St-Martin/ Sint Maarten

ST-MARTIN/SINT MAARTEN Sint Maarten Maarten Sint St-Martin/ 434 © LonelyPlanetPublications really isgreater thanthesumof its parts. to thehedonisticpleasures of visitors. toadmitit,thewhole But,althoughneithersidelikes local lingo,whiletheNetherlandsAntillessideplaysuptheirjammin’attitudebyappealing them unique:theFrench clingtotheirEuropean roots,asdemonstrated bythefoodand instances theybecomeacaricature ofthemselves byexaggeratingthetraitsthatmakes theirindividuality.At timestheyworkasone,andinother of-war astheystruggletoassert though fundamentallyoneentity,bothsidesare engagedinanunconsciousgameoftug- has given thescrubbyislandtwovery asetofSiamesetwins. personalities,like distinct Al- the cerulean currents thattumblelandwardtokiss bleach-blonde sands. peaksrisingdramaticallyfromthedepthsofocean,andgentle conical, coolie-hat-like ofmany.Amere totheDutch–hascapturedand SintMaarten glancereveals thehearts entire Caribbean remained sodeartotwoseparate empires thattheydecidedto share it. up –thesesand-strewn onlyoneofthe7000islandsin agameofRisk, paradiseslike litical geographywiththesparkofacannon.After yearsofdivvyingup–andre-divvying wouldrepeatedlyThese farawaykingdoms conquerandretreat, radicallychanging thepo- rum,slaveswho flexed andgoldbetweenworlds. theircolonialmuscleswhiletransporting playgroundofwannabeimperialists For hundreds ofyearstheCaribbean wasthecolorful Today, theallure goesdeeperthantheisland’snaturalgifts. The arbitrarydivisionofland totheFrench,It’s easytounderstandwhythisstunningisland–knownasSt-Martin

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America or theEU;see p451 Visa 40,000 Maarten: Population Official name ANG1.77 =€0.65UK£0.51 dollar (US$)isusedonbothsides;US$1 = Netherlands Antilleanguilder(ANG); US Money Creole, Papamientu andSpanish Dutch;bothsides:English,Maarten: Language land intheworlddividedintotwonations Famous for Departure tax Country code Capital Area Not necessary for visitors from North Notnecessaryforvisitors fromNorth St-Martin: 54 sq km; Sint Maarten: 34sqkm;Total:88km 54sqkm;SintMaarten: St-Martin: St-Martin: Marigot; Sint Maarten: Philipsburg Marigot;SintMaarten: St-Martin: St-Martin: euro(€);SintMaarten: St-Martin: St-Martin: French; St-Martin: Sint St-Martin: 36,000;Sint St-Martin: Beingthesmallestarea of St-Martin/Sint Maarten St-Martin/Sint St-Martin ( St-Martin US$30;usuallyincludedinthepriceofyourticket % 590); Sint Maarten ( 590); SintMaarten % 599) ST-MARTIN/SINT MAARTEN 435 Scout out one of the myriad Scout out one of Oyster Pond is a great sleep- is a great Pond Oyster as the jumbo jets make a dramatic (and a dramatic make jumbo jets as the head. your landing rightnoisy) over As the legend has it, the Dutch and the and the it, the Dutch has the legend As Columbus sailed past on November 11, 11, Columbus sailed past on November Five Days stayfor a short ing option on the island bor- the French–Dutch as it straddles vibe. island der and maintains a chill your time roaming around Spend half Orient Beach, and Grand Case Marigot then bop around Side, on the French area and the casino-riddled Philipsburg half. A Dutch near the airport on the a must. car is rental Two Weeks and spend villas on the island private your batter- week recharging your first like beaches the quieter ies along one of Friar’s Bay, Baie Longue, or Le Galion. When you start the antsy, hit feeling Case,fine dining in Grand the lively Beachbar scene at Maho and, now that your wear up the courage, worked you’ve Beachbirthday suit to Orient rid of to get tan lines. those pesky

„ „ French decided to partition St-Martin/Sint decided to partition St-Martin/Sint French in Oyster originating from a march Maarten northward, the walked Pond. The French their quenched south. While the French Dutch to June. HISTORY Maarten St-Martin/Sint For a thousand years, Arawaks and the by was sparsely populated Caribs. They named the island the fiercer later the brackish saltSualouiga after ponds that to settle. made it difficult St of happened to be the feast 1493, which The the island’s namesake. Tours, of Martin advan- to take the first however, were Dutch, the land, a nice stopping-off point of tage between Holland and their new colonies in (New York City). Brazil and New Amsterdam to by the Spanish attempts abortive a few After the island, now found to be brimming regain and salt deposits, the French with lucrative it. of ended up fighting for control Dutch CLIMATE & WHEN TO GO CLIMATE & WHEN TO GO an annual averages Maarten St-Martin/Sint 26°C. July through a perfect of temperature hur- October sees heat, humidity and, often, in ricanes; many establishments close entirely The best times to visit St-Martin September. to early December and May November are

US$4 US$8 US$35 US$22 . Next, hit Orient Beach ( p441 ) Visit this jammin’ p441 ( shack or kick it up a notch shack or kick it up a notch MAARTEN •• Highlights ST-MARTIN/SINT lolos ( p448 ) Stop at this remote this remote ) Stop at p448 ( ( p449 ) Hop on a catamaran p449 ( lolo ( p446 ) Gorge on sticky ribs at a on sticky ribs Gorge ) p446 ( One day on St-Martin/Sint One day on St-Martin/Sint ( p448 ) Head to one of the 40-plus the 40-plus to one of Head ) p448 (

Bus from Grand Case to Marigot to Marigot Bus from Grand Case on Two beach chairs and an umbrella Bay per day Friar’s Compact car rental per day Compact car rental at Sunset Beach Bar Juicy burger to nearby islands daytrip Catamaran US$110

„ „ „ „ „ HOW MUCH? HOW MUCH? harbor for a relaxed, pastoral atmos- harbor for a relaxed, and half Dutch, – it’s half French, phere all great One Day is hardly enough time to even Maarten arriv- scrape the surface, but if you’re simply ing by cruise if you’re ship, or day tripping from nearby Anguilla or St- Barthélemy, it’s still worth swinging by a to join the fray. Rent a car and make beeline for Grand Case for an early lunch the Cre- sweet barbecue ribs at one of of ole open-air Oyster Pond the for some sandsun, and before and side’s day is done, a stop at the Dutch Sunset Beach Bar is a must – nurse a beer Sunset Beach Bar for any visitor: passage of bar, a rite drink colada and don’t a death-defying piña the planes come in to duck when forget Juliana Airport for landing at Day Tripping Grand Case din- a shmancy and drop the big bling on buds all your taste ner that will transport to Paris the way or sailboat the day at sea and spend visit- the island’s scrubby satellites, ing one of or even as Îlet Pinel, Tintamarre such near Anguilla out Prickly Pear beachside beachside Beaches island: sample on the beaches Simpson Bay cerulean odd juxtaposition for the of jumbo and careening underfoot waters try Friar’s Bay for a Ras- jets overhead; Orient on tafarisafari; naturel or go au Beach

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