Grand Case

[lindy sails]

Would like to spend the day at the beach in Grand Case and have a nice lunch. Any recommendations? Any idea of cost for a taxi?

 

 

 

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[Life is Good Cruising]

Grand Case is full of gourmet restaurants and the road is lined with them. There are a lot of LOLO (locally owned, locally operated) places to eat on the beach. The portions are very generous and definitely worth the price. A few places we have eaten on the beach in Grand Case are:

 

Calmos Café

Enoch's Place

Sky's the Limit

Talk of the Town

Rainbow Café-----a little pricey

 

Some restaurants/lolo's even offer $1 = 1€ prices. Taxi, approx. $25 for 2 people, more people, less taxi cost.

 

As you can see there are plenty of places to eat anywhere along the beach. I don't think you will go wrong at any of the restaurants.

 

[Karysa]

Nice plan. I am jealous. We almost always include a gourmet lunch in Grand Case ( no LOLO's for me anymore) and a stop in Marigot to have croissants and iced coffee at Serafina's. We rent a car but have read that taxi's cost $25 for 1-2 people each way between the port and Grand Case.

[PortMaster]

Nice plan. I am jealous. We almost always include a gourmet lunch in Grand Case ( no LOLO's for me anymore) and a stop in Marigot to have croissants and iced coffee at Serafina's. We rent a car but have read that taxi's cost $25 for 1-2 people each way between the port and Grand Case.

 

Curious about the drive time to get there by taxi....I dont mind the 25 each way, but if it eats up a lot of the day driving...

[navybankerteacher]

Curious about the drive time to get there by taxi....I dont mind the 25 each way, but if it eats up a lot of the day driving...

 

If you have a rental car, it will be a lot easier - possibly quicker, and certainly more scenic to go to Grand Case up the East side of the island, then through Quartier d'Orleans, past Orient Beach to Grand Case. You would avoid the heavy traffic through Phillipsburg, around Simpsons Bay and through Marigot.

 

If you go by taxi - ask the driver about that route as well.

[PortMaster]

Thank you!

[Karysa]

Curious about the drive time to get there by taxi....I dont mind the 25 each way, but if it eats up a lot of the day driving...

 

DH says he can drive it in 25 minutes but he is not sure if the taxis go the same way. If they go the way that most people know it would take 40 minutes.

Edited April 13, 2014 by Karysa

[lindy sails]

Thanks for the info about the transportation to Grand Case and the best route.

 

 

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[Karysa]

Thanks for the info about the transportation to Grand Case and the best route.

 

 

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DH is working but I will find out tomorrow what the road that he goes on is called. It's a big road but not very busy.:o awful but that's all I know.

 

Also if you go to Grand Case my two faviorite places for lunch are Le Soleil (for the delishious tarts-entres like thin gourmet pizzas but oh so much better) and the Sunset Cafe at the Grand Case Beach Club.

Edited April 13, 2014 by Karysa

[lindy sails]

Thanks for your favorite restaurant recommendations! Have you been to any of the beaches on Grand Case?

 

 

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[Karysa]

Thanks for your favorite restaurant recommendations! Have you been to any of the beaches on Grand Case?

 

 

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Yes I have been to both of them several times. We stayed at the Grand Case Beach Club about 4 or 5 times I think. I love Grand Case. Both beaches are nice. Which month and day of the week are you going?

[lindy sails]

I will be there on Thursday May 15.

Can you rent a chair umbrella & get

drinks on the beach if you are not a hotel guest? We usually go to Orient Beach. This will be a first time at Grand case.

 

 

 

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[Karysa]

I will be there on Thursday May 15.

Can you rent a chair umbrella & get

drinks on the beach if you are not a hotel guest? We usually go to Orient Beach. This will be a first time at Grand case.

 

 

 

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Years ago the watersports company offered free chairs for those having drinks and they served you at your chair and then I read that they started charging non guests for this service. The watersports company changed ownership 1 and a half or so years back now and I am not sure what the policy of the new owner is. There is a pathway open to the public just beyond the resort and it leads to the beach. The restaurant the Sunset Cafe is open to the public as are the restrooms to those making purchases. The resort itself is for guests only and is clearly marked. While visiting Petitie Plage especially when entering via the public walkway it feels like a public beach to me and not that you are on the resort grounds. The other beach on the property is for resort guests only unless you come from the beach or water because otherwise you would be trespassing on the resorts private property. My feeling is that you can rent chairs and umbrellas as the watersports booth was purchased by a private vendor and not by the Grand Case Beach Club.:)

[lindy sails]

Thanks for all the great information. I can't until we get to Grand Case!

You are so helpful.

 

 

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[Karysa]

Thanks for all the great information. I can't until we get to Grand Case!

You are so helpful.

