St Martins - the Caribbean's Friendly Isle

Incoming at Princess Juliana International Airport

They call it the “Friendly Isle”, which is a good start. So friendly that you can almost kiss the incoming airliners that screech in over the bay to land at St Martin’s international airport.

The island is also sometimes known as the culinary capital of the Caribbean, which is certainly another bonus. 

It is also one of the only islands in the world divided by an international border - which at first glance might seem like no great shakes - but which is a fact that brings bonuses of its own.

Saint Martin, to name the French half - or Sint Maarten, which is what the Dutch half call it - is a delightful and fascinating island located at an important geographic apex in the Caribbean. 

This tiny double-kingdom is situated at the north-easterly point where the great chain of Caribbean islands swings south from it’s east to west run, having passed Jamaica, the Dominican Republic and the British Virgin Isles. Beyond St Martin the islands head south to form the chain that’s known as the Windward Isles, which includes Martinique, St Lucia and St Vincent. 

Sailors certainly know where St Martin is. For many British trans-Atlantic yachtsmen it is the first port of call - one that also happens to be a centrally placed base from where they can explore all corners of the Caribbean. Moreover, it boasts one of the biggest natural harbours on the eastern shores of the Atlantic.

So despite being small, this two-nation state punches way above its weight - which somehow makes it all the more ideal as a holiday destination. In fact, I’d recommend it as one of the best introductions to the Caribbean, partly because there is so much going on. 

Orient Beach

And it really is friendly. Unlike some Caribbean locations where you do have to be a bit careful, you can enjoy all parts of St Martin day or night and you will be as safe as you’d be in a British town or city. 

Because of all the maritime comings and goings, and also because of the twin-nation status, the place is cosmopolitan. Caribbean certainly - but also a blend of European and to some extent American. Also, you can fly direct to St Martin from Europe, which is a boon. We travelled via Amsterdam aboard a KLM jumbo - an easy enough trip now that Schipol airport has an air-side, inexpensive, “pod-style” hotel where you can get a quick and convenient night’s sleep before continuing to the Caribbean. 

And talking of that flight, one of the best known things about St Martin is the Princess Juliana International Airport where the planes have to come in at unbelievably low altitudes above Maho Beach. Standing on the sand and feeling a 747’s downdraught in your hair is one of the island’s must-do experiences, albeit a slightly anxious one. Don’t try back-wash-surfing which is what some idiots do when the big planes crank up their engines in readiness for take-off. Clutching a fence while your whole body is flapping like washing on a windy line is not my idea of fun. 

Standing up against the jet-wash

What is my idea of fun is hiring a car and spending time exploring St Martin. The first thing to say is there’s no need to worry about that international border - as the Dutch and the French are sensible European nations they don’t go in for border checks nowadays.  

However, despite there being no fence you can tell the difference between the Dutch and French halves. The latter is a little bit less urbanised and… how can I say this? Well, more French. Some parts of the southerly Dutch half are more built-up and perhaps more Americanised, specially the area around Simpson Bay near the airport. 

We stayed in Dutch St Maarten, but only just. Oyster Pond is a delightful secluded inlet on the far easterly side of the island close to the border. And the Oyster Bay Beach Resort is a large and comfortable high-end complex perched above a coral reef with ocean views and white sand beaches.

Our luxurious apartment was huge - bigger than our house - and just one minute’s stroll from that white sand beach. The staff were exceptionally friendly and helpful, the food good, and the place made an altogether perfect base for our week-long adventures around the island. 

One of my favourite St Martin areas is just a two minute drive north of Oyster Pond.  The Etang au Poissons nature reserve covers 3000 hectares of sea and 150 hectares of land including islets like Petite Clef, Green Cay and Tintamarre. The marshlands of Etang and its neighbour the Salines d’Orient are also part of this protected area and include mangrove swamps which are a nursery for many marine species.

Nearby, Orient Bay is one of the Caribbean’s best known beaches, boasting over a mile of palm strewn white sands. North again there’s lovely Cul-de-Sac Bay where you can take the little ferry across to Ilet de Pinel, which is also part of the nature reserve and which also boasts a beautiful beach. We spent a morning out there, snorkelling around the coral reefs and doing a quick hike around the isle during one of the brief rain storms which are always a feature of Caribbean life. 

