What to do in St. Martin?

[MaryLS]

Our party will be on the Caribbean Princess on Dec. 11. Other than the beaches, what is there to do in St. Martin? Our party will include 2 seniors (1 handicapped). We booked a tour in St. Thomas through Godfrey Tours. Is there anything similar in St. Martin? Thanks for any advice you can offer.

[kkorman]

Oriet Beach is an expereince. Nudity and a beautiful beach. Last time there I rented a car and went to several beaches and had lunch up in Marigold and then spent the remainder of the day in town.

[emmy]

I agree with kkorman and think Marigot is indeed worth a visit. Many people never get to the French side of the island and in my opinion it has the much lovelier beaches like Orient, Baie Longue, Baie Rouge as well as many others.

 

You can arrange a taxi/van to take you on a tour of the island. There will be many taxis and such as you get off the ship at the pier. Marigot has many quaint cafes and restaurants at Port Royale Marina with great french pastries and freshly baked croissants. Also by the waters edge they have a marketplace where you can get arts and craft type souvenirs, t-shirts etc .

 

Closeby the marketplace high on a hill is Fort St Louis worth a visit for the great views it gives of the Caribbean and neighboring islands. As well closeby Orient Beach there is a butterfly farm in a tropical landscaped garden.

 

A visit to Maho Beach on the Dutch side is always interesting especially if you happen to be there when one of the 747 jets like Air France comes in flying very close to the beach as it lands at the nearby airport.

 

St. Maarten/St. Martin is one of my favourite islands. I am not aware of any tours similar to Godfrey tours for St. Martin but I am sure you can arrange a tour with a local taxi person.

 

Ship tours that get great reviews are Rhino Rider (tried this one and it was great) and America's Cup ( next on my list to do)

 

Enjoy and happy cruising.

 

Emmy :)

[CruiseFever]

First stop and last stop: Sharkeys, a bar right on the pier.

 

Do that and whatever you put inbetween will taste great

 

Beaches?

Bae Rouge on the French Side, Everything Cool on the Dutch side

 

Shopping?

The Dutch side; closer and better (IMHO) selection

[melissa_bel]

I'm a French-side lover. Frankly, Philipsburg is a little bland. Sure, that's where most of the entertainment and the cheap shopping is (bring back a bottle Guavaberry and a stop at the Belgian Chocolate Shop is HIGHLY recommended) but the French-side has class. If you like good food, a stop for lunch at Grand-Case in mandatory. Marigot, the Franch capital, is really charming and it looks like a small provincial French town and if it weren't for all the tropical plants, you would not know you're in the Caribbean. They have some upscale (and more expensive) shopping. The French side has also the best beaches such as Baie Longue, Baie Rouge and my favourite: Orient Bay. To this day, it is my favourite beach ever. Sure, you'll see some nudie from the naturist camp wander around but it's kind of part of the experience on Orient Bay. My advice is: rent a car. We did that once we got ashore and it was the best idea we've had for the whole cruise. We were able to tour the whole island at our own pace an when we returned the car, we were driven back to the pier.

But the best thing with S-M is that there is something for every taste so... enjoy!

[kkorman]

I agree with kkorman and think Marigot is indeed worth a visit. Many people never get to the French side of the island and in my opinion it has the much lovelier beaches like Orient, Baie Longue, Baie Rouge as well as many others.

 

Emmy :)

 

No to mention there are so many less people when there are a lot of ships in port.

[LnJ]

While not an excursion for the handicapped, a highlight was the 12 meter sailboat racing regatta at St. Maarten. You're actually crewing a boat such as Stars and Stripes or True North, trying to be the first to the finish line.

 

If you'd prefer, I'm sure you can sit back and watch others do the work.

