Sint Maarten fits two countries on one little island, and you get two different vacations in one trip. The Dutch side offers casinos, tax-free shopping, and jets roaring over Maho Beach. The French side answers with quiet bays, real croissants, and some of the finest restaurants in the Caribbean.
I book this island for cruisers, honeymooners, and families, and the list of Sint Maarten things to do outruns most week-long itineraries. This guide covers the island's layout, the highlights on each side, my beach picks, and the all-inclusive options I trust for 2026.
Sint Maarten Quick Take
The island sits in the northeast Caribbean, about 190 miles east of Puerto Rico, near Anguilla and St. Barts.
Dutch Sint Maarten and French Saint-Martin have coexisted on the island since 1648, with no checkpoint at the crossing between them.
US dollars are accepted everywhere, on both sides.
Maho Beach puts landing widebody jets directly over your head; the best window is 12:30 to 2:00 PM.
The main all-inclusive options are Secrets St. Martin, Sonesta Maho Beach Resort, and Sonesta Ocean Point.
A rental car goes for about $40 to $80 per day and is the easiest way to explore both countries.
Where Is Saint Maarten in the Caribbean?
Saint Maarten occupies the top of the Leeward Islands in the northeast Caribbean, about 190 miles east of Puerto Rico. Anguilla lies a 25-minute ferry ride to the north, and St. Barts is a short crossing to the southeast. If you're plotting a bigger trip, my Eastern Caribbean cruise guide shows how it fits the region.
The island covers 34 square miles, and two countries have shared it since the Treaty of Concordia in 1648. The southern half belongs to the Kingdom of the Netherlands and holds Philipsburg, the cruise terminal, and Princess Juliana International Airport. The northern half is Saint-Martin, a French overseas collectivity with Marigot as its capital. A stone obelisk is all that announces the crossing, and traffic rolls past without stopping.
Maho Beach Planespotting at the Airport Fence
No other beach on earth sits directly beneath landing widebodies. The Princess Juliana runway begins only yards from the water, so every arrival passes overhead. Air France's A330 comes in from Paris at 1:25 PM most days, KLM flies an A330 or a 787 in from Amsterdam, and Delta lands 757s out of Atlanta and New York. The window from 12:30 to 2:00 PM catches most of the big arrivals, which is handy on a ship day.
The Sunset Bar and Grill, wedged against the airport boundary, posts arrival times on screens, so you can order a drink and wait for the heavy metal. Respect the warnings during departures: jet blast throws sand with real force, and a visitor died in 2017 after being knocked over by it. Enjoy arrivals from the water's edge, keep hats and phones zipped away, and stay off the fence.
Philipsburg Highlights on the Dutch Side
Philipsburg wraps around Great Bay, with Front Street running parallel to a mile-long boardwalk. Duty-free jewelry, electronics, and liquor dominate the shopping; the boardwalk offers loungers, restaurants, and a swimmable town beach. The 1793 courthouse in the middle of Front Street is the most photographed building on the Dutch side.
Cruise ships tie up about a mile from downtown, with water taxis running across the bay. If your visit is a port day, I break the whole schedule down in my guides to things to do in St. Maarten on a cruise and the best St. Maarten cruise excursions.
Beyond town, the Dutch side offers the restaurants of Simpson Bay and a drawbridge that halts traffic whenever a megayacht glides through. The official tourism board, Vacation St. Maarten, lists upcoming events.
Marigot, Grand Case, and French Saint-Martin
Cross the border and the tempo changes. Marigot deserves a slow visit: climb up to Fort Louis and take in the harbor view, browse the shops at Marina Royale, and hit the open-air market on Wednesday or Saturday.
Grand Case, ten minutes farther north, is the island's dining capital, one narrow street lined with white-tablecloth restaurants and open-air lolos dishing out barbecue ribs and stuffed crab backs. The French tourist office publishes maps and event listings.
Anguilla ferries depart from Marigot's waterfront terminal, and the ride lasts about 25 minutes each way, an easy third country in one vacation.
Orient Bay and the Pinel Island Ferry
Orient Bay is the showpiece of the French coast: two miles of pale sand and a row of clubs offering lounger-and-umbrella sets for $15 to $25, with lunch delivered to your chair. Watersports operators handle jet skis, kitesurfing, and parasailing at the north end, while the far southern end remains clothing-optional, a legacy of the former Club Orient naturist resort.
Five minutes up the road at Cul-de-Sac, a little ferry runs to Pinel Island for about $15 round trip. Expect calm water, easy snorkeling, and two open-air restaurants. It is one of my favorite half-days on the island. For boat trips and offshore snorkeling, I compare options and book most of my independent tours through Viator. Some links are affiliate links, which support the site at no cost to you.
Sint Maarten Beaches for Every Vibe
The island claims 37 beaches in 34 square miles; the table below pairs my favorites with the kind of day you want.
