Sint Maarten is an island in the Netherlands Antilles. Towards the end
of the last ice age, when the North American continent was still covered
with a layer of ice two to three kilometers thick, the water level was
30 - 40 meters lower than it is today. At that time, the present-day
islands of Anguilla, Saint-Martin and Saint-Barthélemy formed a single
island with a size of about 4,650 km². The water temperature at that
time was 3 - 5 °C, and the air temperature 5 - 10 °C lower than today.
The irregularly triangular island has a north-south extension of 13
km and an east-west extension of 15 km and is of volcanic origin. The
island core is up to 424 m high. The coasts in the east and west are
rather flat. There are around 30 fine sandy beaches along the entire
coast. Behind many of them there are large salt lakes with brackish
water inland. The Simpson Bay lagoon is one of the largest inland lakes
in the entire Caribbean, with an area of over 31 km². There is a
branch channel to the sea on both the French and Dutch sides. On the
Dutch side, the branch channel is five meters deep and over 15m wide.
The road bridges are opened several times a day for sailing ships.
Saint-Martin is a French local authority that belonged to Guadeloupe
until the end of 2007, on the island of Saint-Martin of the same name.
Towards the end of the last ice age, when the North American
continent was still covered with a layer of ice two to three kilometers
thick, the water level was 30 - 40 meters lower than it is today. At
that time, the present-day islands of Anguilla, Saint-Martin and
Saint-Barthélemy formed a single island with an area of around 4,650
km². The water temperature at that time was 3 - 5 °C, the air
temperature 5 - 10 °C lower than today.
The irregularly
triangular island has a north-south extension of 13 km and an east-west
extension of 15 km. The island core is up to 424 m high. The coasts in
the east and west are rather flat. There are around 30 fine sandy
beaches along the entire coast. Behind many of them there are large salt
lakes with brackish water. The largest inland body of water in the
southwest is the Simpson Bay Lagoon with an area of 31 km². The border
with the Dutch part of the island runs right through the middle.
Netherlands side
Sint Maarten is the southern part of this island. The northern part is called Saint-Martin and belongs to France.
1 Cole Bay
2 Cupecoy
3 Maho Bay
4 Oyster Pond
- SMX
5 Dawn Beach
6 Philipsburg
7 Simpson Bay
French side
The northern part of this island is called Saint Martin, belonged to the French overseas department of Guadeloupe until 2006 and has since formed an independent French Collectivité territoriale, which, unlike Saint-Barthélemy since 2012, continues to be part of the European Union. The southern half of the island is called Sint Maarten and is an independent country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The island is the only place where France and the Netherlands share a border. However, there are no border controls.
1 Anse Marcel
2 Baie Nettlè is directly adjacent to
the residential area of Sandy Ground
3 Baie Orientale - Orient Bay
4 Cul-De-Sac
5 Grand-Case
6 Marigot is the administrative
headquarters
7 Oyster Pond
8 Terres-Basses
Quartier d´Orleans - French Quarter
The long, quiet
fishing village of Quartier d’Orleans, also known as the “French
Quarter”, is located on the east coast just behind the border between
the shallow lake Etang aux Poissons and the mountains in the center of
the island. It was the original French settlement on Saint Martin. The
capital of the French half of the island was located here until 1768,
and in 1775 the town had 188 residents.
Some of the original
structures from the 17th century are said to still be preserved.
However, finding them is difficult. This part of the island has not yet
been intensively developed, so much of the former atmosphere has
remained intact. There are only a handful of shops for everyday needs.
Tourists only travel through the town by car. Geographically, there are
no distances on the small island, but there is a world of difference
between the tourist areas and the French Quarter. However, this is the
right place to get to know local life away from the developed areas.
Life takes place outside and in the restaurants and bars. If you want to
be part of it, are tolerant and can overlook the fact that topics of
conversation are sometimes repeated, you should just join in.
The
424m high Pic Paradis prevents rain on this side of the small mountain.
Sandy Ground
This is a fishing village on the narrow strip of
land between the Caribbean Sea on one side and the large lagoon on the
other. The smaller part of the town is seamlessly connected to Marigot
to the southwest. A canal for sailing yachts from the open sea to the
large inland lake “Grand Etang de Simpson Bay” separates the northern
part from the southern part of the town. A drawbridge is opened several
times a day so that the sailing boats can sail through the short
channel. At the south-western end of Sandy Ground is the tourist center
Baie Nettlè with several hotel complexes.
The island of
Tintamarre
The larger island of Tintamarre is located about 2 km off
the north-east coast. The English called it Flat Island. The island was
inhabited until the early 1950s. During the colonial period, lemon juice
was extracted there. The Dutchman Van Romondt owned a cotton plantation
there. After World War II, Rémy de Haenen built an airfield there. His
airline "Compagnie Aérienne Antillaise" (CAA) flew to all the
surrounding islands daily with single-engine propeller planes and a
seaplane. After the severe hurricane on September 1, 1950, flight
operations had to be suspended. Today, house foundations, ruins and
airplane engines can still be found on the uninhabited island. The
island is, however, a popular day trip destination from the hotels on
the northeast coast.
