Sint Maarten / Saint Martin - The Friendly Island

Information Pages

Sint Maarten/Saint Martin is a small, 37 square miles island, located in the Leeward Islands chain separating the Atlantic from the Caribbean Sea. Sometimes, we just call the island "SXM", the code of its international airport. Although small, St. Maarten/St. Martin is without doubts the most cosmopolitan and unique island in the region, something you will immediatly notice upon arrival. In first place, you will ask why we use the double name, "St. Maarten/St. Martin".

In fact, two nationalities share the Caribbean island of St. Maarten/St. Martin. The South is an autonomous country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Its capital is Philipsburg. The North is a French oversea territory,- an "ultra-peripheral region" of the European Union, thus fully part of France and the European Union. Its capital is called Marigot. But don't expect to see any border: Road signs saying welcome to the French or Dutch side of St. Martin is all there is. This is indeed unique in the world. Imagine going to the beach in France, then go shopping to the Kingdom of the Netherlands and go back to France for dinner. And everywhere, you can pay with Euros or US dollars and use ATM which works in several languages.

While French is the official language on the French side and Dutch on the Dutch side of St. Martin, nearly everybody speaks English. Due to the large influx of Latin American immigrants, you will also hear Spanish spoken everywhere. Actually, more than a hundred different nationalities are cohabiting peacefully on one small Caribbean island. Considering this, you will have no problem getting all the information you need about the island of St. Maarten/St. Martin in a language you understand.

In St. Maarten/St. Martin, entertainment is guaranteed 24 hours a day. From the beach parties at the numerous beach bars to happy hour watching sunset, from the most sophisticated discos and nightclubs to the many casinos, you will enjoy every minute under the sun, the stars or the moonlight. St. Martin never closes down at night, and our island probably offers the best entertainment in the Caribbean. And whenever you come to St. Martin, there will be numerous musical, artistic and other events like carnival for you to discover on both sides of the island.

Now wait till it comes to shopping! St.Maarten/St. Martin is a duty-free island: as a result, hundreds of duty-free shops offer alcohol, tobacco, jewels, electronics and much more to really unbeatable prices. No wonder thousands of US- citizens, arriving with the several cruise ships serving the island, spend hours of their stay shopping in Front Street in Philipsburg or in Marigot.

The French side of St. Martin is mainly known for its sophisticated boutiques, offering French and other European haute couture. And if you get tired of shopping, you can rest on any of the pristine white sands beaches or do water sports in the 28+ centigrade turquoise sea.

Everywhere on the island, several marinas harbor beautiful sailing boats as well as the most luxurious yachts from the international jet set

St.Maarten/St. Martin's culture is Caribbean, yet European, yet American. If you love this unique and cosmopolitan mixture of culture and lifestyle, then St. Maarten/St. Martin is definitively your destination of choice.

 

Attention please: Click on our article 10-10-10 New Country status for St. Maarten for important news concerning the change of political status in St. Maarten!