Maho: Dutch side. Planespotting and a lively bar
Mullet Bay: Dutch side. The top all-around swimming on the island
Simpson Bay: Dutch side. Long, uncrowded stretches near restaurants
Great Bay: Dutch side. Convenience during a Philipsburg day
Cupecoy: Dutch side. Sunset views and rugged cliffs
Orient Bay: French side. Watersports and lively clubs
Grand Case: French side. Quiet water with dinner steps away
Happy Bay: French side. Seclusion at the end of a 15-minute coastal walk
Pinel Island: French side. An easy snorkeling day trip
With one open day and a rental car, I'd swim at Mullet Bay early, then head over to Maho after 12:30 when the widebodies start arriving.
All Inclusive Resorts in St Martin and St Maarten
Travelers hunt for all inclusive resorts in St Martin and St Maarten constantly, and the answer surprises them: the island has only a handful, because dining out is its main event. These are the 2026 options.
Secrets St. Martin Resort & Spa (Anse Marcel, French side). An adults-only all-inclusive from Hyatt's Inclusive Collection, opened in 2024 on a sheltered cove that once housed the Riu Palace. Calm, upscale, and a ten-minute drive from the Grand Case restaurants. It is my pick for honeymoons.
Sonesta Maho Beach Resort, Casino & Spa (Maho, Dutch side). The island's big family all-inclusive: 420 rooms, a children's water park, an adjacent casino, and a rooftop entertainment deck with mini golf and a climbing wall that debuted in June 2026. The Maho planespotting show is a two-minute walk away.
Sonesta Ocean Point Resort (also at Maho). The adults-only neighbor: 130 suites, butlers in the top room categories, and full access to everything next door. Certain suites open right into a pool.
Divi Little Bay Beach Resort, near Philipsburg, sells an optional all-inclusive plan. Expect roughly $400 to $800 per night, double occupancy, at the true all-inclusives in winter, with lower pricing in summer; rates move constantly, so treat those numbers as a starting range.
Still torn between a resort week and a sailing? My cruise vs. all-inclusive resort post walks through the math. When you're ready to price out the whole trip, I'll put an itinerary together for you at no extra cost. Just book a vacation through my agency.
What to Eat in Sint Maarten, From Lolos to Grand Case
Start at a lolo, one of the open-air barbecue joints you'll find in Grand Case and Marigot. Talk of the Town does ribs, garlic shrimp, and johnnycakes at half of what a resort charges. The French side adds crêperies, gelato stands, and tasting menus that would hold their own in Paris.
The Dutch side counters with the dining hub of Simpson Bay. In Philipsburg, grab lunch along the boardwalk. On your last day, pick up guavaberry, the island's own liqueur, at the Guavaberry Emporium on Front Street.
Getting Around Sint Maarten
Rent a car if you're staying more than a couple of days; expect $40 to $80 per day, and reserve early for winter. Traffic clogs the Simpson Bay drawbridge area and central Marigot at rush hour, so pad your ride to the airport by an hour.
Taxis charge government-set zone fares, $20 from the airport to Philipsburg for example, and Uber doesn't operate on the island; the local SXM Taxi app fills that role. Shared minivans loop between Philipsburg and Marigot all day for a couple of dollars. Anguilla is a 25-minute ferry ride out of Marigot, and the St. Barts crossing takes 45 to 70 minutes.
What to Avoid in Sint Maarten
Leave Great Bay for cruise mornings. With wheels, it feels ordinary next to Mullet or Orient. I'd also pass on the aggressive jewelry shops on Front Street unless you already know what the stones should cost. And think twice about renting a car for a short port stop. Drawbridge traffic can eat an afternoon, and a driver or organized tour keeps you on schedule.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Saint Maarten in the Caribbean?
You'll find Saint Maarten in the Leeward Islands of the northeast Caribbean, about 190 miles east of Puerto Rico. Anguilla and St. Barts are its closest neighbors, and most cruise itineraries in the region visit the island.
What is the difference between Sint Maarten and Saint-Martin?
They share one island. Sint Maarten is the Dutch southern half, with the airport, cruise port, and nightlife; Saint-Martin is the French northern half, with Marigot, Grand Case, and Orient Bay. The spelling on a map tells you which country governs that half.
Do you need a passport to visit both sides of the island?
You need a passport to enter the island, and US citizens don't need a visa for short stays. Once you've arrived, you can drive between the two sides freely. The internal border has no checkpoint.
Are there all inclusive resorts in St Martin and St Maarten?
Yes, though only a few. Secrets St. Martin is the adults-only pick on the French half, while the two Sonesta resorts at Maho, one for families and one adults-only, anchor the other half. Divi Little Bay near Philipsburg adds an optional plan.
Is Maho Beach dangerous?
Viewing arrivals from the water's edge is reasonably safe. Jet blast during departures is the real hazard. It has injured people standing against the fence, so obey the posted warnings and keep your distance when engines spool up.
What currency does Sint Maarten use?
The Dutch side adopted the Caribbean guilder in 2025 and the French side uses the euro, but US dollars are accepted everywhere on the island.
Final Thoughts on Sint Maarten
Plenty of islands offer great beaches. Only one lets you spend the morning in Philipsburg and the evening at a French bistro, with a widebody flyover in the middle. Cross the border at least once. The trip changes completely when you experience both nations.
If you'd like help deciding between a resort week, a villa, or folding the island into a larger Caribbean trip, that's my job as a travel agent. Reach out and I'll plan and book the whole thing for you at no extra cost.