Pic Paradis
At 424m, Pic Paradis is not
only the highest elevation on Saint Martin, but also the only one that
is developed and even accessible by car. However, this does not mean
that it should be used accordingly; the narrow and steep road would not
do it justice.
The plateau offers a view of Orient Beach, the
French Quarter, the Dutch Quarter, Oyster Pond and Philipsburg, as well
as the neighboring island of Saint-Barthélemy. On the opposite side, you
can see the Bay of Marigot in front of Simpson Bay and the Terres
Basses, while in the background you can see the flat British neighboring
island of Anguilla.
Netherlands side
The native Indians probably did not live on this island permanently.
Although there were no rivers or wells on the island, they still found
enough drinking water in various caves in the limestone subsoil.
Archaeological excavations near Billy-Folly brought to light finds from
that time. The Arawak and Carib Indians called the island Soualiga,
"salt island".
On November 11, 1493, Christopher Columbus is said
to have discovered the island on his second voyage without landing there
and named it after Bishop St. Martin of Tours. Since the island seemed
worthless to Spain according to Columbus' description, it remained
almost untouched for another century. The Indians were able to celebrate
their ritual festivals and pirates used it as a shelter from an early
stage.
After the Dutch lost access to the salt fields of Punta
del Araya in 1621, the Dutch West India Company (Dutch Geoctroyeerde
West-Indische Compagnie, WIC for short) looked for new sources. In
previous years, the English and French had also successfully attempted
to conquer land in the Caribbean. At first, the Dutch only engaged in a
lively barter trade with their colonists.
In 1624, Peter Schouten
docked on this island to carry out repairs on his ship. From then on,
Dutch ships regularly called at it. There was a safe harbor and large
salt lakes. In the course of 1630, the WIC then decided to occupy the
island of Saint Martin. At the beginning of August 1631, Jan Claesen van
Campen reached the island at Little Baai with 32 men. Van Campen became
the island's first governor. Within three months, several huts had been
built and around 1,000 hectoliters of salt had been extracted for
shipment to Europe. In September 1632, the first defensive structure
with cannons and a crew of 80 men was erected on the site of today's
Fort Amsterdam. Just a day's journey away, in the Spanish colony of
Puerto Rico, Dutch activities on Saint Martin were observed with
displeasure. The Spanish King Philip IV gave the order to recapture the
island. On June 24, 1633, an armada of 53 warships and 42 supply boats
with a crew of over 1,000 men entered the Great Bay. After a week of
fighting, the island was back in Spanish hands, and it would remain so
for the next 12 years.
In 1629, Pierre Belain d'Esnambuc's
attempt to conquer the island of Saint Kitts for the French King Louis
XIII failed because the English had already established themselves there
under the leadership of Thomas Warner. D'Esnambuc sailed on to Saint
Martin, where he landed at the French Quarter. A Spanish commando drove
him away again, so he had to sail back to Saint Kitts. After the Dutch
and French had been completely expelled, the Spanish stationed 250
soldiers on the island. However, since they were solely dependent on
food from outside, which did not arrive regularly, they lived in very
poor conditions and their numbers quickly shrank to 120 men. The Dutch
and French knew about the poor food situation and planned to reconquer
the island.
After the loss of Saint Martin, the Dutch initially
built a colony in Curaçao in 1634. At the same time, a trading post was
established on the island of Sint Eustatius. Peter Stuyvesant was the
director of the WIC in Curaçao at the time. In 1644 he equipped 13
ships, made himself admiral on the ship Blauwe Haan and sailed with
1,000 soldiers to Saint Martin, where he arrived in Cay Bay on March 10.
During the fighting, Stuyvesant was wounded in the right leg and had to
be amputated.
The Spanish island governor Diego Guajardo sent a
message to Puerto Rico and requested additional troops, but instead the
order came to abandon the island. The remnants of the Spanish troops
remained on the island until 1648, before they were brought back after
Spain had to recognize the independence of the Netherlands.
On
February 11, 1648, the governor of Sint Eustatius ordered his captain,
Major Martin Thomas, to take possession of Saint Martin for Holland
again.
The French governor on Saint Kitts, for his part, sent 300
men to Saint Martin when he learned of the Dutch there. Officers from
both nations met on March 23, 1648 on Mount Concordia and negotiated a
division of the island. In the Treaty of Mont des Accords, both peoples
agreed to help each other in times of need. The Dutch half of the island
was given the name Sint Maarten. Two years after the Treaty of Mont des
Accords, British troops occupied the nearby island of Anguilla in order
to disrupt the Dutch-French alliance from there.
