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Shared by the French and the Dutch since the mid-seventeenth century, the tiny island of Saint Martin/Sint Maarten is one of the most developed in this part of the Caribbean, with lots of facilities and a huge duty-free shopping area. Opinions about the island are as divided as the island itself. Ask the streams of repeat visitors, cruise ship passengers and time-share owners, and they will tell you that this tiny island is paradise on earth, with fabulous beaches and every type of tourist facility imaginable. Ask others, and you may hear how rapid and barely controlled development has turned a once-beautiful place into "a graceless monument to vulgarian greed", as one disgruntled writer put it.
The truth lies somewhere in between. The island does boast some of the finest beaches in the Eastern Caribbean, particularly at Orient Beach on the French side, as well as some stunning scenery, most notably in the interior around Pic Paradis, and many excellent restaurants and hotels on both sides of the border. On the other hand, the hunt for the tourist dollar can feel unrelenting and, at times, it is hard to discern the real country under the veneer of concrete development, souvenir shops and the waves of tourists (all particularly acute on the Dutch side in the capital Philipsburg).
If all you want to do is lie on the beach and play in the sea, both Saint Martin and Sint Maarten are not bad options. Travelling between the French and Dutch sides (as many visitors do) is hassle-free, since the border is marked at the end of both Bellevue and Belle Plaine by obelisks and there are no border crossing formalities. Ultimately, if the crowds get too much for you, bear in mind that it is a very short flight or ferry ride to some of the quietest, least developed and most rural islands in the entire Caribbean including: Saba, St Barths and Anguilla.
| St Martin/St Maarten highlights |
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Day on the Water
Whether you want to paddle a kayak, sail an Americas Cup-winning vessel or spend the day on board a party boat, St Martin caters for you.
Orient Beach
Simply one of the best beaches you will experience, enticing for its sands, warm sea and ample watersports.
Pic Paradis
Escape the crowds and hike to the top or just into the rainforest from Loterie Farm.
Grand Case
Run the gauntlet of gourmet restaurants offering everything from delectable local seafood to fine French cuisine.
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