What could be more delightful than the Caribbean island of Saint
Martin? The 34-square-mile island is two islands in one: the northern 60
percent is the French Collectivity of Saint-Martin; the southern 40 percent is Sint
Maarten, one of four constituent countries that form the Kingdom of the
Netherlands. The French and the Dutch divided the island between them in 1648,
living happily, side-by-side, ever since.
Both sides of the island have hills and mountains cloaked in
greenery, traced with hiking trails and edged with lovely beaches. Both have
lots of charm, too. And yet, they are surprisingly different.
· If you want to party, Sint Maarten is waiting for you. The cruise
ship port is in the capital of Philipsburg, which bustles with activity. There
are lots of restaurants and clubs, casinos, and great duty-free shopping. At
the south end of Princess Juliana International Airport, watching the planes is
a very popular pastime: they fly as low as 30 feet over Maho Beach in order to
land on the short runway.
· If you’re looking for a more laid-back experience, try the relaxed
vibe of Saint-Martin’s beach cafes, sidewalk bistros, pastry shops, high-end
shopping and outdoor markets. The busiest area is Orient Beach (read on for
more about that).
· If you’ve always wanted to sunbathe in just your skin, head for
Saint-Martin. Both sides of the island have wonderful beaches, but a portion of
the beautiful and famous Orient Beach is officially “clothing optional.”
· If you want to make your spending money go further, you can do so
in Sint Maarten. Both sides of the island accept dollars, but the official
currency of Saint-Martin is the euro; so, exchange rates make Saint-Martin more
on the expensive side for visitors from the U.S. and Canada. Of course, you
might be lucky and find a happy hour in Saint-Martin where the bartender will accept
the dollar as equal to the euro.
The official language of Saint-Martin is French, and in Sint
Maarten it’s both Dutch and English, but English is widely spoken all around
the island. And, there’s no physical barrier between the two sides of the
island, go from one country to another as often as you like.
If you’re intrigued by the world’s smallest island shared by two
nations, talk with Anita, your Cruise Holidays personal cruise expert, about
cruise itineraries that visit Saint Martin.
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