In 1667 and 1668
the English plundered the island. In 1672 England and France declared
war on the Netherlands. The islands of Sint Eustatius and Sint Maarten
were attacked from Saint Christopher. The Dutch had to retreat to the
island of Tobago. In 1676 the Netherlands sent a strong fleet under the
command of Jacob Binckes to recapture the island. The French retreated
into the hilly interior of the island amid fierce resistance. Binckes
plundered many houses and set them on fire, but the French retained
control of the island. In January and July 1690 English troops attacked
the island and drove the French out. In the Peace of Breda in 1697 the
island returned to French possession. In 1702 the French soldiers were
withdrawn from the island to fight against the English on other
Caribbean islands. The following year, it was no problem for Commander
Lamont of the island of Sint Eustatius to recapture the island.
In 1715, 43 Dutchmen with 19 slaves and 350 Frenchmen with 244 slaves
lived on the entire island. They lived mainly from salt production. As
the WIC began to grow sugar cane and brought African slaves there for
field work, the population structure changed significantly in the
following years: in 1789 there were 1,100 whites, 190 mixed-race people
and 4,230 slaves.
In 1763, Philipsburg became the capital of Sint
Maarten. In the 18th century, the island was administered by the
Governor General of Suriname in Paramaribo.
From 1735 to 1746,
John Philip, born in Scotland in 1691, was governor. He had previously
lived in the Danish colony of Saint Thomas and married a Dutch woman
there. He boosted trade on the island and improved general living
conditions. This also brought over 200 new colonists to the country. But
when he tried to introduce an unpopular tax for the WIC, he was taken
prisoner on a ship and sent back to Saint Thomas.
In 1775, 354
whites and 756 slaves were counted on the Dutch part of the island.
In the following years, from 1779 onwards, there were repeated
British attacks. Between 1784 and 1794, the British controlled up to two
thirds of the entire island. From 1810 to 1816, they were once again the
sole owners of the island.
It was not until 1816 that the final
border between the French and Dutch parts of the island was established.
From 1845, the Dutch part of the island was administered from Curaçao.
From 1850, Philipsburg was a duty-free port.
After the French had
abolished slavery on April 16, 1848, it was also abolished on the Dutch
side in 1863. Between 1873 and 1882, several laws were passed that were
intended to bring tax exemption for all islanders.
In the middle
of the 20th century, the demand for salt from the USA fell dramatically.
Many islanders who had made a living from salt production had to look
for work on other islands. On the Dutch side of the island, salt
production was stopped in 1949. Nevertheless, the salt pans in many
parts of the island have remained to this day.
Between the world
wars, many families emigrated to Curaçao to work in the oil refinery.
In 1936, the colonies in the Caribbean received a new parliament,
called Staten. It initially had 15 members. The three islands of Saba,
Sint Eustatius and Sint Maarten could only send one member there
together. From 1942 onwards, the colonial status was gradually
reorganized. Willemstad became the administrative headquarters for all
Dutch possessions in the Caribbean. Until 1948, only about 5% of the
total population on the islands had the right to vote, after which
universal suffrage was introduced.
During the Second World War,
the population suffered from the capitulation of the Netherlands and the
German occupation, which led to a blockade of the island by the Allies.
After the Americans entered the war, they built a 1,200m long runway
on Simpson Bay in 1943 for their aircraft, which they used to fight
German submarines. This developed into the international airport
Princess Juliana Airport after the war. By 1985, it had been expanded to
the extent that the Concorde could now land there, and at the same time
the terminal building was renovated.
In 1954, the colonies were
granted full self-government. The Staten parliament was increased to 22
members. In 1985, it was restructured again. New elections were held,
and the elected representatives are now called senators. For the first
time, Saba and Sint Eustatius were given their own seat there. At the
same time, each island was able to choose its own national flag and
anthem.
In 1955, the first hotel was built on Little Baai Beach.
It was not until five years later that electricity was available on the
entire island.
In the middle of the 18th century, the original forest was cut down and converted into agricultural land. At the end of the 19th century, there were around 90 plantations on the island. Since there were no sugar cane plantations on the island, all local rum products are made with imported rum.
This man's name can be found everywhere on the island; he did a lot for the development of his country. Albert Claudius Wathey was born on July 24, 1926 in Philipsburg. There he attended St. Joseph's School on Front Street. He studied hotel management and became a businessman. His political career began in 1950. In 1951 he was elected to the island government. In July 1954 he founded the Democratic Party of Sint Maarten with Clem Labega. In the following years he held the post of senator in the Netherlands Antilles parliament and became government commissioner for tourism. In this capacity, he made tourism the leading industry on the island and brought many large hotel chains to the country. He created a national holiday for the island. Since 1962, Sint Maarten Day has been celebrated every year on November 11th. The Legislative Hall in the island administration building bears his name, as does the new cruise pier.