 

 

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:) Please come back and let us know how your day was and inform us on the chair rental policy of the new watersports vendor. :)

[lindy sails]

I definitely will let you know all about my day in Grand Case!

 

 

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[Karysa]

Curious about the drive time to get there by taxi....I dont mind the 25 each way, but if it eats up a lot of the day driving...

 

PortMaster, I just read on another thread that you recently spent a great beach day in Grand Case. Can you tell us how long it took by taxi and how much it cost? Also where did you eat and were the beach chairs included if you purchased food and drinks? :) happy to hear that you liked Grand Case:) I too love it there.

[PortMaster]

PortMaster, I just read on another thread that you recently spent a great beach day in Grand Case. Can you tell us how long it took by taxi and how much it cost? Also where did you eat and were the beach chairs included if you purchased food and drinks? :) happy to hear that you liked Grand Case:) I too love it there.

 

Well, we took the taxi up to Grand Case. We also were with others that were getting dropped off at Orient so we stopped there first. I believe it was 20-30 minutes tops to get there but I did not time it. I WILL mention though, that we were the ONLY ship in port on this day (as with all the ports on this trip except St Thomas). So being the Only ship may have had an overall effect on drive times. Also, it was on a Saturday. For 2 of us, we paid 25.00 for the trip up to Grand Case. We walked from one end to the other and decided we liked the Rainbow Cafe and we stopped there. They did not charge for the chairs if you bought anything at all. We did buy a few rounds of drinks and lunch in the afternoon which all were GREAT.

 

The trip back we took a series of 2 public buses and a short taxi from Philipsburg back to the pier. That took about 40 minutes and only cost us 11.00 for the return trip total. We arrived at 9:45 am left Grand Case at 3pm and had plenty of time to walk around Philipsburg if we wanted or the port prior to having to board the ship again by 4:30 for a 5:00 departure.

 

The beach, Beautiful, the Restaurants...countless lined up on the beach side road on both sides. The food and drinks we had...excellent as was the service at Rainbow Cafe. It was a very relaxing unique place with plenty of couches and tables on the covered deck and plenty of beach chairs along the beach to use.

 

 

 

 

[PortMaster]

 

 

 

 

 

Edited May 8, 2014 by PortMaster

[Karysa]

Thanks for the great info. Even with 7 ships in port its a great beach to go to and the traffic is still ok because Orient and Maho are still the big draws for cruisers.

[PortMaster]

Thanks for the great info. Even with 7 ships in port its a great beach to go to and the traffic is still ok because Orient and Maho are still the big draws for cruisers.

 

They raised the Taxi fare for Maho, probably because of its popularity. Its 18.00 each way now, it was lower the time we were there before. The other rates are the same I believe.

[eyern1]

Is that pp to Maho? Just about might as well take another full island tour at that price.

[PortMaster]

Is that pp to Maho? Just about might as well take another full island tour at that price.

 

 

I just checked my pictures. Its actually 20.00 for 2 and 9.00 more for a 3rd person. It was closer to 14.00 for 2 last time we were in St Maarten.

 

They raised the 3+ person rate for Orient also. So considering its 20.00 for 2 to get to Maho...25.00 for 2 to get to Grand Case is not a large cost.

 

Taking the bus back from Grand Case was only 11.00 total for both of us including the taxi from Philipsburg back to the pier.

[Hey Wang]

I just checked my pictures. Its actually 20.00 for 2 and 9.00 more for a 3rd person. It was closer to 14.00 for 2 last time we were in St Maarten.

 

They raised the 3+ person rate for Orient also. So considering its 20.00 for 2 to get to Maho...25.00 for 2 to get to Grand Case is not a large cost.

 

Taking the bus back from Grand Case was only 11.00 total for both of us including the taxi from Philipsburg back to the pier.

How long did it take to get back by bus?.... Did you feel safe?

 

 

 

 

.

Edited May 21, 2014 by Hey Wang

[PortMaster]

How long did it take to get back by bus?.... Did you feel safe?

.

 

 

 

The trip back we took a series of 2 public buses and a short taxi from Philipsburg back to the pier. That took about 40 minutes and only cost us 11.00 for the return trip total. We arrived at 9:45 am left Grand Case at 3pm and had plenty of time to walk around Philipsburg if we wanted or the port prior to having to board the ship again by 4:30 for a 5:00 departure.

 

 

 

We had to wait about 10-15 minutes at the bus interchange in Marigot which is why it took 40 min to get back.

 

At no time did we feel unsafe.

 

But again, make sure you have enough time to return on time, but do not leave Grand Case too early to enjoy it. Just get there early and then leave with enough time to get back and have a little extra time.

 

We did not leave for Grand Case as early as we could have. The ship arrived at 8am and we did not rush of the ship. So, we could have gotten there much sooner.

Edited May 21, 2014 by PortMaster