Cold winter weather is enough to make anybody wish they were a bird that could just fly south. These days, of course, you can do just that. If you want to shed the coat and the thermal underwear for a bit, a great option is to hop on a plane and fly to St Maarten for a Caribbean getaway.
The country has the very Dutch name of Sint Maarten. This is not surprising, since it's a Dutch constituent country. It shares the island of Saint Martin with France and lies east of Puerto Rico and the US and British Virgin Islands.
Sint Maarten's capital is Philipsburg, which is also the largest settlement on the island in its entirety. Philipsburg is renowned as a shopper's paradise and is a popular port for cruise ships. It lies along Great Bay and is backed by the Great Salt Pond, so the town itself has a long, narrow lay-out. Apart from the shops, restaurants and beaches here, you'll also find museums and historic sights such as Fort Willem.
On the Saint-Martin side, the capital is Marigot, which lies along the western coastline. The island's culinary capital, however, is in the north at Grand Case. Here you'll find streets lined with restaurants that serve Caribbean fare with French flair.
The main reason to visit any Caribbean destination is for the chance to laze on the beach and Saint Martin Island is no exception. The beaches won't disappoint either, with their warm waters and white sands. You can take part in a variety of water sports, from surfing to scuba diving, or simply shoot the breeze. One beach not to miss is Maho Beach, less than half an hour's drive to the west of Philipsburg. Here, landing aircraft fly over so low that you can almost touch them and this makes for a very unusual photo opportunity.
While many of the activities on offer on Saint Martin Island are centered in or on the water, you'll find plenty to do on those days when you want to stay dry as well. Go for a hike or a ride on horseback, try a canopy tour, play golf or tennis or, for something different, wage a paintball war. On the French side there is a popular butterfly farm while on the northern shores of the Great Salt Pond you'll find Sint Maarten Zoo.
The northern winter means that in Sint Maarten, nights are a little cooler. However, this is the perfect time to visit since it's dry season and days are sunny and warm. Low season, which generally lasts from around May to December, is a good time too because even though this is the rainy season, the rain comes mainly in the form of quick, refreshing showers that are over in minutes.
You can visit during a shore excursion while on a Caribbean cruise. However, to really enjoy Sint Maarten, you'll need to spend some more time here. Fly in from Amsterdam, Paris or several destinations in the USA, Canada, the Caribbean or Panama and be ready to swap your winter clothes for swimwear and that cup of hot cocoa for tropical punch.
The country has the very Dutch name of Sint Maarten. This is not surprising, since it's a Dutch constituent country. It shares the island of Saint Martin with France and lies east of Puerto Rico and the US and British Virgin Islands.
Sint Maarten's capital is Philipsburg, which is also the largest settlement on the island in its entirety. Philipsburg is renowned as a shopper's paradise and is a popular port for cruise ships. It lies along Great Bay and is backed by the Great Salt Pond, so the town itself has a long, narrow lay-out. Apart from the shops, restaurants and beaches here, you'll also find museums and historic sights such as Fort Willem.
On the Saint-Martin side, the capital is Marigot, which lies along the western coastline. The island's culinary capital, however, is in the north at Grand Case. Here you'll find streets lined with restaurants that serve Caribbean fare with French flair.
The main reason to visit any Caribbean destination is for the chance to laze on the beach and Saint Martin Island is no exception. The beaches won't disappoint either, with their warm waters and white sands. You can take part in a variety of water sports, from surfing to scuba diving, or simply shoot the breeze. One beach not to miss is Maho Beach, less than half an hour's drive to the west of Philipsburg. Here, landing aircraft fly over so low that you can almost touch them and this makes for a very unusual photo opportunity.
While many of the activities on offer on Saint Martin Island are centered in or on the water, you'll find plenty to do on those days when you want to stay dry as well. Go for a hike or a ride on horseback, try a canopy tour, play golf or tennis or, for something different, wage a paintball war. On the French side there is a popular butterfly farm while on the northern shores of the Great Salt Pond you'll find Sint Maarten Zoo.
The northern winter means that in Sint Maarten, nights are a little cooler. However, this is the perfect time to visit since it's dry season and days are sunny and warm. Low season, which generally lasts from around May to December, is a good time too because even though this is the rainy season, the rain comes mainly in the form of quick, refreshing showers that are over in minutes.
You can visit during a shore excursion while on a Caribbean cruise. However, to really enjoy Sint Maarten, you'll need to spend some more time here. Fly in from Amsterdam, Paris or several destinations in the USA, Canada, the Caribbean or Panama and be ready to swap your winter clothes for swimwear and that cup of hot cocoa for tropical punch.
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Before you take a trip to the amazing St Maarten island, you should first read the guide that's published on our website. Come and check out this page now at http://www.st-maarten-island-guide.com.
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