On the Dutch half of the island, Philipsburg becomes a carnival stronghold during the second half of April. Events take place every evening. "King Moumou" leads the carnival. "Jump-ups" are the fun parades, steel bands provide music. A Miss Carnival is also chosen. The Grand Carnival Parade takes place in Philipsburg. There is a children's carnival. Information is available from the Sint-Maarten Carnival Foundation, Tel. 544-5211, Fax 544-3155.
On August 24, 1961, the three pilots C. Greaux, H. E. Ledee and N. C.
Wathey founded the airline Windward Islands Airways with the aim of
flying regularly from Sint Maarten to Saba and Sint Eustatius. In 1962,
flight operations began to Sint Eustatius with a four-seater Piper
Apache, and on July 24, 1963, the first flight to Saba took place.
In the same year, a second Piper Apache and a Beech Bonanza were
purchased. From 1965, the airline also flew to Anguilla, Guadeloupe,
Saint Barth and Saint Kitts. Between 1967 and 1970, the two Piper
Apaches were replaced by two nineteen-seater De Haviland Twin Otters. In
1971, the company was renamed Windward Islands Airways International,
which gave it landing rights in Puerto Rico. Two Fokker Friendship
aircraft were rented for these flights until 1974.
At the end of
1974, the Dutch government and its airline ALM acquired some of WinAir's
shares. WinAir was subsequently taken over entirely by the Netherlands,
some flight routes were cancelled and others were added.
There are hardly any language problems, the island is international. English, French, the regional language Papiamentu, Spanish and Dutch are spoken.
French side
History
The indigenous people, Arawak and Carib Indians, knew the
island by two different names. Some called it Sualouiga, which means
something like "salt island", others called it Oualichi or "land of
women". Although there are no rivers on the island, the Indians found
enough drinking water in various caves in the limestone subsoil.
On November 11, 1493, Christopher Columbus is said to have discovered
the island on his second voyage without landing there and named it after
him, Bishop St. Martin of Tours. Since the island seemed worthless to
Spain according to Columbus' description, it remained almost untouched
for another century. The Indians were able to celebrate their ritual
festivals and pirates used it as a shelter from an early stage.
In 1624, the Dutchman Peter Schouten docked there to carry out repairs
on his ship. He declared the island uninhabited and took possession of
it for the Netherlands.
In 1629, Pierre Belain d'Esnambuc's
attempt to conquer the island of SAINT KITTS for the French King Louis
XIII failed because the English had already established themselves there
under the leadership of Thomas Warner. D'Esnambuc sailed on to Saint
Martin, where he landed at the French Quarter. A Spanish commando drove
him away, so he had to sail back to SAINT KITTS.
The Dutch were
also looking for a base in the Caribbean. Since the French and British
were already fighting over SAINT KITTS, they sailed further north. At
the beginning of August 1631, Jan Claesen and 32 men reached the island
of Saint Martin near Little Bay, where he found large salt lakes. Salt
was of great importance for Dutch fish processing, so they went ashore
without realizing that some French had already settled on the northwest
coast. Within three months, the first huts had been built and around
1,000 hectoliters of salt had been extracted for shipping to Europe. In
September 1632, the first defensive structure with cannons and a crew of
80 men was built on the site of today's Fort Amsterdam.
Only a
day's journey away, in the Spanish colony of PUERTO RICO, Dutch
activities on Saint Martin were observed with displeasure. The Spanish
King Philip IV gave the order to recapture the island. On June 24, 1633,
an armada of 53 warships and 42 supply boats with a crew of over 1,000
men entered the Great Bay. After a week of fighting, it was back in
Spanish hands and 128 islanders were deported. The island remained
Spanish for the next 12 years. 250 soldiers were stationed on the
island. However, since they were solely dependent on food from outside,
which did not arrive regularly, they lived in very poor conditions and
their numbers quickly shrank to 120 men. The Dutch and French knew about
the poor food situation and planned to recapture the island.
After the loss of Saint Martin, the Dutch built a colony in CURACAO in
1634. At the same time, a trading post was established on the island of
SINT EUSTATIUS. At that time, Peter Stuyvesant was the director of the
Dutch West India Company in CURACAO. In 1644, he equipped 13 ships, made
himself admiral on the ship "Blauwe Haan" and sailed with 1,000 soldiers
to Saint Martin, where he arrived in Cay Bay on March 10th. During the
fighting, Peter Styvesant was hit in the right leg and it had to be
amputated.
The Spanish island governor Diego Guajardo sent a
message to PUERTO RICO and requested additional troops, but instead the
order came to abandon the island. The remnants of the Spanish troops
remained on the island until 1648 before they were brought back.
On February 11, 1648, the governor of SINT EUSTATIUS ordered his Captain
Major Martin Thomas to take possession of Saint Martin for Holland
again.
The French governor on SAINT KITTS sent 300 men to Saint
Martin when he learned of the Dutch on Saint Martin. Officers from both
nations met on a hill on March 23, 1648 and negotiated a division of the
island. From 1703, the French part of the island was administered from
GUADELOUPE. In the Treaty of Mont des Accords, both peoples agreed to
help each other in times of need. In 1763, Marigot became the capital of
SAINT MARTIN. The final border was not established until 1816.
