St Martin - beach or shopping first?

[katykrol]

My husband, myself and 2 teen aged boys will be in St Maarten in June on FOS - We want to go shopping in Marigot, and also go to Orient Beach. I have read that many of the shops close between noon at 3, but also that the beach gets very crowded after 10:30 or so.

 

My question is - should we shop first and if so, what time do most of the shops open? That would be my preference, then end the day at the beach. We will be using taxi's and not a tour.

 

We only plan on shopping an hour or so - 2 17 year old boys - need I say more - but we have never been to the French side and want to see it.

[toberman]

My husband, myself and 2 teen aged boys will be in St Maarten in June on FOS - We want to go shopping in Marigot, and also go to Orient Beach. I have read that many of the shops close between noon at 3, but also that the beach gets very crowded after 10:30 or so.

 

My question is - should we shop first and if so, what time do most of the shops open? That would be my preference, then end the day at the beach. We will be using taxi's and not a tour.

 

We only plan on shopping an hour or so - 2 17 year old boys - need I say more - but we have never been to the French side and want to see it.

 

Just let me say - You're 2, 17 year old boys will LOVE Orient Beach !! ;)

Just remember... it is French, and they do have topless bathing!! :)

But, the beach is beautiful with lots to do.

 

As for shopping... I wasn't aware that the shops closed during the day, but personally I wouldn't want to go shopping and have to carry all the stuff I may buy to the beach and back. We went - beach first - little shopping before boarding the ship.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Beach first -- while it is still cool. The beaches can get hot in the afternoon. Have lunch at the beach.

 

Then go back to town for shopping.

[cb at sea]

I'd do it the opposite way...go shopping before you get all sweaty, wet and sandy!

[diane.in.ny]

I don't know what kind of shopping you are planning on doing but, in my experience, Marigot is expensive. We were in Marigot once and didn't feel the time we spent getting there and back was worth it.

 

Some great shopping can be done in Philipsburg, from street stalls to jewelry stores.

 

And if you are looking for a beach that is not nude, I have heard that the beachfront right in Philipsburg is very nice.

[Bakincakes]

There was a street "flea market" in Nov when we were in Marigot...lots of nice things and not overly expensive.

 

We did buy some jewelry on the Dutch side..the prices for gold seemed much better on the Dutch side than the French.

 

We did a tour on Holland and went to both sides of the island.

 

Not sure if RCI offers a two side tour..but we just weren't in the "beach" mood that trip. So it was shopping...touring..lunch...back to ship..kind of day.

[John Bull]

I don't know what kind of shopping you are planning on doing but, in my experience, Marigot is expensive. We were in Marigot once and didn't feel the time we spent getting there and back was worth it.

 

Some great shopping can be done in Philipsburg, from street stalls to jewelry stores.

 

And if you are looking for a beach that is not nude, I have heard that the beachfront right in Philipsburg is very nice.

 

I'm with Diane.

 

By all means start off with a taxi to take you for a look at the french side, then get him to drop you back in Front Street, Philipsburg - laid-back "Caribbean" shopping, nice main street, individual shops - not shopping mall clones- and amongst the best value in the Caribbean, esp duty-frees, cheaper than the french side. Nice beach directly behind the shops, so split the time however you like.

15-20 min walk or water-taxi back to the ship.

 

John Bull

[eandj]

Philipsburg is better for shopping if interewsted in nice things. Marigot, altho with some shops, is known for the flea market, bakeries, outdoor cafes etc. All depends on what you are shopping for.

 

Seeing you haven't done the French side and only want to do a hour or so browsing, I'd do that first in Marigot. If the boys are bored, there are park benches they can sit on and wait. Shop in the morning and then head to the beach by 10:00-10:30. Tours arrive around 11:00. You should be able to spend a full day there. The cabs and vans will probably drop you off mid beach. If you turn right, just pass the little jetty of rocks, you'll see the Hedonism Resort. That is totally nude. But a public beach that you can walk on( dressed) ;) If you go left with the majority, you'll be on the main stretch which is lined with many nice little refreshment stands. You'll need to rent chairs. I think ours were 20.00 for two and came with an umbrella and two drinks and tickets to use the washrooms. (They charge to use some of the bathrooms) There are many places to rent. Get there early enough and you'll have no trouble. Great people watching and nice stretch of sand.

[Bluewake]

We were in St. Maarten two years ago on RCCL Explorer of the Seas. We took a tour of the island that first went to Marigot. It was quaint being in the "French" atmosphere but we actually thought Marigot was just a little bit "seedy". On the street driving into Marigot, every store was covered with metal bars or grating and many of them looked somewhat run-down. Of course, we realize that it may have been because of the particular route our driver happened to take and perhaps other parts of Marigot are much nicer. We went to the flea market, stopped in a couple of shops, and traveled back to Phillipsburg.

