First-time guide to St-Martin

08.10.2024 - 17:57 / lonelyplanet.com

Oct 8, 2024 • 7 min read

Unlike its more populated and glitzy Dutch counterpart, there are no casinos or big nightclubs on St-Martin but that doesn't mean there's any shortage of delightful things to see and do. Le côté Français has beautiful viewpoints, the longest beaches on the whole island and a delicious French-Caribbean fusion food scene. 

In fact, this French enclave’s food offerings contribute heavily to the dual-nation island being called the gastronomic capital of the Caribbean. Savor the flavor and fun with our first-timer's guide to St-Martin.

That all depends on what you want to do and your budget. The island has a pleasant average temperature of 27℃ (80.6℉) and the sea water hovers around 26-28℃ (80-82℉) year-round.

December to April are the most popular months to visit but those looking for good deals who don't mind high humidity should travel from May to August. Hurricane season runs from June through November, and many businesses close for September and October, the rainiest months.

The year’s top events in St-Martin are the colorful carnival in February through to early March, and The Gastronomy Festival in November. 

Getting a good feel for St-Martin requires two to three days. Your to-do list should at least include lounging on the powdery sands of Orient Bay, restaurant hopping in Grand Case, and wandering around the Marigot market. It’s also fun to join a pool party at La Lotterie Farm and spend a day at Îlet Pinel.

You can fly from most major US cities into the Dutch side’s Princess Juliana International Airport, landing over the famous Maho Beach. The French side’s tiny Grand Case-Espérance Airport only serves the islands of Guadeloupe and St Barthélemy.

St-Martin’s capital Marigot is a fairly popular cruise ship port, though smaller in capacity than Philipsburg on the Dutch side. Marigot also has regular boats to Anguilla and St Barthélemy. 

Bus connections within St-Martin are quite unpredictable, so renting a car is recommended. Rental prices range from €40-60 per day in the high season and the roads are generally in good condition. From the Dutch side, it’s around a 20-minute car ride over to Marigot. There’s no border – just a white obelisk commemorating the 1648 treaty that divided the island into two.

While St-Martin has several gorgeous beaches, you absolutely can't miss the blindingly white sands and turquoise waters of Baie Orientale, aka Orient Bay. The 1.3-mile-long beach is the second longest in all of SXM – the longest is the 1.5-mile Baie Longue (Long Bay), also on the French side. 

Orient Bay is dotted with trendy open-air beach bars and their sun loungers. Check out the Peruvian-influenced driftwood-themed Kkô Beach Bar & Restaurant and Kontiki Beach, where DJs often play