The Dutch settled at the foot of Fort Hill, from where they could
overlook the Grote Baai and the Grote Zoutpan, the salt lake. The French
farmed in the region around Orleans.
Two years after this
agreement, British troops occupied the nearby island of ANGUILLA in
order to disrupt the Dutch-French alliance from there.
Between
1651 and 1665, the islands of SAINT BARTHELEMY and SAINT MARTIN were
owned by the Order of Malta, of which de Poincy was one of the leaders.
In the course of the so-called "Augsburg Wars" against France, the
island's population was evacuated to SAINT KITTS in 1689. After their
return, construction began on a fortification on the hill above Marigot
in 1690, which later became Fort Louis.
Between 1701 and 1713,
the inhabitants were expelled from the island of SINT EUSTATIUS by the
Dutch.
In 1715, 361 whites and 244 slaves lived on Saint Martin.
From 1740 to 1742, the English from ANGUILLA occupied this part of
the island and plundered the plantations. The cotton plantations were
replaced by sugar cane plantations, and the more intensive work meant
that the number of slave workers increased significantly. In 1775, 600
whites and 3,500 slaves lived on Saint Martin.
In 1766, the
Knight of Duras Auguste Descoudrelles became governor. He owned a sugar
plantation in Bellevue and knew how to significantly improve the living
conditions of the population.
In the following years, from 1779
onwards, there were repeated British attacks. On February 3, 1781, they
were able to occupy Fort Louis for a whole year. Between 1784 and 1794,
they controlled up to two thirds of the entire island. From 1810 to
1816, they were again the sole owners of the island.
With the end
of the reign of Emperor Napoleon, the island became a French crown
colony after the withdrawal of the English. In 1836, the three districts
of Marigot, Grand-Case and Orléans were abolished and combined into one
administrative unit. It was placed under the military commander-in-chief
of Guadeloupe. In 1838, this was replaced by a civilian island
government, and in 1882 the islanders were granted universal suffrage.
During the Third Republic from 1871 to 1940, French colonial policy was
aimed at equalizing living conditions in the overseas possessions. The
colonies were allowed to send representatives to the parliament in
Paris.
The end of slavery on April 16, 1848 also meant the end of
the sugar boom. Salt production began to be increased. In 1849, 358 tons
of salt were extracted in the four French salt lagoons in Grand-Case,
Chevrise, Orleans and Etang Rouge. By 1863, production had increased
tenfold to 3,600 tons. The former large sugar plantations were used to
raise livestock, and large herds can still be seen grazing here today.
In 1850, the island was declared a duty-free port in order to increase
trade.
During World War II, the population suffered under the
occupation of France by Germany, as this led to a blockade of the island
by the Allies.
After the war, the governor in Guadeloupe was
replaced by a prefect appointed by Paris, and Saint Martin was given a
sub-prefect.
It was not until 1960 that electricity was available
on the whole island, and it was only five years later that the first
bank opened in Marigot. Part of the Grand-Case Pond salt lagoon was
filled in. The Espérance airfield was built here by 1973, from which
only regional flights are handled.
The highest mountain, the 424m high Pic Paradis, and about a third of
the country's surface area are covered by forest. The smallest part of
this is lush rainforest with ferns, cabbage trees and white rubber
trees. In the dry forest, in addition to tropical woods, you can find
the last two baobab trees on the island.
The tropical fauna on
the island includes a large number of different insects, some birds such
as sugarbirds, pigeons, robins and hummingbirds. The only reptiles that
can still be found are lizards: anoles, large, grey ground lizards,
geckos and, in limited numbers, iguanas. Their small colonies can be
found at Guana Bay, at Pointe Blanche, at Flamingo Pond, near the
airport and in the undergrowth of the lowlands. The moongose has also
become a plague on this island. Sea turtles can be found on the island
of Tintamarre.
Christian Carreau has been importing rum from the Severin distillery in GUADELOUPE since 1993. He mixes 50% rum under the brand names Busco Rhum Blanc Agricole and Busco Rhum Vieux, which has been stored for four years and has 43% alcohol. He also produces nine rum liqueurs and rum punch. Ma Doudou, Cul-de-Sac, Tel. 873043. This small company was founded by Corrine Burgalière. Thirteen different rum liqueurs with 34% alcohol are produced in-house.
There are hardly any language problems, the island is international. French is the main language, but most people also speak at least English, as well as Dutch and Spanish.
Netherlands side
Princess Juliana International Airport (IATA: SXM) is the third busiest airport in the Caribbean in terms of aircraft movements. It is located in the west on a narrow strip of land between the sea and the lagoon.