 

"Downtown" Phillipsburg is a lot bigger and we enjoyed it a lot more than Marigot. There are a lot of stores ranging from the typical cruise-line places to unique shops. Although it was interesting seeing both sides of the island, everyone who had gone to a beach said that we'd missed a great time. With that said, however, if you've never been to Marigot, it might be fun to check it out.

 

We are headed back to St. Maarten this coming January and probably will head to the beach first and then to Phillipsburg afterward. We will skip Marigot. But having a teenage boy, not sure Orient Beach is the one for us. I might have trouble getting him back on the ship.

[katykrol]

Thanks for the responses - maybe we will just skip Marigot this time and just head to the beach and then to Phillipsburg to shop. We are not looking for any big ticket items, just mostly browsing anyway. I was a bit worried about getting back to the ship on time since I've heard there is a lot of traffic.:)

[Prphan2]

We did Orient Beach early, had lunch there and then grabbed a cab back for shopping. Very relaxed day and should we have the chance to go there again, we've already decided we'll do a repeat. :)

[navybankerteacher]

I spent a week in Grand Case (just north of Marigot) in 1994 and another at Simpsons Bay (just south) in 1996 - also stopped at St. Martin on cruises in 2002, 2003, 2005, 2007 and 2008 - visiting Marigot each time.

 

I never noticed any shops closed. Also, while the back road running north is sort of seedy and run down, the bulk of Marigot, near the harbor, is actually more upscale than Phillipsburg.

 

In any event, shopping before the beach seems problematic --it is always a concern of watching your stuff while at a beach, and even though French St. Martin is probably the safest of the islands, I would not want to increase risk.

[Greek cruiser]

We did Orient Beach early, had lunch there and then grabbed a cab back for shopping. Very relaxed day and should we have the chance to go there again, we've already decided we'll do a repeat. :)

 

I agree with Nancy...been there twice, did the same thing and would do it again for sure! The beaches fill up very early! Hit the beach and shop later! You'll get a chair right on the shore, not 6 rows in. What kind of a view is THAT? :eek:Other people blocking the view you paid to see...:confused:

 

Have a great trip! We leave in 4 days! :D:D:D

 

Phyllis

[janice4559]

My advice for Orient Beach would be to have the taxi driver let you out at Bikini Beach. There is a resaurant there with showers to knock the sand off your feet and they rent chairs and umbrellas out front. Have the taxi driver meet you back there at a pre-determined time.

 

As for the nudity, Bikini Beach is just far enough away from the camp that only the fit ones make it that far!

[Bluewake]

I spent a week in Grand Case (just north of Marigot) in 1994 and another at Simpsons Bay (just south) in 1996 - also stopped at St. Martin on cruises in 2002, 2003, 2005, 2007 and 2008 - visiting Marigot each time.

 

I never noticed any shops closed. Also, while the back road running north is sort of seedy and run down, the bulk of Marigot, near the harbor, is actually more upscale than Phillipsburg.

 

In any event, shopping before the beach seems problematic --it is always a concern of watching your stuff while at a beach, and even though French St. Martin is probably the safest of the islands, I would not want to increase risk.

 

navybankerteacher - It may have been that northern route that we took. We traveled over the mountain area on a winding road that came down into Marigot. And, we got there before all of the shops opened. Sounds like the rest of Marigot is really nice and we just happened to get a limited view. But we did enjoy our time there. I am anxious to get back to St. Maarten in January to see more of the island.

[beachchick]

Philipsburg is better for shopping if interewsted in nice things. Marigot, altho with some shops, is known for the flea market, bakeries, outdoor cafes etc. All depends on what you are shopping for.

 

Seeing you haven't done the French side and only want to do a hour or so browsing, I'd do that first in Marigot. If the boys are bored, there are park benches they can sit on and wait. Shop in the morning and then head to the beach by 10:00-10:30. Tours arrive around 11:00. You should be able to spend a full day there. The cabs and vans will probably drop you off mid beach. If you turn right, just pass the little jetty of rocks, you'll see the Hedonism Resort. That is totally nude. But a public beach that you can walk on( dressed) ;) If you go left with the majority, you'll be on the main stretch which is lined with many nice little refreshment stands. You'll need to rent chairs. I think ours were 20.00 for two and came with an umbrella and two drinks and tickets to use the washrooms. (They charge to use some of the bathrooms) There are many places to rent. Get there early enough and you'll have no trouble. Great people watching and nice stretch of sand.

