The Island
LOCATION
(see map)
The island is in the Caribbean Sea, 18 latitude and 63 longitude, 150 miles south east of Puerto Rico.
SIZE
It covers 37 square miles, with Dutch Sint Maarten on the south spanning 16 square miles and french Saint-Martin on the north covering 21. The island is the smallest land mass to be shared by two separate governments.
CLIMATE
Sunny and warm year-round, with some cooling from trade winds. Average temperature during the winter season is 80 F (27°C) and a few degrees warmer and more humid in the summer. Occasional showers in late summer and early fall, with average annual rainfall of 45 inches.
POPULATION
According to the most recent census, 32 000 people live on St. Maarten and 28 000 on St.Martin.
LANGUAGE
English is spoken everywhere, but Dutch is the official language of St. Maarten and French the official language of St. Martin. On the Dutch side, you can also hear
Spanish and
Papiamento, the dialect of the Netherlands Antilles. On the
French side, Creole Patois also is spoken.
CURRENCY
Official currency of the Dutch side is the Netherlands Antilles Florin or Guilder (naf). Official currency of the French side is the French Franc. But U.S. dollars are widely accepted on both Dutch and French sides. Credit cards and travelers cheques are also widely accepted.
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HISTORY
Dutch St.
Maarten and
French St.
Martin are both,
of course, the
legacy of a
single piece of
much-blessed
land.The island
was inhabited,
before the eyes
of Europe fell
upon it, by a
succession of
Indians from
South America.
First came the
peaceful Arawaks,
who called their
new home
“Soualiga” (Land
of Salt,
referring to a
natural aspect
of the island
visitors still
see today.),
then the cruel
and
cannibalistic
Caribs.
Few Arawaks
still survived
when Christopher
Columbus sighted
St. Maarten on
Nov. 11, 1493.
According to the
island’s unusual
mix of history,
legend and lore,
Columbus spotted
its green
wonderment on
Nov. 11, 1493 -
the feast day of
Spain’s beloved
St. Martin of
Tours. St.
Martin (or
perhaps San
Martino, in the
mother tongue of
the Genovese
admiral) the
island became.
In the years since the 1648 Dutch-French accord that halved the island, it has been the pleasure of succeeding waves of visitors and exploiters to revel in St. Maarten’s beauty. In recent years, the reveling has steadily grown, with the dutch side to the South growing first, followed by the French to the North.
Add to this growth the fact that St.Maarten is also the busy air and sea hub for a host of nearby island - French St. Bart’s, Dutch Saba and St. Eustatius, British Anguilla and St. Kitts/Nevis.
For travelers today, the end result is an excitable, varied and rich experience of St. Maarten past, present and to come. Its beaches, led off by glorious Mullet Bay, Cupecoy and Dawn, remain uncrowded nearly any month of the year. That’s an advantage of having so many exquisite stretches of sand.
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Attractions
The Sint Maarten Museum, in the Dutch capital of Philipsburg, reflects the history and culture of the Island and its people from prehistoric to modern times. A museum gift shop is on-site.
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The Dutch Courthouse stands on Front Street, Philipsburg.
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Don't miss "The Old House" , to know everything about the Caribbean through the story of Rhum. This large green and white creole house is located on top of a hill, between Orient Bay and French Quarter. The visit lasts 40 minutes. It is full of precious lithographies and ancient pictures (and precious bottles of rhum as well). Adults 30 French Francs (around $ 4.50), half-price for children.
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The French side has got it's Museum as well: located just before Sandy Ground's Bridge, "Sur la trace des Arawaks" is a permanent exhibition about the life of Saint Martin's first inhabitants.
Horse-back riding, scuba-diving, sky-diving, surf and windsurfing, jetskiing, deep-sea fishing, are easily available on both Dutch and French side, on either low or high season.
The island also offers numerous spas and fitness centers for gym, aerobics, massages, saunas, manicures...
Two cinemas are located in Philipsburg
in Simpson Bay for the Dutch side, and in
Sandy Ground for the French side.
Children and Adults will also enjoy Lottery Farm (On your way to PIC PARADIS: 0590 87 35 48) and Butterfly Farm (On your way to Galion Beach: 05 90 87 31 21) . |
Getting
Around
Most visitors rely on taxis and rental cars, but public transportation also is available to all points on the island between 6:00 am and 8:00 pm. Fares can be paid in US$ ,
Euros, or Guilders.
TAXI SERVICE
Taxis are ready and waiting at Princess Juliana International Airport and at all major hotels. The cabs have no meters, but drivers must follow official rates for travel throughout the island. After 10 p.m., rates rise 25 percent and after midnight, 50 percent. Also hotel tour desks can arrange
sightseeing tours by taxi, the only way to go for those not wanting to drive a rental car.
CAR RENTAL
The best way to sample a selection of beaches, restaurants and shops is by rental car. Many companies rent cars on the island, and most require either a credit card imprint or a cash deposit ranging from $350 to $1500, plus an additional collision damage waiver. Cars are delivered at any hotel, but cannot be
picked up at Princess Juliana International Airport in order to protect the livelihood of island taxi drivers.
However, rental cars may be dropped off at the airport upon departure. All foreign driver’s
licenses are valid for driving on the island. |
Limousines, motorbikes, scooters and bikes are also available in several car rental shops.
AIR EXCURSIONS
Puerto Rico, Anguilla, St. Barths, Guadeloupe, St. Eustatius, Saba, Monserrat, St. Kitts, St.Thomas and Nevis are quickly accessible by air, from Princess Juliana International Airport and Aéroport de Grand Case.
SEA EXCURSIONS
Catamarans are available for one day or more to St. Barths, Saba, Anguilla, Prickly Pear and Tintamarre. It is a popular way of reaching deserted islands
for swimming &
snorkeling in clear blue water.
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Getting to the Island
BY PLANE
Airlines:
Air service from the U.S. to Princess Juliana International Airport in St. Maarten is provided by:
-American Airlines direct from New York, Miami, and San Juan with connecting flights to numerous cities throughout the U.S.;
-Continental from Newark, N.J., with connecting flights throughout the U.S.
-Seasonally by Northwest from Detroit and Minneapolis, with connections to other U.S. cities;
-U.S.AIR from Charlotte and Philadelphia with connections to other U.S. cities.
In addition, numerous charters flights are available from throughout the continental U.S.
Other airlines serving the island include:
-A.L.M. Antilles Airlines from Aruba, Curaçao and Bonaire
-LIAT from Antigua, Anguilla, St. Croix, St. Kitts, St. Thomas and Tortola
-Windward Islands Airways (WINAIR) from St. Thomas, St. Kitts/Nevis, Saba, St. Eustatius, Anguilla, St. Barths, Dominica and Tortola.
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ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
U.S. citizens need a current passport or birth certificate with raised seal and photo identification. Naturalized citizens must show an original naturalization certificate with photo identification.
There are no Customs facilities on the island because it is the only completely duty-free port in the Caribbean. No vaccination certificates are required unless arriving from an area experiencing an epidemic.
PET REGULATION
Animals are admitted temporarily to the island with the following papers:
- A health certificate dated no more than 5 days before visit
-A record of inoculations, including a rabies shot administrered no more than 30 days before the visit.
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