Maho Beach

Can Maho Beach be accessed in a manual wheelchair?

Can Maho Beach be accessed in a manual wheelchair?

 

Have not personally been to Maho St. Beach but based on this YouTube video

don't think it's all that wheelchair accessible. Particularly watch the video when planes are taking off as able body people have great difficulty on the beach.

Not very well. The road that runs between the beach and the end of the runway has no sidewalks and is very narrow. The traffic isn't very fast, but it would still be difficult to maneuver a wheelchair along the road.

 

The beach itself, no. The sand is very soft and "fluffy", so a chair would get bogged down. Near the water, where the sand might be more firmly packed, the beach is quite steep.

 

However, there are bars at either end of the beach, which is not a very long beach. The Sunset Bar has some actual flooring, and a roof so you can get out of the sun, and a taxi could drop you off right outside the bar. I don't think there are any steps between the road and the bar, but I could be wrong. You would still be able to see planes from inside the bar, depending on where you are.

 

The other bar, the Driftwood, is much more open-air. My recollection is that cars can pull right up there, and the tables are basically picnic tables with umbrellas right by the parking area. And because it's more open-air than the Sunset, you'd get a good view of the planes.

 

I have no idea what the bathroom facilities are at either bar.

 

I would definitely recommend sunscreen and a hat, no matter where you end up going at Maho. The big planes tend to arrive and depart between about 11:30 and 4:30; you can see the schedule here and input whatever date you will be there to see what is landing when.

 

http://www.flightstats.com/go/FlightStatus/flightStatusByAirport.do?airportCode=SXM&airportQueryType=1

 

I would also recommend an air-band radio. You can listen to the planes for several minutes before they are visible, which might enable you to plan when you will be out in the sun. Approach/departure is 128.95 and the tower is 118.7.

Thank you so much for your answer. I don't think it will be possible, even in the restaurants. My husband was not a big fan of the idea. We were in St. Maartin a few years ago while I was still walking and went shopping instead and thought "next time". I have a progressive form of MS and am now in a wheelchair. Excursions are so challenging now. :)

I use a mobility scooter and as a part of my taxi tour of St Maarten. I visited Maho Beach to watch the planes fly in. I watched from the outside deck of the Sunset Bar. The deck was the only place I could drive around on and it was not very big. I was not there when the big planes came in but it was still a thrill seeing five small planes skim over the heads of the beach goers as they came in for a landing.. I also witnessed the power of the exhaust when a big plane took off. The thrill seekers clung to a chain link fence behind the plane and the exhaust blasted them with sand and a ferocious wind.

 

The taxi van was not wheelchair accessible, but the tour operator helped me in the van and lifted my travel scooter in the back. I pre-arranged the tour prior to my visit and I was pleased with how it went.

We would love to go to Maho Beach also! Can you tell us the name of the operator or tour guide that you booked with and other places you visited on your tour?

Thank you very much.

I used Jo Junie Tours http://www.jojunietours.com/tour_itineraries.html You can look at his website to see what was included. I emailed him and discussed my limitations and asked if he could help me out.

 

Only two in our van chose to swim at Orient Beach. He dropped them off and brought the rest of us back to the ship. He went back for them later.

 

Have fun!

Thanks so much for your help. Sounds like a lot of fun.

Judy

We used Bernards Tours for Maho Beach, there was a lot of us on our FB group and so we had 2 buses between us and arranged our own itinerary for $35 a head - we went to the iguana farm, went to the beach and saw the sea urchins, went to Serafinas for an hour and then went to Maho Beach. We was on the trip for a good 5 hours or more.

 

There was lots of taxi's hanging around the beach so I am sure that it would be more than possible to get the taxi there and back.

 

We loved it there and the kids were even able to snorkel, my son saw a 'flat fish' which was the highlight for him LOL. The water was a bit choppy but there was a good amount of fish for the kids to see. The water was so warm (late October) as well. We want to go back.

That tour was accessible?

That tour was accessible?

 

There was all different size coaches so if you speak to Bernard (he always replies) he will be able to tell you. The bus we was on had space for a wheelchair as the seats folded back and the doors were quite wide - so it might be worth emailing him to be sure? http://www.bernardstours.com/

 

Did you mean were the places we went accessible?

 

I would say yes - all except the beach with the sea urchins which was a 5 minute stop. There is a bar called Sunset Bar & Grill at Maho Beach and you can sit in there and watch the planes land. I think a lot of the tours are to beaches on St Maartin and that would be difficult for you but you could certainly sit in the bar at Maho and get around at Marigot and the Iguana Farm as there are paved areas.

 

Not sure if you are stopping at St Thomas but there is Coral World that offer a trip on a boat that has windows under the water and I think that is accessible for wheelchairs as there was a chap there in a chair when we went - he was not on the boat with us so I did not see how he was loaded I am afraid. It is certainly worth asking them though, drop an email over to Coral World.

Edited August 28, 2014 by cruise_family

Our guides help us out quite a bit, but the beach facilities in general are not wheelchair friendly. You will need some help and then its not a problem :)