• Getting There
• Information And Maps
• Money And Costs
• Getting Around
• Phones, Post And Email
• Health And Safety
• Language
• History
• Best Of Saint Martin
• Holidays And Festivals
• Watersports And Excursions
• Explore St Martin/St Maarten
Shared between the French and the Dutch since the mid-seventeenth century, the tiny island of St Martin/St Maarten
is one of the most touristed islands in this part of the Caribbean and a huge duty-free shopping area. Opinions about
the island are as divided as the island itself. Ask the streams of repeat visitors, and they'll tell you that this tiny island is
paradise on earth, with fabulous beaches and every type of tourist facility imaginable.
The island does boast some of the finest beaches in the Eastern Caribbean, particularly at Orient Beach on the French side,
as well as some stunning scenery, most notably in the interior around Pic Paradis , and many excellent restaurants and hotels
on both sides of the border.
If all you want to do is lie on the beach and play in the sea, both St Martin and St Maarten are not bad options. Travelling
between the French and Dutch sides (as many visitors do) is hassle-free, since the border is marked only in one spot
(by a small obelisk) and there are no border crossing formalities . Ultimately, if the crowds get too much for you, bear in
mind that it's a very short flight or ferry ride to some of the quietest and most undeveloped islands in the entire Caribbean -
particularly delightful are Saba and St Eustatius.
As in much of the Caribbean, the island is a year-round destination; however, the best time to visit is between mid-December
and mid-April when rainfall is low and the heat is tempered by cooling trade winds .
Read the full travel guide about travelling to Saint Martin here
OTHER CARIBBEAN DESTINATION HOTELS AND TRAVELLERS INFORMATION
Anguilla Hotel Accommodations and Tourist Information
Antigua
Antilles
Aruba
Bahamas
Barbados
Bermuda
Cayman Islands
Cuba
Dominica
Dominican Republic
Grenada
Guadeloupe
Haiti
Jamaica
Martinique
Monserrat
Puerto Rico
Saba
Saint Barthelemy
Saint Kitts and Nevis
Saint Lucia
Saint Martin
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Trinidad and Tobago
Turks and Caicos Islands
Virgin Islands (British)
Virgin Islands (US)