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I’m so excited to share this carefully curated St. Martin travel guide and itinerary! This guide is inclusive of both the French and Dutch sides and has a bonus of my favorite St. Martin secluded beaches!! If you’re looking for more info on warm destinations, be sure to check out my St. Lucia Travel Guide!
One thing I want to say before we jump in: St. Martin was absolutely devastated by hurricane Irma in 2016 and the island is still very much in recovery-mode. With that said, if you follow my tips and suggestions below, you can still have an amazing vacation there! I went a few weeks ago in April 2019, so as time goes by, vacationing on the island will get better and better! 🌴😄
What’s the Difference between the French and Dutch Sides of St. Martin?
Where to Stay
Where to Eat
Things to Do
My Favorite Secluded Beaches
Paradise at sunset AKA Friar’s Bay
WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE FRENCH AND DUTCH SIDES OF ST. MARTIN?
Aside from each side technically being a different country, there are no customs booths or passport checks as you enter/exit each side. There’s literally just a sign. Driving through the island, you can find your way going back and forth between France and Holland barely noticing it.
The real difference lies in infrastructure. The Dutch side is much more commercial, with lots of restaurants, bars, and hotels. I often referred to it as ‘Miami’. The French side is much more rural – you’ll pass a lot of land dotted with sprawling villas and small quaint towns and villages.
Also, the French side speaks French and the Dutch side speaks Dutch, obvi. Both sides speak English proficiently, but I personally love trying to learn new French words and speaking my broken French to the locals. Oui oui!
Another major difference is how each country handled the aftermath of hurricane Irma. The Dutch government provided a substantial amount of money for rebuilding. As a result, Simpson Bay has mostly been rebuilt and there are lots of restaurants and hotels. On the other hand, the French government was not as generous, and although the French side has always been very rural, it is even more now. There are still ships washed up on the shore and abandoned flooded cars on the side of roads from the hurricane.
Overall, if you’re an American I would recommend you might feel more comfortable staying on the Dutch side if you’ve never been to St. Martin. Otherwise, if you’re looking to live like a local I would suggest the French side. But there are hotels on both sides.
All smiles on the veranda of Villa La Salamdre. Maxi Romper: Vici Collection // Necklace: Kendra Scott // Lips: NYX Powder Puff Lippie in Best Buds
WHERE TO STAY
There are two methods of vacationing on St. Martin – I call them the French way and the Dutch/American way.
The French way of vacation is to rent a villa. Caveat: This way is risky as you will not know if the online photos are from before the hurricane or after. We stayed at Villa Salamandre through Sotheby’s and while it was fixed up from the hurricane and was in relatively working order, we had some issues. The internet went out halfway through our stay along with the electricity in half of the bedrooms. The landscaping was less than desired with a bunch of dead mangroves and some trash dotting the private beach in the backyard. Most of the mature trees in the online photos had been uprooted during the hurricane. None of the electrical equipment in the gym (treadmills, stair-master, etc.) worked and the property still did not have a washer/dryer so any clothes to be washed had to be sent out for a couple days.
The villa did come with a caretaker as most do. Ours would arrive around 10am and clean the dishes, change the beds, take the trash out, et, mop the floors, clean the pool, etc. She was also in charge of managing any provisions that were ordered and organized them once delivered. Despite the things that were a bit annoying, the property was beautiful and functional. It worked out fine because the villa served as both wedding venue and vacation spot, but at $15,000 USD a week – I would expect it to be 100% perfect.
If you’re looking into this option, you can work through a villa realtor* such as:
*I would exercise caution as you need to be 100% sure that any photos and information are current and not before the hurricane.
The Dutch/American way of vacation is to stay at a hotel/resort. There are a bunch of very nice resorts/hotels, here are a few that I know are up and running and recommend:
- Sonesta Ocean Point Resort
- LTC Beach Hotel
We stopped here for pre-dinner cocktails. This place is adorable and on my short list for my next trip to St. Martin. - Grand Case Beach Club
Drone aerial view of our villa, Villa La Salamndre
WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast
I love the fact that you can get amazing french pastries for cheap in St. Martin. Here are some I recommend:
- Lainez Bakery Pastry
- Jule’s
- Unknown Modern Bakery
On the corner of Rue de la Republique and Boulevard de France in Marigot Bay. Too new to be listed on Google Maps, but fantastic!
Lunch
- Rainbow Cafe
- KKO Beach Club & Restaurant
Don’t miss: The Sweet Escape cocktail and the melon and burrata salad - Kali’s Bar
Don’t miss: The swordfish fritters. Think delicious Caribbean hushpuppies.
Dinner
- La Villa
Don’t miss: The 49 euro pre-fixe – SO worth it! - Skip Jack’s
- Hidden Garden
Provisions
- Monoprix Marigot Bay
The Whole Foods of St. Martin - Grape Wine
Wine and gourmet deli with an amazing wine selection at all price points. - Cadoudou Mini Market
A gas station with a well stocked grocery store. Also a great place to stock up on flavored rum as souvineers before paying twice as much at the airport. - Bodegas
The island is full of little bodegas for when you need to get the essentials (milk, water, etc.).
Photos from the restaurant at the LTC-Boutique hotel (yes, it’s right on the beach!)
THINGS TO DO
1. KKO Beach Club
Think the idea of Lindsay Lohan’s Beach Club is cool? This place is so much cooler and zero drama.
Don’t miss: The Instagram worthy decor, raspberry infused rum.
2. Eagle Catamaran Tours
Rum punch all day, jumping off the boat, and swimming with sea turtles. Does it get any better than that? We went on an all day tour of St. Martin and it was awesome. Also, the crew helped me with my drone when I had issues getting it to land back on the boat (scary!!). Top notch day over all.
Don’t miss: Hang on to the netted part of the catamaran when the boat is going at full speed, every bump you hit will lift you into the air. Insanely fun.
3. Plane Watching at Maho
Planes fly right over Maho beach and the wind drag from the planes blow over everything from umbrellas on the beach to people who hold onto a nearby fence. Watch from the safety of the Sunset Beach Bar with a cold drink in hand and make sure to go when the large international planes come in (the 747s). Grab the plane schedule on the front page of the Sunset Beach Bar site or Google.
4. Hike to Petite Cayes
Not for the fitness novice, but the secluded beach after 45 minutes of hiking straight up and down a mountain is well worth it!
I loved life on the sea – and this is before I swam with a sea turtle! Romper: Abercrombie & Fitch // Swimsuit: Cupshe // Scarf: Anthropologie // Sunnies: Anthropologie but similar here
MY FAVORITE SECLUDED BEACHES
1. Baie Rouge Beach
Secluded little beach with powdery white sand and gorgeous rock cliffs.
Don’t miss: If you swim around the rock cliff on the right, you’ll find another little patch of secluded beach just. For. You!
2. Tintamarre Island
Sea turtles graze only a few hundred feet from the shore!
3. Friar’s Bay
Dotted with two beach front restaurants, this beach is still calm and relaxing.
Don’t miss: The Full Moon parties at Kali’s Beach Bar.
Drone aerial of Baie Rough Beach – this is the second secluded beach after you swim around the first cliff.
Drone aerial of the catamarans in Tintamarre Bay – I almost lost my drone capturing this view! 😬
Have you been to St. Martin? Did I forget any amazing places to include in this guide? Let me know in the comments!👇🏻
