St. Martin vs. Aruba

[bogforce]

What are the differences between the 2 islands? Thanks.

[The Big Booper]

Narrow down the points you are interested in. This question is too broad.

[nimbex1970]

yeah I thought hmn, WHERE to begin??

 

Aruba has about 1/2 of the island with good beaches, the others lack water access due to cliff drops after walking over hard lava type rocks. Aruba has fewer secluded or less often traveled beaches. Aruba is extremely friendly to tourists, especially walking and driving the main strip, the locals frequently stop and wave you through. Little "island" type shopping here, mostly name brand stores with comparable US prices, just a small market across from the main mall and Mambo Jamno's. Aruba has more themed bars/restaurants that are touristy. It's completely safe to drive here, roads set up like the US, no craziness. You don't find little beach bar shacks, there is either open beach or high rise hotels. Aruba has a natural forest to go 4x4 in which is wildly fun and desert like. It also has old mines to explore. The light house has the best view of the island. This island is more "sterile", like being in the US if it was in the caribbean, only more laid back and friendlier.

 

St. Martin has both french and dutch cultures from shopping and food. It has many more beaches, especially secluded ones with culturally accepted nudity. The beaches range from shallow family type to windsurfing waves as you move around the island. There is cheap island shopping here, especially at Rimas. Front street is about a mile long strip of stores catering to the tourist needs and the waterfront side has your more touristy bars that are MUCH cleaner than the beach front ones. The driving here is comparable to St. Thomas, crazy in very many places, MANY accidents. Crime is a problem here and the police in on some of them. CULTURE everywhere once you leave the tourist traps with excellent restaurants with chefs from France, comes with a $$ tho. Hillsides away from the tourist areas which look like Scotland.

 

They are two completely different islands if you really go out for a solid 8 hours and explore them, the similarity is their location in the Caribbean. If you can, see them BOTH, they are now my two favorite islands, now bumping St. Thomas!

[The Big Booper]

Very good comparison. Of course Aruba is all Dutch, SXM is half each. The French side of SXM is somewhat more friendly to tourists then the other French islands because they have been polluted by the friendly attitudes of the Dutch side. :D

[212cruiser]

St. Martin has both french and dutch cultures from shopping and food. It has many more beaches, especially secluded ones with culturally accepted nudity. The driving here is comparable to St. Thomas, crazy in very many places, MANY accidents. Crime is a problem here and the police in on some of them. CULTURE everywhere once you leave the tourist traps with excellent restaurants with chefs from France, comes with a $$ tho. Hillsides away from the tourist areas which look like Scotland.

 

Having vacationed and cruised to St. Martin for 25 years I must disagree with the above synopsis. Crime is NOT a "problem" on St. Martin. We have never experienced nor observed any crime whatsoever, especially as it relates to tourists. Is there crime on the island? Probably, just like anywhere else on this Earth. But it is typically among residents and not a "problem" for visitors. Perhaps the poster was confusing St. Martin with St. Thomas where crime against tourists is a problem.

As for driving, again the poster is incorrect. We always drive when we are on the island and we have never in 25 years been in accident, and we haven't even witnessed one. Driving is no more "crazy" on St. Martin than NYC or any other congested area. Try driving in Rome. Then you can talk about crazy driving.

[Big Sky Country]

Having vacationed and cruised to St. Martin for 25 years I must disagree with the above synopsis. Crime is NOT a "problem" on St. Martin. We have never experienced nor observed any crime whatsoever, especially as it relates to tourists. Is there crime on the island? Probably, just like anywhere else on this Earth. But it is typically among residents and not a "problem" for visitors. Perhaps the poster was confusing St. Martin with St. Thomas where crime against tourists is a problem.

As for driving, again the poster is incorrect. We always drive when we are on the island and we have never in 25 years been in accident, and we haven't even witnessed one. Driving is no more "crazy" on St. Martin than NYC or any other congested area. Try driving in Rome. Then you can talk about crazy driving.

 

Agreed. If the poster never traveled anywhere else and this was some sort of culture shock to them, then it is relative to their experience. I did not feel unsafe at all in either island. Crime does not seem to be an issue either. Driving was not wild or anything. Both were a nice experience.