St Maarten
With long stretches of sparkling sand, water so clear it’s like swimming in an aquarium and a fascinating blend of cultures from around the globe, there are endless things to do in St Maarten for all types of travellers.
This half French, half Dutch island has two main cities: Philipsburg is the capital on the Dutch side, while Marigot is the heart of the French St. Martin side. With more than 140 different nationalities living here, there are dozens of cuisines to choose from which makes it foodie heaven.
St Maarten is the hub for getting to less accessible neighbouring islands like Anguilla, Saba and St. Kitts, and is also a popular cruise ship stop; here's what to do with just one day on the island. Colourful Philipsburg is a favourite of duty free shoppers, and one of the most unique things to do is head to Maho Beach for planespotting, where jumbo jets fly right overhead as they land on the nearby airport runway.
St Maarten also boasts the world's steepest zipline, and some of the most beautiful beaches in all of the Caribbean like Mullet Bay Beach and Orient Bay Beach (no swimsuit required!). For great views, head to Fort St. Louis in Marigot, or Rockland Estate Eco Adventure Park which has panoramic vantage points of the entire island and three nearby ones.
