a beach ride. Ask
about full-moon and sunset rides. You can arrange rides
directly or through most hotels.
Tennis & Squash
Tennis remains one of the favorite pastimes in St. Martin,
and there are more than 70 courts over the whole island.
Many of these are to be found in the hotels where non-guests
are welcome but may be subject to a fee. Squash is available
at a number of sports clubs and fitness centers. Tennis
pros are on hand in several of these places to give instruction
for a modest fee. It should be kept in mind that appropriate
attire, although not necessarily tennis whites, is required
on nearly all of the courts.
Golf
There is a great 18 hole championship golf course at the
Mullet Bay Resort. Surrounded by water and palm trees.
Just  watch
out that you don't hit the ball in the water, you might
have to go diving for it
Dining
Everybody agrees, no-where in the Caribbean will you find
so many great restaurants as on the half Dutch, half French
island of St.Maarten/St.Martin! In just a week you can
taste the World's best cuisine from France... Italy...
Spain... Germany... America... Creole... you name it,
it's here. From elegant restaurants to bistros, brassieres,
and barbecue shacks called lolos, there is something for
every taste and budget.
Duty-Free Shopping
One of the great attractions of the island has been the
duty-free shopping available on both sides of the island.
Luxury items  from all over the world,
French and Italian clothing fashions, Dutch and Japanese
electronics, Indonesian batiks and Chinese embroidery,
jewelry, leather, crystal, liquors, and fine porcelain,
free of all taxes and customs, are regularly offered at
bargain prices. The French side also provides a more leisurely
shopping experience since the crowds from the cruise ships
tend to be attracted more to the Dutch side.
Casinos
French St. Martin does not have any casinos; however,
just a short ride away, are eight casinos on the Dutch
side. Most hotels provide round-trip transportation to
the casinos.
Attractions Around the Island
Orient Beach, Grand Case
The island's most popular beach features a clothing-optional
area on one end.
Loterie Farm, St. Maarten/St. Martin
Hiking trail; Farm; Nature reserve
The Butterfly Farm (La Ferme des Papillons), Philipsburg
Farm; Nature center. This popular attraction is home to
numerous species of rare butterflies.
12 Metre Challenge, Philipsburg
Visitors can participate in a mini-America's Cup boat
race in actual boats from the 1987 competition, including
Dennis Conner's famous Stars & Stripes.
Oyster Pond, Marigot
This pristine mile-long beach offers great swimming and
scuba diving and is less known than some of the island's
more popular beaches.
Maho Bay, St. Maarten/St. Martin
Maho Bay, on the southwestern shore, is Sint Maarten's
main resort area. It feels a bit like the Las Vegas Strip:
while little more than a block long, it's dense with multistory
buildings housing exclusive jewellers, boutiques, art
galleries, restaurants and a huge resort and casino. Maho
Bay has a nice enough beach except that it's at the very
end of the airport runway. The area is even marked with
a sign warning beach goers that 'low flying and departing
aircraft blast can cause physical injury!'
St. Maarten Museum, Philipsburg
This small museum, in a converted 1800s house, covers
the culture and history of the island.
Cupecoy Bay / Beach, St. Maarten/St. Martin
If you're looking for a beach that's quiet but not totally
secluded, Cupecoy is a good choice. Its white sands are
backed by low sandstone cliffs that have been eroded in
such a way that they provide a run of small semiprivate
coves.
 Frontstreet,
Philipsburg
This crowded street is a popular tourist center for duty-free
shopping.
Orient Bay, St. Maarten/St. Martin
Very nice beach.
Red Bay (Baie Rouge), Marigot
This large beach has very gentle waters.
Museum of Saint Martin: On the Trail of the Arawaks (Musee
de Saint-Martin: Sur la Trace des Arawaks), Marigot
This museum explores the history and culture of the island,
beginning with the Arawak natives who inhabited the island
before European contact.
Dawn Beach, Philipsburg
A popular tourist beach on the island's east coast.
St. Maarten Zoo, St. Maarten/St. Martin
Concordia Hill, Marigot
The site where the Treaty of Concordia was signed in 1648,
establishing joint control over the island by the French
and Dutch.
Prickly Pear, Marigot
This small pristine tropical island is perfect for a relaxing
afternoon of snorkeling.
Paradise Peak, Marigot
Those who hike to the top of the island's highest mountain
are rewarded with wonderful views.
 Fort Amsterdam, St.
Maarten/St. Martin
Historic site
Wathey Square, Philipsburg
The unofficial town center, featuring an 18th-century
courthouse and a tourist information booth.
Proselyte Reef, St. Maarten/St. Martin
This reef is perhaps the best known dive site on the island
and was the site where the H.M.S. Proselyte, the remains
of which are still buried within the reef, once crashed.
Colombier, Marigot
This small village, located between Grand Case and Marigot,
is famous for its beautiful serene setting.
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