By bus
Public buses run without a schedule between 5am and
midnight on several routes:
Philipsburg – Cul-de-Sac – Cay Bay –
Simpson Bay – Princess Juliana Airport – Maho
Philipsburg –
Cul-de-Sac – Cole Bay – [border] – Marigot
Philipsburg – Cul-de-Sac –
Saint Peters
Philipsburg – Lower Princ's Quarter – [border] – French
Quartier (Quartier d'Orleans)
The start and end of the line can
be read on signs in the windshield, which is how you can recognize the
buses. Otherwise, they are individual minibuses. There are individual
stops, but the buses also stop anywhere along their route - unless they
are already full or the driver has finished work. Whether at the stop or
not, you have to signal to the driver with a hand signal that you want
to get on. Similarly, you can get off anywhere by calling out.
Fare: US$2.00, after 8pm US$2.50. Short trips cost US$1.50.
Taxi
All taxi drivers and tourist offices have a detailed list of fares in US
dollars. The trip from the airport to Philipsburg costs around US$25.00,
for trips to and from the French part of the island you have to reckon
with US$30.00 to US$35.00.
Rental car
On the island, traffic
drives on the right!
The German or international driving license
is accepted. The minimum age for renting a vehicle is 21 years. The
maximum speed in towns is 20-40 km/h, outside towns 60 km/h.
Rental prices: Rental cars: per day US$25-55, jeeps US$45-55, per week
US$150-300, jeeps US$270-350; Motorbike rental per day 30-50 US $
On foot
Within some towns, especially Philipsburg, you can also
get around on foot. Outside and in more commercial areas, however, this
is not recommended, as there are rarely any sidewalks. You should
therefore limit yourself to hiking or beach paths. Drivers are generally
considerate and sometimes allow pedestrians to cross if they wish, but
some, even narrow, streets can be very busy.
Ship connections
Various ferries travel to the islands of Saba, Saint-Barthélemy, Sint
Eustatius and, via Statia, to Saint Kitts. Departure is usually in
Philipsburg at Bobby's Marina. There is a regular ferry connection from
the northern part of the island to the island of Anguilla.
Up to half
a dozen cruise ships dock at the Philipsburg Cruise Terminal every day
during the season.
You can find buildings worth seeing and two museums in the old town of Philipsburg.
Sint Maarten Marine Park, Tel. 542-0267, Fax 542-0268. This national
park was founded in 1997 by the Nature Foundation of Sint Maarten. It
encompasses the entire coastal region from Cupecoy Bay to Oyster Pond,
with a width of 5 km or a water depth of up to 60 meters. The marine
park is financed by the Dutch World Wildlife Fund WWF.
National
landscape park, it encompasses the area from Cul-de-Sac to Flagstaff in
the north and Mary's Fancy in the south. The founding association is not
a government organization and therefore has only limited financial
resources. This means that the construction of forest paths and the use
of rangers are restricted.
All types of water sports, hiking, shopping. The island is a
duty-free zone, and you can find lots of good shops in Philipsburg in
particular.
Several providers offer tours that allow you to
experience the island. These can be done by bus, self-drive jeep or quad
bike and have different themes: culture, history, nature, diving or a
mixture of these.
The yacht industry brings the island an additional income of 80 million dollars as a byproduct, and this figure is rising. 400 to 500 yachts call at the various ports during the season. As a result, new marinas have been built and older ones have been enlarged. Despite this, the marinas are currently fully booked. There are currently ten marinas on the Dutch side of the island.
Proselyte Reef, south of Phillipsburg. The British frigate
"Proselyte" sank there in 1801. The anchor and cannons can be admired by
divers in 17m of water.
The wreck of the "Hvalp", a roll-on-roll-off
ferry, which lies in 17m of water close to a reef.
The wreck of the
"Teigland" is a small island freighter. It lies in 23m of water, close
to a steep drop that reaches a depth of 40m. Large fish can often be
seen there.
The Moonhole is an underwater crater. You can reach it in
10m of water and dive down to its bottom in 21m.
Other diving areas
are Amazing Maze with rock formations that reach up to 7m below the
water surface, Horse Shoe, where you can find sleeping sharks, and the
waters around the islands of Hen & Chicken and Pelican Rock.
There are several hiking trails that mostly lead along the coast or in the area around Philipsburg. On them you can get to know the nature of the island up close and, for example, observe iguanas in the wild. Due to the generally poor accessibility, you may need to travel by car or taxi. Not all paths are well maintained and may be overgrown or completely inaccessible. It is therefore advisable to find out about the most up-to-date recommendations for existing hiking trails online or, for example, at the hotel reception. In any case, you should be appropriately dressed and equipped for hiking, especially with long trousers, closed shoes and enough water. On paths that are rarely used or well maintained, even if no poisonous animals are known, you should watch out for spiders or reptiles - if only to avoid taking any with you. Caution is advised in front of larger animals, and you may encounter monkeys (monkeys) or wild dogs.