 

What? Where is the Hedonism Resort? I had no idea there was one at Orient Beach. Never saw it, never heard one was there.

 

The only resort at the right end (facing the water) that I know about is Club Orient. It does not belong to Hedonism! It is not totally nude; it is fully clothing optional, which is a completely different thing. Fully clothing optional means you can wear as much or as little as you want. We've seen everything from people wearing swimsuit and coverup to those wearing nothing but a smile. Not only that, Club Orient is in no way like what I've heard about Hedonism. Now, I have to admit that we have no first-hand experience at a Hedonism Resort (and have no interest at all), but we have been to Club Orient. Although we did not stay there, we've spent time during the day. It is not a "sex club" or pick up atmosphere like I've heard about Hedonism. It is a resort for people who enjoy the option to take off their clothing and relax.

 

Please make sure that the information you give is accurate, and if, in fact, Hedonism has either built a resort at Orient Beach or taken over Club Orient. We've not been there for a while, so I couldn't say for certain--but I sure as heck haven't heard about it. I cannot imagine that Club Orient is now a Hedonism. I really can't.

 

And BTW, you most certainly can be dressed and walk on Orient Beach in front of Club Orient. What you cannot do is take pictures. There's a big, rather famous sign reminding people of the policies regarding clothing (or lack thereof) and cameras. The truly funny thing I've found is that it's easy to spot some cruise visitors because they are walking along the water fully dressed (and I mean fully dressed in shorts/pants, shirts, shoes, hats, etc.), carrying or wearing ship logo items, and gawking like children. (Cultural differences aside, it's rude to stare and leer.)

 

I completely agree that Orient is a wonderful beach to enjoy. The entire length of it, and all the beaches on the French side, follow the French custom of (optional) topless sunbathing/beach going for women. You may see all shapes, sizes, and ages there, just like on any other beach. It's really quite lovely. In our experience, the water can be delightful too with nice swimming, especially toward the Club Orient end of the beach around Baywatch, The Pirate, and Pedro's.

 

 

katykrol:

 

If you're going to do quite a bit of shopping in Marigot, then I'd suggest you visit the beach first, have lunch, and then shop because IMO it's a royal PITA to haul around shopping treasures all day, especially on a beach where you will need to watch your things.

 

We like to go to the beach early, stay through mid afternoon, and then go back to Philipsburg for a bit of shopping along the waterfront. Do watch your timing later in the day because traffic can get heavy as everyone heads back from the French side to the piers.

 

Enjoy! It's a lovely port day, IMO.:)

 

beachchick

[beachchick]

eandj:

 

Rats. Missed the edit window. I realized that I misread something earlier:

 

When you wrote "But a public beach that you can walk on( dressed)" I thought you meant that you could walk dressed on the other parts of Orient, but not in front of Club Orient. I think that you meant that, even though Club Orient is fully clothing optional and there will be many nude sunbathers, swimmers, and guests strolling along, you do not have to be nude to walk along the public beach in front of the resort. Sorry about that. You're quite right that you do not have to be nude on the beach in front of Club Orient.

 

Truth is that you aren't required to be nude anywhere at Club Orient, at least as far as I know. We do not go fully nude, but I do go topless (all along Orient) and have worn bikini bottom with pareo to lunch at Perch Bar and Grill. As a further FYI, it's customary to lie on a towel, not right on a lounge, when nude; it's also customary to either put on a "bottom" of some type or sit on a towel at the restaurants, bar, etc. You will find that those "in the know" will follow these customs consistently.

 

A final note is that non-guests may rent lounges at Club Orient if there is availability. It's a very nice part of the beach.

 

beachchick

[broberts]

Thanks for the responses - maybe we will just skip Marigot this time and just head to the beach and then to Phillipsburg to shop. We are not looking for any big ticket items, just mostly browsing anyway. I was a bit worried about getting back to the ship on time since I've heard there is a lot of traffic.:)

 

An hour in Marigot is good enough to get a feel for the place. There is an open air market that's fun to peruse. They boys might get a kick checking out all the private yachts in the harbor It's a pretty place with a character that is remarkably different from Philipsburg.

 

I'd suggest having your taxi head first to Marigot and waiting for you while you have a look around then on to Orient Beach. If you tell the taxi dispatcher at the cruise terminal what you want to do he or your taxi driver will tell you when the driver will pick you up so that you get back to the ship when you want. They are very professional and have a good handle on traffic around the island. Just one thing, make sure that you clearly establish that you are talking about ship time or island time. They are not always the same and the islanders think in island time.