Saint Martin Travel Tips

Saint Martin island is located in what is known as the Lesser Antilles archipelago. The island is small only 87-square-kilometre (34 sq mi). It is politically and to a degree culturally separated into two sections one French and one Dutch.

• The French section is called Saint Martin. It is an overseas collective of France (French: collectivité d’outre-mer or COM) so it uses the Euro and follows French Laws. It does however, hold its own seat as a part of the European Union. The capital city is Marigo. It is the 14^th smallest country in the world and the 16^th in population density.
• Sint Maarten is an independent country that was previously a part of Netherlands Antilles and is now a member of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The country uses the Netherlands Antilles Guilder and the capital is Philipsburg. It is the 10^th smallest country in the world and the 11^th in population density

There are no borders between the two countries and the area is often referred to as St-Martin / St Maarten.

The US dollar is accepted by both parts of the island. Most taxi companies only accept dollars.

In this page you will find practical information to plan a scuba diving trip to Saint Martin:

Where to stay?

I usually use this website to book in advance my hotels in Saint Martin as they usually have the lowest rates I find. I like it because it's free to cancel and change the dates.

The island offers the visitor many choices in the type of accommodations available to them. You can select a luxury villa or a simple guest house with many options in between. Many visitors to the island will be surprised to find the selection of villas available many at a price less than a standard hotel room on other Caribbean Islands.

For Scuba divers, you will find a number of smaller resorts geared towards your needs. There are only a limited number of scuba liveaboards that sail from the island.

Activities and excursions in Saint Martin

For being a small island there are surprising number of activities to keep you busy and entertained if that is what you would like to do.

It should be no surprise that water sports lead the list of things to do. However, that list may be longer than you expect. The fine beaches and crystal clear waters are the launching point for:

• Scuba Diving with over 45 dive sites
• Snorkeling
• Kite surfing
• Water-skiing
• Wakeboarding
• Windsurfing
• Surfing
• Jet-skiing
• Kayaking
• Stand-up paddle
• Flyboard
• Pedal Boat
• Deep-sea fishing

The marina’s of Saint Martin are a favorite destination for yachts of all sizes. If you do not have your own yacht but would like to explore that live style, crewed yachts are available for charter and for those with experienced there are barefoot charters.

You can also rent boats either sail or motored with or without crew for a day or even overnight. It will give you an opportunity to explore the way you want.

The island also offers a range of historical locations some dating back to the 1600s. An archaeological site that dates back to 550 BC will make that seem modern. You can find old salt minds from the last few centuries and even visit a modern factory that makes perfume. A visit to the Marigot market will give you a glimpse into the every day life of the people as well as a look into its past.

There are a number of sporting activities you can enjoy here in addition t the water activities above. Golf is popular as are hiking and bicycle riding. There are a number of different trails for hiking and bike riding. You can also enjoy a horseback ride.

We covered land and sea, how about the air. Tandem sky diving, and helicopter rides are there for your pleasure, as are paragliding and parasailing.

Feeling lucky? At night there are dozens of clubs and over a dozen casinos.

Best time to visit Saint Martin

The weather varies little over the course of the year, with sunshine nearly every day even in the rainy season.

The rainy season also called the wintering season is from May to November and includes the Caribbean hurricane season of June to November. The island is at the edge of the hurricane belt and seldom gets major storms.

The tourist high season is from December to the end of April, with tourists coming mostly from North America.

The off season is from May to the end of November. July and August sees an increase in visitors as it is the time when children are out of school in North America. This is also the warmest and wettest time of the year.

Health and Safety

The island host two hospitals, Sint Maarten Medical Center outside the Dutch capital and Hospital Center Louis Constant Fleming outside the French capital. Both of these facilities are rated among the best in the Caribbean. In addition to the hospitals are a number of clients and drug stores around the island.

There are no major health risk for visiting the island except visitors should be aware of Dengue Fever and recently Zika. Both of these are transmitted by mosquitoes

 

If you are planning an upcoming dive trip or travelling to Saint Martin, it is a really good idea to invest in travel insurance for scuba diving, because you never know what could happen and when you might need it (because accidents do happen!). I recommend this diving insurance as they offer worldwide coverage and focus on providing scuba divers a quality insurance and medical assistance service.

Where is Saint Martin located in the world?

St-Martin / St Maarten is located in the Lesser Antilles archipelago. This is a chain of islands that separates the Caribbean Sea from the Atlantic Ocean. The chain starts near the Virgin Islands and curve towards the south to the South American continent. The island is located close to the Virgin Islands.

How to get to Saint Martin?

Princess Juliana airport is the main gateway into the island. It is located in Sint Maarten, the Dutch side. Espérance Grand-Case Airport on the French side offers flights to nearby islands.

There are daily flights to Princess Juliana airport from Paris and Amsterdam. You will also find daily flights from the United States and Canada. There are frequent flights from other Caribbean destinations and Central/ South America.

For those already in the Caribbean or plan on an extended stay, Ferry services operates between St. Martin and St Barths (1 hour 30 minutes) multiple times a day. Ferries to Anguilla (45 minutes) depart every 30 minutes during daylight hours. Passports are needed for both destinations.

Do I need a visa for Saint Martin?

Tourist from most countries do not need a visa and can enter the country with just a passport and proof of on going travel. Nationals from the following countries require a visa to enter Saint Martin (in alphabetical order):

Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Angola, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belarus, Benin, Bhutan, Bosnia, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, China, Colombia, Comoros, Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, Cuba, Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Dominica, East Timor, Ecuador, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Fiji, Gabon, Gambia, Georgia, Ghana, Grenada, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Jamaica, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kiribati, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Maldives, Mali, Marshall Islands, Mauritania, Mauritius, Micronesia, Moldavia, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar (formerly Burma), Namibia, Nauru, Nepal, Niger, Nigeria, Northern Mariana Islands, North Korea, Oman, Pakistan, Palau, Palestine, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Philippines, Qatar, Russia, Rwanda, St Christopher (St Kitts) & Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent, Salomon Islands, Samoa, São Tomé and Príncipe, Senegal, Serbia, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Syria, Taiwan, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad & Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe.

Information is from the Sint Maarten government and subject to change. There are no border points between the two governments on the island.

Getting Around

The local tourism bureaus recommend that you rent a car to get around the island, at least for the first few days. While public transportation is easy to use and inexpensive, it is designed to get the locals to work. So it might be a little time consuming for sightseeing.

Car rentals are inexpensive. You can also rent a motorcycle or bicycle. The two capitals are only about 5 miles a part with the “long” trip between Grand Case Regional Airport and Philipsburg being eight miles. While there are many small roads, there is one main road that is a ring along the coast.

While the island is small with a high population density, it is still a relaxing uncrowded tourist destination.  The unique mix of cultures and lifestyles mixed with outstanding beaches, water sports and other activities make this and interesting destination. Also While tourism is the country’s most important industry, many of the visitors are day visitors from the cruise ships that visit.

The cruise ship passenger typically visit only a few island sites and activities and will a limited amount of time. this gives you a better experience if you wok around their visits.

Saint Martin Photos

Scuba diving

You will find all information about sea life, best time to visit, top dive spots, etc. in our review: Saint Martin Diving