Rainforest Adventure Rockland Estate, LB Scott Rd #59, Cul de Sac, Sint Maarten. Tel.: +721 587-0118. A chairlift takes you to the top of 2 Sentry Hill at a height of 340m for a 360° view of the island. You can go down on a zipline or by tubing on a tire. The complex includes a restaurant and a small museum on the history of slavery.
The official currency is the Antillean guilder. US dollars and usually euros are also accepted everywhere. Change is usually given back in dollars. As a tourist, you therefore have little or no contact with the guilder unless you consciously choose it as your currency.
Shops are also open on weekends - bars and restaurants, on the other
hand, are often not open on Sundays. In Philipsburg in particular, you
have to expect that the opening of shops depends on whether a cruise
ship has docked. If there are no visitors from the ships in town, many
shops are closed.
Supermarket prices, as of winter 2010
Croissants, pack of 4 US$4.50
Toast bread, US$2.10-2.50
Fruit mix
jam, 350 grams, US$4.95
Eggs, box of 12 US$3.25
Breakfast bacon,
225 grams, US$6.95
Sausages, 370 grams, US$4.95
Salami, 340 grams,
US$6.95
Kraft cheese slices, 225 grams, US$4.95
Yoghurt, 170
grams, US$1.95
Kraft macaroni with cheese, 400 grams package, US$3.95
Di Giornio frozen pizza, 790 grams, US$10.95
Frozen chicken nuggets,
200 grams, US$3.95
Peanuts, 190 grams, can, US$4.50 US $
Potato
chips 170 grams 3.50 US $
Milk 1 liter 3.25 US $
Fiji well water
1.5 liters 4.25 US $
Coke 2 liters 2.95 US $
Beer 6-pack bottles
of Budweiser or Carib 6.75 US $
Beer 12 cans of Miller Lite 14.10 US
$
Bacardi rum 0.75 liters 14.95 US $
Beefeater gin 0.75 liters
15.95 US $
Absolut vodka 0.75 liters 14.95 US $
Kitchen towels
paper roll 56 sheets 2.20 US $
Sun lotion SPF 15 - 236 ml 14.95 US $
Caribbean cuisine is offered, which includes curry goat, oxtail, red
snapper or various chicken dishes. Rice with beans is often served as a
side dish. The dishes are usually spicy. There are also American snack
bars and a few restaurants serving French cuisine.
Because it is
part of the Netherlands, this part of the island also has many products
from Holland and its neighboring countries. For example, you can find
Brie cheese, Camembert, Edam, Gouda, fine chocolate, wine and of course
Dutch beer. In some restaurants you can eat like in Amsterdam. However,
everything is a little spicier.
The nightlife is extensive. There are a number of beach bars that have long opening hours and the number of casinos is particularly high on this island. In Philipsburg, however, the length of the opening hours depends on whether cruise ships are docked. If there are no visitors from the ships in the city, many bars are closed.
The island is relatively safe for tourists. You can even be alone on the beach or in the city at night without being attacked or robbed. The police are very friendly and helpful. The islanders are also happy to help tourists with questions.
The EU roaming regulation does not apply on the Dutch side of the
island (it does apply on the French side), so you will have to pay high
roaming charges. It is possible to buy prepaid cards on site. However,
you should make sure that you do not pay too much and that you actually
activate the package you want.
Hotels, accommodations, bars and
restaurants usually have WiFi that they make available to their guests.
The island is a duty-free trade zone. There are also no border
controls between the Dutch and French parts.
Dogs can be brought to
the island if they can present a health certificate that is not older
than 5 days or a certificate of vaccination against rabies that is not
older than 1 month.
According to the Washington Convention on
International Trade in Endangered Species, the export of protected
animals, including iguanas, parrots and turtles, is prohibited.
The
export of cacti and orchids is prohibited. Due to the fishing law of
June 8, 1998, the possession and export of corals and shells is
prohibited.
The dry season with little rain is from January to July. During the
rainy season from August to December, about three times as much rain
falls as in the rest of the year. However, a whole day of rain is the
exception, usually only short showers.
In 1819, a hurricane
destroyed all the buildings on the island. In 1995, hurricane Luis
caused severe damage. Hurricane Irma caused major damage in 2017, the
consequences of which can still be seen years later. Some buildings have
been abandoned or dilapidated since then, others have only been
half-renovated.
French side
By plane
The island has two airports. On the French side there is
a small airport near Grand-Case, the Aéroport L’Espérance, but only
regional flights are handled there.
International air traffic
runs through Princess Juliana Airport at Simpson Bay, in the Dutch half
of the island.
Entry requirements
Travellers from EU countries
only need a valid passport.
Exit requirements
At Princess
Juliana International Airport, an airport fee of €30 is charged when
leaving the country.
Foreign exchange regulations
There are no
restrictions on the import and export of currencies.
By road
There are road connections between Saint Martin and Sint Maarten without
any controls. Buses run from the Dutch side along the two main roads to
Marigot and to Quartier d’Orleans (marked on the bus as “Fr. Quarter”).
