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Thirty-Seven! Yes, there are thirty-seven beaches to visit on the island of St. Maarten!
While we loved the beach in front of our condo, we learned that many people pack up and drive to other beaches seeking a different experience each day.
We checked out a few others on our 8 day trip…here are our thoughts.
Simpson Bay Beach
Simpson Bay Beach parallels the runway of Princess Juliana International Airport and the picturesque fishing village of Simpson Bay. Primarily undeveloped, this beach runs to the foot of the Pointe Burgeaux rocks and was the beach in front of our rental unit. Though a little rougher on some days than the tranquil waters on other beaches, the sand was very soft, the water very close to our door and hardly a soul was ever on our beach.
Although our boys snorkeled the waters many times, no reefs are present and the only things that they ever found were some starfish and a few sand dollars. But the most exciting thing happened one day…we were extremely fortunate to witness a nest of baby turtles hatching and making their way toward the water!
Great Bay Beach
Located in the heart of Philipsburg, a promenade runs most of the way across its length and a great many bars and restaurants line the beach, making it a very convenient place to take in some sun. The waters are flat, clear and warm and there are plenty of beach chairs for rent and jet skis for hire.
Because it is convenient to the cruise ship port, accessible by a convenient water taxi, on cruise ship days, expect it to be quite the hopping place! It is a great place to get some shopping done as many vendors walk along the beach, but a block away there are lots of stores to browse when the sun’s rays get to be a bit too much!
Grand Case
After departing Philipsburg, we headed up the eastern side of the island. Not quite which beach to try next, we decided to stop in the charming fishing village of Grand Case. A little concerned when we first set eyes on the area, we found the beach to be a bit narrow and not many chairs appeared to be available. After walking a bit, a wonderful Frenchman at Le Soleil restaurant offered us the use of his loungers. He was extremely attentive and brought us beers throughout the afternoon and kept an eye on our belongings (though I don’t think there was much risk in our things walking away).
Grand Case Bay is a long narrow beach lined by celebrated gourmet restaurants and smaller barbeque-style eateries known as lolos. The smell from these lolos was divine and we actually came back on another day for lunch!
The water was calm, clear and flat and although not much to see in the way of snorkeling, my boy did find some pretty large starfish. There was also a partially collapsed pier that extended into pretty deep water providing a great place for my boys and some of the local children to do some diving and back-flips. Creole Rock is also located just off-shore and attracts many jet-ski tours, snorkelers and divers.
Dawn Beach
Located on the western side of the island, Dawn Beach was a bit difficult to find. After pulling into the Westin Dawn Beach Resort and Spa and asking the security guard how to find the access point, we were instructed to park in the Westin’s lot and walk along the right side of the property.
Though we found fine sand and beautiful palm trees, there were also continuous piles of seaweed lining the water’s edge as well as extremely rough water. Not spotting many swimmers or sunbathers, we decided to leave the location.
Orient Beach
Often described as the “Saint Tropez of the Caribbean”, we were anxious to see what this beach entailed. Situated on the north-eastern part of the island, it is one of the island’s largest and most popular beaches and well-known for being a clothing optional beach.
Having not planned to spend much time at this beach, as we had heard that chair rental and drinks were quite expensive, we pulled up and took a peek at what there was to offer. There were many restaurants, hotels, shops and water-sport rentals, such as jet skis, kayaks, sailing boats and paragliding trips.
The water was a beautiful shade of blue, although much rougher than what we expected. There were many small beautiful islands dotting the coast, such as Caye Verte, Tintamarre and Pinel Island, the latter of which is accessible by small ferries. Although visiting Pinel Island was tempting, we had just visited Anguilla the day before an decided to stay on the mainland.
Mullet Bay
Mullet Bay was recommended by another visitor at our villa unit. We were told to try and visit on a weekday as weekends were quite busy with locals.
Finally, making our way to this fine-sanded beach, located near a golf course and Maho Bay, we found the parking lot to be quite full…even on a weekday. The beach was quite steep descending into the calm, clear and blue water and extremely packed as three catamarans, filled with cruise ship passengers, were docked in the bay.
There were a large number of chairs for rent and a bar and restaurant. The ruins of the Mullet Bay Resort were visible on the point on the left side of the beach and provided for some nice photographic opportunities.
Maho Beach
Having seen pictures of airplanes flying right over Maho Beach, I have always wanted to visit. World-famous for its unique location right at the business end of the Princess Juliana Airport runway, crowds gather each day to watch airplanes take-off and land. This is a must-see!
More busy when cruise ships are in port, the narrow beach becomes extremely crowded and finding a place to lay a towel is difficult, although leaving anything on the beach makes it susceptible to jet blast blowing it away! Some chairs are available to rent at the Sunset Bar and Grill.
The water is calm, clear and blue and much quieter on days when cruise ships are not in port. There are a couple of restaurants and bars flanking each side of the bay, with the most popular being, Sunset Bar and Grill as well as a small supermarket on the northern end of the beach.
Some snorkeling can be done on the southern end of the beach and you may see the occasional tourist boat docked nearby for this reason.
Each of the many beaches on St. Maarten are different and offer many unique opportunities and amenities. Whatever it is that you are looking for…privacy, snorkeling, dining, watersports, relaxation…there’s a beach for that! Set out in your rental car and see how many you can check out on your vacation!
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