St. Maarten is hands down one of my favorite Caribbean islands! St. Maarten (also spelled Sint Maarten) is part of the Netherlands, but also shared with Saint Martin (the French side of the island!) Confused? Don’t be! One side of the island is owned by the Dutch and the other side of the island is owned by the French, is which is why there are different ways of spelling this gorgeous island. Known for its famous beaches, most dangerous airport, and shopping, this Caribbean island is absolutely gorgeous and such a favorite of mine!

I have visited this island for overnight stays as well as on cruise ships and both experiences were wonderful. I do prefer staying on this island because there is so much to do, but if you are visiting on a cruise ship, you won’t be disappointed! In fact, I have actually planned my own cruise around making sure that St. Maarten was a port of call because I enjoyed it so much!

If you are planning to visit and stay overnight, my favorite side of the island is on the Dutch side of the island This is where the St. Juliana airport is, Philipsburg (the capital of St. Maarten) is located, as well as Maho Beach- my favorite spot on all of St. Maarten! When we stayed in St. Maarten, we visited the Sonesta Maho Beach Resort Casino & Spa. This resort is all-inclusive but does have a plan as well if you are wanting to venture out for meals and drinks and don’t want to be on the all-inclusive plan. This resort is minutes from the airport and overlooks Maho Bay. This resort is great for couples, families, and groups! This resort was actually destroyed by Hurricane Irma and has since been rebuilt, so it is updated, gorgeous, and ready for visitors! This resort offers a swim up pool bar, Beach House Kids Club and Aqua Park, Teen zone, 5 restaurants, 5 bars, spa, and 2 fitness centers. This resort is also within walking distance to other restaurants and great shopping at Maho Village. Maho Village is a shopping and nightlife promenade right outside of the resort located near Casino Royale. Casino Royale is the largest casino on St. Maarten which now features 2 new restaurants and a new outdoor bar and lounge overlooking the main street of Maho Village.

The best part of this resort is the location of Maho Bay. Maho Bay is world-famous and has some of the best views of airplanes landing at the airport! Maho Bay is a MUST visit destination. The beach and ocean water is pretty small, and the water is rather rough, but the views are what draw millions of tourists to this location every year. Maho Bay is famous because of how close it is to the Princess Juliana International Airport. Every day (starting late morning until the early evening) you can snap pictures of planes approaching overhead as well as feel their jet blasts. These planes come in and have to land so close above you, that you can actually see the pilot’s faces of the planes and wave to them as they make their landing. As the planes depart the Princess Juliana Airport, many people stand along or hang on to the fence and get blasted by the jets. Many times, belongings will be blasted into the ocean when it’s a large plane taking off.

A fun spot near Sonesta Maho Resort to watch these planes take-off is at Sunset Beach Bar. This is my favorite bar on St. Maarten! It is located right next to Maho Beach and is right on the ocean. Some parts of it are over the water! They have great food and drinks and if you’re lucky enough to snag a table on the water, you can watch the planes fly in right from your seat. The DJ will actually announce when the large planes will be coming in for a landing, and they also have a board with all the plane times and airline so you know when to be watching for the big ones! Sunset Beach Bar & Grill also has a pool area where you can rent poolside lounge chairs for the day if you want to hang out there!

If you have more than one day to spend in St. Maarten, I highly suggest chartering a private sailboat. We did this and it was SO much fun. You will head to the marina and be picked up by a wonderful captain that will then sail you around the island all while providing great cocktails for a wonderful sunset happy hour. I highly suggest it! If you need a recommendation for a sunset sail, I’m happy to provide those to you!

If you are planning to just visit for the day via cruise ship, I suggest taking a taxi from the cruise ship terminal over to Maho Bay. You will pay for a round trip taxi ride and will be given a wrist band to wear. The taxis are lined up in an area and you will show your wrist band when you are ready to return back to your ship. Make sure to give yourself plenty of time to get back to the ship. I suggest leaving about 1.5 hours before you need to get back to the ship because a lot of people will all be trying to leave at the same time and this way you don’t have to worry about a crowd of people all trying to leave at the same time.

Our time at Sonesta Maho was great. We spent days lounging near the ocean watching planes overhead. We filled our nights with delicious food at Maho Village restaurants and ventured out to the marina to sail on a sailboat. My favorite part of course was watching the planes fly overhead. You could spend your days at the beach at the same location, or you can venture out around the island!

Other Fun Locations on St. Maarten:

Mullet Bay: Calm and Quiet beach with clear water and soft sand. About a 30-minute drive from the cruise terminal. Chair and umbrella rentals are available

Orient Bay: Another quiet and calm beach with clear waters. Hurricane Irma did destroy this entire area, but vendors and resorts are rebuilding the area. You can also rent umbrellas and beach chairs here

Front Street: Duty-free shopping in Phillipsburg (found on the Dutch side)

Steepest Zip Line in the World: The Rockland Estate Eco-Park is located on the Emilio Wilson Estate. This is just a short ride from Port Sint Maarten and major hotels. This zipline offers 360-degree views from Sint Maarten’s highest mountain and is recognized as the world’s steepest zip line! This is known as the “Flying Dutchman” and is on my bucket list next I visit St. Maarten!

Is St. Maarten on your list of destinations to visit in the future? If not, it should be! If you’re interested in visiting here, contact me! I can help you plan a wonderful all-inclusive stay or help you get there via cruise ship! Either way, you won’t be disappointed!

Love and Travel Dust,

Molly