First time to St. Maarten - advice please

[purple60]

First time visiting St. Maarten, arriving on a Wednesday from Celebrity. Should I visit Marigot on the french side or just spend time on the Dutch side for shopping and maybe a little beach time? Is Marigot worth visiting?

[tomko2]

First time visiting St. Maarten, arriving on a Wednesday from Celebrity. Should I visit Marigot on the french side or just spend time on the Dutch side for shopping and maybe a little beach time? Is Marigot worth visiting?

 

Have been to St. Maarten several times and still haven't gotten to the French side because of concern about traffic coming back to port. St. Maarten is a lovely port; we use the water taxi ($5.00 for an all-day pass) to go to the main beach/shopping area from the pier. Have been horse-riding at Bayside Riding School, gone to Little Divi Beach and just enjoyed the beach alongside the town and strolled thru the shops. Pictures in the link below.

Have a wonderful cruise.

Kathy:)

[SOPOME]

It was our first time on the island a couple of weeks ago. We elected to take Bernard's tour of the island. We visited Orient Beach and Maho Beach, and had a brief stop in Marigot. It was a good way to get a feel for both the Dutch and French sides of this island. Well worth the time and price, and Bernard is a great guy!

[jimbo5544]

We have been there twice, but are by no means an expert. That being said, going to Marigot is a fair distance (over 1/2 an hour and about a $30 cab ride). It depends on what you want to do but I think the dutch side is fine. Nice beaches shops and downtown areas.

[bluegrasstraveler]

Having lived and worked on St Maarten for a long time , hereby some thoughts. The island is crowded and traffic can be a problem. However if you drive to the French side counter clockwise via Orleans and Grand Case you will enjoy great views and pass some nice beaches. Grand Case is a gourmand`s delight but if you are on a budget you can try the local foodstands (called Lolos)close to the pier. Try Roti, Johnny cake, chicken etc.Have a dip at Petit Plage and make your way to Marigot. My favourite beaches are Baie Rouge, Cupecoy, Long beach (close to La Samanna) but also the much overlooked Guana Bay (great for boogy boarding). Baie Orient is kind of a tourist trap but lunch at KonTiki could be worth it. Anse Marcel and Friar`s bay are a good alternative. Do not rent a scooter, a small car is safer. If you are stuck in Marigot or in the area around the airport on the Dutch side, return not later than 3.15pm. Otherwise you will be caught in traffic from the airport to Philipsburg. Shopping is good at both sides with Frontstreet offering a good selection of the usual merchandise (Boolchand`s, Little SwitzerlandColombian Emeralds etc.) Let me know if you have any specific questions.

[realtordebbie]

After visiting the Dutch side several times we decided to take a taxi to the French side/Marigot. The marina/bay was georgeous and some interesting boats there. Disappointed in the shopping, very expensive. Very unfriendly personnel. Also, note you must pay to use the facilities at the shopping center so have cash. There is a straw market with the typical island items. Make sure to visit the true locals market located behind a restaurant/bar which is across from the cab stand. We spent maybe 1.5 hrs there and then took a cab to Maho. Can now say been there done that.

[jantoby]

I was there earlier this month. Don't walk into the town - the road-building works seem to be permanent and the dust in the air is enough to choke on. Take the water taxi from the dock, they're frequent and only $6 for a full day.

 

Philipsburg just doesn't do it for me. Yet more Duty-free Shopping and not much else on the Dutch side, though since I was last there they certainly have updated the shopping area to make it more attractive.

 

There's an internet cafe in a little side street opposite Little Switzerland, which was much cheaper than paying the onboard prices.

 

I went over to Marigot on the French side of the island. A taxi driver in Philipsburg said the fare would be $18. I didn't want to pay that much so he very kindly pointed to where I could get a local bus for just $2. What a nice man!

 

It was a 30-minute lovely drive along the coast, and I can recommend it as a good alternative to paying a lot more for a taxi or a ship's tour to Marigot. Marigot is very different to Philipsburg. I walked up 120 steps to the ruined Fort St. Louis. There's hardly anything left of the fort to see up there, but it does give a wonderful view over the bay of Marigot.

 

When you get back down into Marigot there are good, clean public restrooms on one side of the main square.

 

Buses are clean and there are plenty of them, and they run all day.