If you were to believe the hype, just about everyone in the world is now looking forward to their trip in St Maarten and for good reasons too! St Maarten vacations are not only good, they’re exceptionally awesome, in every possible way you could think of! With such high praise from such high places, it’s easy to see why so many tourists are now choosing this Dutch citrine stone to be their crown jewel in a sea of sapphire.
It’s hard to say whether the legendary Flying Dutchman ever set foot on this island, given that he was a mythical pirate haunting the Caribbean Sea, but if tourists and travelers feel particularly adventurous, they can go see for themselves. In the process, they may find such wondrous marvels to make this the single most awe-inspiring trip of their whole lives.
However, before we go on to explain to you the miracles that take place every day in the paradise of Saint Maarten, we should probably tell you where to find this marvelous island. So, where is St Maarten?
Where Is St Maarten?
This little droplet of an island is located on the southernmost half of the Saint Martin Island. The other half, as per the Treaty of Concordia of 1633, is owned in its entirety by the French. Actually, it’s not a 50-50 split. The French have 61% of the island while the Dutch were left with a meager 39%. Forgive us if we’re slightly partial to the beauty of this fraction of the island called Sint Maarten.
St Maarten is located to the east of the whole Caribbean bundle of islands. The island is placed north of Antigua and Barbuda and to the east of San Juan and the Virgin Islands.
When it comes to flying off to your dream isle, flights to St Maarten depart from all major airports of the world. From the US, you can board a plane from New York City or Miami and be there in between 3 or 4 hours. However, if you prefer the scenic route, you can take one of the many cruises that stop by St Maarten. All planes land at the St Maarten Airport, also known as the Princess Juliana International Airport. From the airport to the capital city of Philipsburg (which also houses the most hotels and St Maarten resorts) tourists can enjoy a trip down the coastline.
10 Things to Do in St Maarten
As the island’s touristic website says, the second ‘a’ in its name stands for awesome. There are so many amazing things to do in Sint Maarten that we don’t even know which one to begin with. Actually, we would even recommend taking in a bit of the island right after landing at the St Maarten airport. The bags can wait for their unpacking. Your enthusiasm cannot! So, without further ado, let’s look at the things to do in St Maarten:
- Go to all the beaches. The first and most obvious thing that you will want to do once you reach the beautiful St Maarten is visit all of its incredible beaches. There are more than 11. The beaches are wonderful, and while some are remote and perfect for a trip alone, many are great for a picnic with the family.
- Experience the St Maarten Carnival. If you’re lucky enough to be in the area of St Maarten during the carnival, all the better! Costumes, fine drinks, and a lot of good cheer are the things you’ll find. Perfect for any vacation – family or alone. The festival opens each year in April and lasts as long as a few days.
- Visit the St Maarten Museum. The Sint Maarten Museum isn’t just a museum. It’s a place where you can check out the art of the place, as well as the art of nature. Drawing from both the original museum foundation and the St Maarten Park Foundation, what is now called the St Maarten Museum encompasses both man-made and nature-made objects in perfect harmony.
- Take a trip to the St Maarten Zoo. The biodiversity is extremely strong with the islands in the Caribbean. Thus, most of the Caribbean resorts and St Maarten resorts have made it one of their goals to provide tourists with the opportunity to visit the local Zoo and see some gorgeous animals.
- Explore Fort Amsterdam. In the age of the pirates of the Caribbean, the islands of the area were filled with forts so as to defend the new and promising colonies from the constant threat of pirates. One such fort was also Fort Amsterdam. Today, it’s ceased to be the target of pirates and can be visited by tourists on almost any day of the year.
- Take a dive in the Caribbean. One of the usual pastimes for tourists visiting the Caribbean isles (or ay tropical isles for that matter), taking a dive in the Caribbean Sea just can’t compare to any other activity. It’s a unique experience, whether you choose scuba diving, snorkeling, or scuba diving.
- Go yachting or sail boating. Of course, like on many other exotic tourists’ destinations, here too people can rent a yacht as well as a boat. Which one you choose is really up to you. While yachts are more luxurious, sailboats are much more entertaining.
- Hike the beautiful heights. St Maarten has its fair share of beautiful heights. All you have to watch out for is that the weather is really nice and that you take care to bring hiking equipment with you. Not too much, though, you’re not going to climb Mount Everest on St Maarten.
- Rent a Harley Davidson. If all of these exciting activities still aren’t quite enough for you, what about renting a cool motorcycle? It’s almost everyone’s dream to ride a Harley Davidson. What if I told you that you can rent one on the island of St Maarten and ride along the coast with the breeze blowing your hair back!
- Go gambling in one of the many casinos. Saying that there are many casinos is an understatement. There are at least 18 different casinos spread out across the island. It almost gives Las Vegas a run for its money!
Conclusion
Excited about the prospect of renting a Harley Davidson, a yacht, or a sailboat on St Maarten? All you have to make sure of now is that the weather in the area is good when you’re planning your vacation. Apart from that, we wish you not only a nice vacation but a thrilling adventure! One you will remember forever.
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