By ship
The island has a busy ferry service. There are boat
connections to the islands of Anguilla, Saba and Saint-Barthélemy. From
the Dutch side there is a ferry connection to Sint Eustatius and then on
to Saint Kitts.
The registration office for yachts is located in
Marigot Bay on the waterfront.
Tiger from World War II for rent
The German or international
driving license is accepted. The minimum age for renting a vehicle is 21
years. The maximum speed in towns is 20-40 km/h, outside towns 60 km/h.
By bus
Public buses run hourly between 6 a.m. and midnight from
Marigot to Grand-Case, Nettle Bay and Quartier d'Orleans, fare: US
$1.50. The buses from Philipsburg in the Netherlands run without a
schedule but relatively frequently. Fare: US $2.00
Taxis
All
taxi drivers and the tourist offices have a detailed list of fares.
On foot
Within towns there are often sidewalks on the larger
roads, but not outside. The fairly frequent zebra crossings are usually
observed by car drivers, as is usual in Germany, so crossing the streets
in these places is not difficult. Within the towns, you can get around
fairly well on foot, but outside of the towns, it is better to stick to
hiking or beach paths.
In the main town of Marigot, buildings from past centuries have been preserved in the town centre. The biggest sight is probably Fort Louis, which towers over the town and whose ruins can be reached in just a few minutes on foot from the harbour and bus stop.
The Loterie Farm in a valley east of Marigot offers a number of amusement facilities such as ziplining and an adventure playground. A well-maintained hiking trail also leads from here to the nearby Pic Paradis. There is a fee for using it, for which hikers are also loaned a map and a walking stick.
In addition to the well-maintained hiking trail from the Loterie
Farm, there are other trails on the island that you can hike. However,
these are not always well maintained and may have been made unusable by
weather and vegetation. It is therefore important to only use these
trails if you are well equipped and as well informed as possible. Some
options are:
Tintamarre Island: There are a number of hiking
trails on the uninhabited island. However, you can only reach them via
guided tours or with privately chartered boats.
Pinel Island: The
small island in the Baie Orientale can be reached by ferry from
Cul-de-Sac, can be walked to and offers a beach and restaurants.
Path
around the northern tip / Sentier de Froussards: A hiking trail leads
around the northern tip of the island, starting from Cul-de-Sac or Anse
Marcel.
Pic Paradis: In addition to the path from Loterie Farm, other
paths lead to Pic Paradis. However, these are not maintained and,
depending on the time of year, due to vegetation or because they have
been abandoned, are difficult or impassable. For example, from Quartier
d'Orleans there is a path that leads along the high-voltage power lines
to the mountain ridge. There you will find a ridge path that leads to
Marigot or to Pic Paradis. Both paths are overgrown with grass or
bushes, and in some sections are very steep and rocky.
Mont des
Accords and Saint Peters Hill: The path leads along the Dutch-French
border. The ascent is possible from Marigot, first through suburbs and
then along a narrow, steep path to the pass to the Dutch Saint Peters.
The pass offers views of both sides of the island. A steep road leads to
Saint Peters Hill, where there is a transmitter. The mountain with a
transmitter offers a wide view of the Dutch side. From here, on the side
of the road, just below the summit, a fairly well-maintained path
begins, which runs parallel to the border down to the main road to
Marigot, where the bus also stops.
When hiking on unmaintained
paths, you should be adequately equipped: closed shoes, long trousers,
at least 2 liters of water per person and at least one snack to eat, at
least 1 person with a walking stick and apply insect repellent. Rarely
used paths can be covered in spiders, which are large but not dangerous.
The walking stick is helpful for pushing the spider webs aside so that
you don't walk into them. The largest animals you may encounter are
monkeys and wild dogs. Caution is advised here, even if no dangerous
incidents have been reported.
On this part of the island, you can enjoy American, European, Caribbean and international dishes of a high standard. Of course, there are also French dishes everywhere, such as bouillabaisse and pâte de canard.
As early as the 17th century, six freshwater springs were known on
the island. Until the 1960s, all houses had a water cistern. Since 1976,
there has been a seawater desalination plant on the northern outskirts
of Margot. The original water output of 500,000 liters was increased to
four million liters by 1998. This tap water is regularly tested and
meets European standards.
Bottled fresh water is available under
the "Fond D'o" brand. Spring water enriched with magnesium is offered
under the "Magnifique" brand.
The dry season with little rain is from January to July. During the
rainy season from August to December, there is about three times as much
rain as in the rest of the year. However, a whole day of rain is the
exception, and it is usually just short showers.
In 1819, a
hurricane destroyed all the buildings on the entire island. In 1995,
hurricane Luis caused severe damage. Hurricane Irma caused major damage
in 2017, the consequences of which can still be seen years later. Some
resorts or individual buildings have been abandoned and dilapidated
since then.