Beach excursion with 2 year old

[BarbMatt]

Any suggestions on what beach to go to in St. Maarten with a 2 year old?

The cruise has an excursion Orient Beach. Is this a good one? Is it clean, nice, etc. I would prefer a more quiet beach without much commotion.

Please provide feedback. Would it be safe to take a cab to any destinations? I think I would prefer excursions thru the ship.

[RoryS]

Le Galion Beach. It is a very calm beach, and does not have a drop off. Orient can sometimes be a bit rough. You can rent chairs/umbrellas and there is a beach bar there. It is also close to the Butterfly Farm, but I'm not sure if a 2 yo would enjoy it or be bored...

[shirleygr]

Haven't gone yet, our cruise is in February, but we plan to go to the butterfly farm and to Le Galion beach after that. After reading extensively, the general consensus is Le Galion is the best for kids, very calm and warm and less crowded than Orient. I would suggest bringing some sand toys for your 2 yo to play with, my girls have always loved that. HTH

[Tlyn]

Is La Gallion beach walkable from the Butterfly farm?

 

Also, should we pre-arrange for a cab from the beach when we are ready to go back to a ship or are there cabs close? Thanks!

[RoryS]

This was previously posted by gtaylor:

From the Butterfly Farm to the Le Galion Beach is probably a 15 - 20 minute (or less) gentle (flat) walk. The beach has many services. It's perfect for kids. VERY slow gentle slope going out. It's a popular visit for locals on the weekend. They could certainly call a taxi for your trip back to town.

Galion has a beach restaurant called Chez Raymond and you can rent chairs and umbrellas there.