Cul-de-Sac Bay Nature Reserve

The far north of St Martin is wild and hilly, but a road cuts across from Cul-de-Sac on the wilder, rougher, east coast to Grand Case on the west. As does so it passes the smaller French airport where, in order to land, pilots also have to nosedive their aeroplanes at an alarming rate. 

Landing the plane looks fun at Grand Case

I suppose if I had to name just one favourite spot on St Martin it would be the village of Grand Case, partly because it has retained an old-fashioned Caribbean authenticity thanks to its clapperboard architecture. 

But more probably because charming, beach-side Grand Case has the reputation of being the island’s gourmet capital. Many of the restaurants are located in traditional huts built on stilts above the beach. We had a huge Sunday lunch of freshly barbecued chicken and fish that cost us about £5 each - and that included the beer.

Indeed, to go to Grand Case and not have the barbecued food would be just about impossible - the alluring aromatic smoke seems to emanate from every wattle and daub house down the street. A night-time stroll along the boulevard is another of St Martin’s must-do moments. The music booms and you squeeze through great throngs of tourists and locals, all having a good time. 

The capital of French St Martin is Marigot, which you reach by travelling down the west coast from Grand Case. Apart from its marinas it is known for its market which is a lively, colourful, Provence-meets-Caribbean affair. Stalls sell fruit, vegetables, spices, local meats and fresh fish. There are also craft stands where you can buy flavoured rums, including Shrub - a local speciality in which the spirit is flavoured with orange peel. Alternatively you can try Mauby, a local bark-based infusion - but I bet you’ll prefer the Shrub. 

We dined one night with West Country friends at Le Mini Club - which doesn’t sound too inspiring and isn’t actually a club - but it does one of the best buffet dinners I’ve eaten anywhere and has fantastic open air views of the marina and harbour area. 

I knew we were on to a good thing when the maitre d’ told me he’d worked for several years at Taunton’s Castle Hotel under the tutelage of the late Gary Rhodes. Despite this recommendation I wasn’t quite expecting the sheer spectacle of the buffet. For under £40 a head (which included ludicrous amounts of wine) you could help yourself to whatever you liked, including as many lobsters as your plate or stomach could hold.  

Further on down the west coast and we’re back into Dutch Sint Maarten where we can take the long and winding Rue du Sandy Ground around the great natural harbour of Simpson Bay Lagoon. Much of this most easterly section of the island is in private hands so it’s difficult to reach the beach until you turn onto the southern coast. Then the area around Baie Longue towards the airport is the most Americanised with golf courses, condo-developments and high rise hotels.  

I like Philipsburg, the capital of Dutch St Maarten and the biggest community on the island. It’s a busy, bustling place full of locals going about their business and tourists looking bemused in the Caribbean heat. 

Distant Philipsburg in evening light

When the Dutch first arrived in 1631 the sandy strip separating Great Bay from Great Salt Pond was chosen as the site for a settlement. John Philips, a Scotsman, developed much of the town between 1735 and 1746 when the sugar factories began to generate economic growth. He was appointed commander of the island and introduced modern agricultural techniques for the growing of sugar cane, coffee and cotton. 

So is the name Philipsburg based on its founder, John Philips? Oddly not - though this seems to be of no concern to the million-plus cruise ship passengers who dock here each year and enjoy the town.

We had a delicious lunch in one of the many little street-food joints in a side alley just off the main shopping street. My Caribbean jerk chicken cost about £3.50 - four quid if you include the beer.

After a hectic afternoon in Philipsburg it was time to retreat to the peace and quiet of the Oyster Bay Beach Resort and a rum punch, followed by a candle-lit dinner down on the white sand beach where all we could hear was the ocean’s roar. A rather romantic way to end a day on what is already a Friendly Isle. 

Fact File

Martin stayed on Dutch St Maarten as a guest of the Oyster Bay Beach Resort. 

The resort has two restaurants and many other facilities, such as free snorkelling equipment and beach loungers.

Visit www.oysterbaybeachresort.com for more details.

To find out more about Dutch St Maarten visit www.st-maarten.com

Economy KLM flights from London to St Maarten - look out for regular offers - check out www.klm.com