 

http://www.visitsxm.com/activities/view.cfm?ID=72

[amagar]

Hi,

 

All suggestions above are great. We find this is one of the easiest and worthwhile islands to drive. Not too crowded. Road rules like U.S. And while there are hills, there are no outrageous hair-pin turns and very few bikes/scooters. There's so much to see and sample, you won't miss anything if you have wheels. If you'e interested, there are four rental-car agents sharing a long building at the base of the pier (when your foot touches the mainland, look to your right...). There is a Hertz and three others. We have rented a Jeep and a Toyota Corrola for $40 a day, but they also rent vans. Don't forget to dicker. The four guys at these open store-fronts compete intensely for business.

 

Cheers!

[FelinerX3]

Has anyone taken the excursion from St Maarten to St Barts? Looks interesting, though a little pricey. Thanks for any feedback!

[CruiseFever]

I think if you don't mind the price that it would be worth it.

 

I didn't do it but also looked into flying there and back on a commuter plane, that was pricey too.

 

I'll be curious what this question brings up

[melissa_bel]

Actually, a cheaper alternative (if you want to see another island) is to take the ferry to Anguilla. Only a 20 minutes boat ride and I read that Anguilla has fantastic beaches.

[emmy]

Melissa..good suggestion. We did a sail over to Anguilla when we stayed on St. Martin for a land vacation. The beaches are 'to die for'...fine white sand.

 

You can catch the ferry over to Anguilla in Marigot. That is the beauty of St. Maarten/St. Martin 2 islands in one (Dutch & French) and also so close to so many other Caribbean islands.

 

If there on a cruise ship would want to get over to Marigot first thing in the morning to maximize your day.

 

Emmy :)

[pachecos]

Does anyone know if US $ can be used for admission to the farm? Is the trip worth it?

 

Thanks,

Rich

[pachecos]

Bump

[jerwick]

After deciding what to do, don't forget to check out the jewelry stores and liquor. I found the best prices ever in St marteen on booze and my wife bought part ownership in a local jewelry shop. No haggling on liquor, but definitely haggle on jewelry.

[emmy]

Pachecos,

 

I am sure they will take US$ for admission. I have always used US $ on the French side. I found this link below to email and ask your questions.

 

 

 

If you are requesting information by email please be sure to say which Farm you need the information for....St Martin, Aruba or Grand Cayman .

 

EMAIL:

 

Info@TheButterflyFarm.com

 

Hope this helps

 

Emmy

[beachnative]

U.S. dollars are taken everywhere on both the French and Dutch side of St.Martin. When we do our spring trips there we also take along some euros that we've had for a while and use them when it helps the overall price.

 

If you can drive in NYC you can drive in St.Martin...just be bold.

 

If you opt for a cab you should enjoy your ride. The cabbies are very friendly and will return for you, etc. (A nice tip also helps).

 

We love that island and are tempted to move there eventually...or at least split our time between U.S. and there.

[S.S.Oceanlover]

MaryLS,

If you are looking for an islamd tour in St.Maarten this might be of interest.

http://www.cruisingthecaribbeanprincess.com/isltour.html

 

I hope you find a great excursion and have a great cruise.

 

Bill

[pachecos]

Pachecos,

 

I am sure they will take US$ for admission. I have always used US $ on the French side. I found this link below to email and ask your questions.

 

 

 

If you are requesting information by email please be sure to say which Farm you need the information for....St Martin, Aruba or Grand Cayman .

 

EMAIL:

 

Info@TheButterflyFarm.com

 

Hope this helps\\

 

Emmy

 

Thanks Emmy!!!!!

[PurrSusan]

After deciding what to do, don't forget to check out the jewelry stores and liquor. I found the best prices ever in St marteen on booze and my wife bought part ownership in a local jewelry shop. No haggling on liquor, but definitely haggle on jewelry.

jerwick, Which jewelry store did your wife "invest" in? Susan

[S.S.Oceanlover]

we found the prices in Kays much better than Ballerinas right next door.

We bought a tanzanite and diamond bracelot.

 

Bill

[jerwick]

Susan

 

 

Mirage Jewelers in San Maarten, Ballerina in St thomas. Beautiful 6 carat tanazite in St Thomas plus 1 carat pendant at about 4000 savings. I was in jewelry catalog showroom business before. Took quite a negotiation, thought I was buying her a car.