Holland House & Beach Area Questions

Hi All,

I will be stopping in St Maarten this April. I've been to St Maarten several times and usually go to Orient Beach for the day. By far one of my favorite beaches in the islands. Last May some friends and I decided to just go into town and go to a local beach. We walked halfway down and decided to take one of the deals for loungers, chair pads, umbrella and a bucket filled with water bottles plus soda. It was right in front of the Blue Bitch Bar, which actually has great food and drinks, very reasonably priced too. Anyway, the loungers were old, chair pads were dirty and torn up. The water was cloudy and not clean at all. Beach was also not the greatest.

This April one of our friends is organizing a group to go to the Holland House Beach area in town. I cannot remember seeing that area in all my times there. I don't want a repeat of that day in May 2014. Is the beach area and water nicer near the Holland House? Tell me about your experiences, good and bad. Thanks in advance for any information you would like to share. Happy Cruising!

Hi All,

 

I will be stopping in St Maarten this April. I've been to St Maarten several times and usually go to Orient Beach for the day. By far one of my favorite beaches in the islands. Last May some friends and I decided to just go into town and go to a local beach. We walked halfway down and decided to take one of the deals for loungers, chair pads, umbrella and a bucket filled with water bottles plus soda. It was right in front of the Blue Bitch Bar, which actually has great food and drinks, very reasonably priced too. Anyway, the loungers were old, chair pads were dirty and torn up. The water was cloudy and not clean at all. Beach was also not the greatest.

 

This April one of our friends is organizing a group to go to the Holland House Beach area in town. I cannot remember seeing that area in all my times there. I don't want a repeat of that day in May 2014. Is the beach area and water nicer near the Holland House? Tell me about your experiences, good and bad. Thanks in advance for any information you would like to share. Happy Cruising!

Thanks for sharing your experience. Here's what I know and what I have seen. These two places are not far from each other on Great Bay beach which is otherwise known as the town beach. If anything the Holland House is closer to the drainage area where the brown sludgy water enters Great Bay than the Blue Bitch Bar is. This is the beach with the documented pollution issues mentioned on this board for years now. I found out about it in 2007 I believe and saw the brown sludgy water entering Great Bay in 2010 or 2011 while I was walking the boardwalk. For what it's worth I do love the Ocean Lounge at the Holland House for lunch but we beach elsewhere.

Thanks for sharing your experience. Here's what I know and what I have seen. These two places are not far from each other on Great Bay beach which is otherwise known as the town beach. If anything the Holland House is closer to the drainage area where the brown sludgy water enters Great Bay than the Blue Bitch Bar is. This is the beach with the documented pollution issues mentioned on this board for years now. I found out about it in 2007 I believe and saw the brown sludgy water entering Great Bay in 2010 or 2011 while I was walking the boardwalk. For what it's worth I do love the Ocean Lounge at the Holland House for lunch but we beach elsewhere.

Thanks so much for you insight and information. I'm just not thrilled about the beach area, although I love the boardwalk and all the shops and restauarants. May need to rethink going to the beach there that day. Thanks again!

If anyone else has more information, greatly appreciated too. ;)

Thanks so much for you insight and information. I'm just not thrilled about the beach area, although I love the boardwalk and all the shops and restauarants. May need to rethink going to the beach there that day. Thanks again!

 

If anyone else has more information, greatly appreciated too. ;)

You are most welcome. We always end our day in town when on a cruise. We too love the stores and the boardwalk.

Why don't you look into one of the beach bars that includes chair and umbrella rentals if you each lunch there. This will off set the price of the transportation to get there. Not sure if that is a reason why your friends chose this beach or not. Let me know if you want some info on beach bar/restaurants with that deal.

You are most welcome. We always end our day in town when on a cruise. We too love the stores and the boardwalk.

 

Why don't you look into one of the beach bars that includes chair and umbrella rentals if you each lunch there. This will off set the price of the transportation to get there. Not sure if that is a reason why your friends chose this beach or not. Let me know if you want some info on beach bar/restaurants with that deal.

Thanks for all the useful information. I've been to St Maarten several times and I've been to Orient beach a handful of times and Divi Divi Beach club too. Will think about it for a few months. Happy Cruising!

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Thanks for all the useful information. I've been to St Maarten several times and I've been to Orient beach a handful of times and Divi Divi Beach club too. Will think about it for a few months. Happy Cruising!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

You might think about Dawn Beach - probably the clearest water on the island - about fifteen minutes north of the pier on the east di of the island, so no traffic getting to or from. You can get a resort pass at the Westin, or just go to Mr. Busby's (a pretty good restaurant right on the beach) which has umbrella and lounger rentals.

You might think about Dawn Beach - probably the clearest water on the island - about fifteen minutes north of the pier on the east di of the island, so no traffic getting to or from. You can get a resort pass at the Westin, or just go to Mr. Busby's (a pretty good restaurant right on the beach) which has umbrella and lounger rentals.

Thanks so much, I have never heard of Dawn Beach and just googled it. It looks beautiful. I just emailed the Westin to see what they offer in Day Passes. This might be a wonderful alternative for the day. Thanks again!

You might think about Dawn Beach - probably the clearest water on the island - about fifteen minutes north of the pier on the east di of the island, so no traffic getting to or from. You can get a resort pass at the Westin, or just go to Mr. Busby's (a pretty good restaurant right on the beach) which has umbrella and lounger rentals.

I agree that location wise Dawn is a great choice while on a cruise. I don't agree that it's the clearest water on the island though. Perhaps because I tend to go in the summer I have experienced different conditions. The clearest water to me is at Le Gallion, Plum and Mullet.

The Westin Day pass does not include food or drinks from what I remember either.

We stopped at Le Gallion on our last visit, and loved it. Beautiful beach with clear water, not overly crowded, and a little beach restaurant and a guy who brought us drinks. It was perfect!

We stopped at Le Gallion on our last visit, and loved it. Beautiful beach with clear water, not overly crowded, and a little beach restaurant and a guy who brought us drinks. It was perfect!

Thanks for the information. I will look it up to see how far it is from the pier area. :D

Thanks for the information. I will look it up to see how far it is from the pier area. :D

Le Galion is the beach before Orient. 25 ish minutes via taxi from the pier.

Hi, Karysa, thanks for the info.

Will be in St Martin on cruise stop next month. Have only been one other time, went to Orient Beach and liked it but I understand they are still having issues. Being so close to Orient, do you know if Le Galion is also having the seaweed issues?

Thank you!

I'm going to St. Maarten on Tuesday for a couple of weeks. I was figuring on posting on the "Ask a Cruise Question" thread concerning beach conditions a report on beach conditions -- we generally hit a number of beaches for variety, and I'll comment on those we visit.

Hi, Karysa, thanks for the info.

 

Will be in St Martin on cruise stop next month. Have only been one other time, went to Orient Beach and liked it but I understand they are still having issues. Being so close to Orient, do you know if Le Galion is also having the seaweed issues?

 

Thank you!

I have been to Le Galion many times and even when other Atlantic facing beaches such as Dawn and Orient had lot's of seagrass Le Galion never had it.

Thanks Karysa and Navybankerteacher!