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Come
experience the tropical island of St.Maarten / St.Martin,
located in the heart of the Caribbean.
Ringed by 36 beautiful beaches, the
Island offers visitors a little Dutch and a little French blended in two lively
cultures sharing one Island.
From Sun drenched powder white beaches, modern
resorts, gourmet dining, dazzling casinos and the finest duty free shopping, St.Maarten/St.Martin
will leave you breathless for more.
Experience the beauty, sophistication
and charm of island life with Daily flights and charters from the various continents
such as North America, South America, Europe and the Caribbean.
The Island
is bathed by gentle trade winds year round and the climate is a temperature 80
degrees in the winter and 86 in the summer. Nearly everyone speaks English, along
with Spanish, Dutch French and local dialects.
Telecommunications is good,
the shopping fabulous, the people are friendly and the US Dollar is accepted everywhere.
More than a dozen cruise lines regularly call on St. Maarten making
it one of the Caribbean's most popular destination. Yacht charters from bare boats
to mega yachts are readily available with or without crew from modern marine basins.
History
St.Maarten/St
Martin's unique position as the smallest island in the world to be divided between
two sovereign powers is a testament to the island's fascinating culture and history.
St.Maarten earned its name from its abundance of salt ponds.
According
to legend, Christopher Columbus discovered the Island on Nov 11, 1493 and St. Maarteners
still celebrate Nov 11, as St. Maarten/St. Martin Day.
For
nearly four hundred years, the two sides with 16 miles for the Dutch side and
21 miles for the French side have never had a war or a formal border.
Occupied by the Spanish, British, French and the Dutch, the blending of cultures
is evident on beautiful faces, heard in lilting accents and evidenced in the beat
of music which pours out around you.
Beaches
The Island has
a beach for every taste-each one different in character. Crystal clear turquoise
warm water will bathe you at beaches like Great Bay with its wide expanse of beach
and Orient Beach where bars are lined up to serve cold drinks and where clothing
is optional.
The surf rolls in at Guana Bay and Dawn Beach has excellent
snorkelling.
There is Grand Case, with its half moon beach dotted with magnificent
restaurants which have earned the village worldwide fame as a gastronomic enclave,
and long bay which is probably the Caribbean's most perfect.
There are private beaches where white sand stretches and tiny cove accessible
only by boats where the water truly does change into six shades of blue.
Sports
For land lovers,
the island has tennis, golf, mountain biking or horseback riding.
There are
health spas that help you feel pampered with state of the art equipment.
If
you like the water, then try the myriad if offerings on the sea from deep sea
fishing, The 12 Meter sailing challenge, kayaking and parasailing, water-skiing
and windsurfing.
For those under the Sea lovers, there is diving on shipwrecks
that are moored off the coast, and Snorkelling at Creole Rock.
Calendar
of Events
There are lots of events during the year on the island.
In February the French side lights up with their annual Carnival, and every March
the Island becomes a yachtsman's paradise when boats from all over the world converge
for the Annual St. Maarten Heineken Regatta, which is held every year
on the first weekend of March.
April is dominated by 17 days and night of Carnival Festival and consider yourself invited!
The Billfish Tournament is in June; St Maarten's Day in Nov., helps the Islanders
gear up for a memorable Holiday Season in December.
Click for more information
about the Events in Saint Martin.
Dining
Dining has been
elevated to an art on the island which boasts over three hundred restaurants.
There are more boulangeries, patisseries, and bistro per square mile than
anywhere else in the world.
Come and see for yourself why.
From the seaside
lolo's and roadside grills to the famed restaurants dotting the beaches and coves
and intimate trattorias, St. Maarten/St. Martin dining is dynamic and
original, blending dishes from fresh ingredients from the Caribbean with traditional
recipes from the Europe and Asia.
Bread is baked twice daily, lunch is a
sacred hour, happy hour is to be lingered over and dinner is to be savoured.
Gambling
and Nightlife
If St. Maarten by day is exciting and evocative, then the Island by night
can keep up until dawn.
With more than a dozen casinos on the Dutch side
to try your luck, many have evening shows, live music and entertainment.
There
are dance clubs set under the stars, discos by the sea, Cuban cigar bars and live
music with anything from jazz, reggae, soca, souk, salsa disco and of course the
islands special blend of music.
Maho, Simpson bay, and Marigot are hopping
at night set under a tropical sky.
Come and experience our St. Maarten
/.St. Martin.
Shopping
St. Maarten
is the only true duty free destination in the Caribbean, Best buys are available
on jewellery , watches, linens, sunglasses, fragrances, and cigars, Genuine cigars
are sold at more than 20 authorized outlets Leather bags and accessories are also
a fabulous bargain and found at substantially lower prices than the U.S. and Europe.
Philipsburg is the Heart of the Dutch side.
And Front Street; an international
shopping strip set by the Caribbean Sea.
There is Maho which stays open late,
Simpson Bay and Marigot with its designer shops and unique boutiques by the Marina
and Harbour.
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