Major Changes Coming to Orient Beach This Summer

There are MAJOR changes coming to Orient Beach, beginning as soon as this June and scheduled to run into September.

This is coming: (photo URL link below)

I believe that this is a direct consequence of the damage from Hurricane Gonzalo. Here's an article from that period.

It is now being reported on-island that the French Collective is undertaking a major rehabilitation of many of the beach's restaurant/bars (eight?). This appears to be planned from adjacent to Pedro's and north all the way to le String (included), from my information and looking at the project diagrams and renderings.

Clip from the newspaper (Google Translate):

"light structures divided into four modules, each with two restaurants and a shop with an adjoining tourist market and a walk along the plot." In the end, this will be on land owned by the Community, eight restaurants, four shops and a tourist market. At present, this parcel is exploited by "a dozen restaurants and shops," according to the Collective. Similarly, a 80 space car park and sanitation

This is my list of beach bars, posted here last year. I have highlighted the spots that I believe will be affected.

The only spot mentioned here that we have experience with is Orange Fever, and we love it.

 

Sun Beach and Chez Leandra are in the cluster near Pedro's and the taxi stand, while Waikiki is quite a bit further down the beach and is, I understand, more expensive.

 

Here's my list of bar/restaurant locations along Orient, from the Club Orient property and headed North.

 

Papagayo

The Perch

Pedro's

Andy and Cheryl's

The Brothers

Chez Leandra

Ethnic

Orange Fever

Sun Beach

Aloha

Malibu

le String

Kontiki

Kakao

Bikini Beach

La Playa

Waikiki

Coco Beach

Palm Beach

Boo Boo Jam (closed)

 

gary

 

p.s. I didn't walk the entire beach in 2013, but I believe this list is correct. Any suggestions for changes is welcome.

The rest of the spots beyond le String appear to be unaffected, at this time.

Thanks to Google Translate, here's a couple of pages from the local French-language newspaper Le Pelican:

Rendering

Area Affected

Personally, I am very saddened by this. We've been visiting St. Maarten/St. Martin for well over 30 years, and have seen much (too much) Progress. But each step seems to detract from the Caribbean Island that we love. We really don't like the idea of St. Maarten being turned into a Miami Beach or even Key West or even St. Thomas, but it's coming. We're losing our Funky. :(

(click)

gary

And so goes the charm of the quaint beach bars on Orient that we have come to love. Orient moved to its own vibe and doesn't need to be like those other touristy destinations.

We are headed there in mid June. We went to Sun Beach last year and are planning to return. It is so much fun and a great deal to get a chair a drink and restroom use for the day.

It appears that the 'destruction' phase of this project has begun.

Many of the restaurants that I mentioned above are now closed, and some are currently being demolished.

gary

Oh, no! I was planning to go there from Oasis a week from Wednesday! We have gone to most of those little bars, and lately have gone straight to Orange Fever. Guess I'll go to some place between Kontiki and Palm Beach.

I, too, enjoyed the special little beach bars. If I want to shop, I'll stay in Phillipsburg.:( I'll report back here when I return.

No Orange Fever (our favorite), but remember that a number of them will still be open, as well as Pedro's and the offerings at Club Orient.

gary

"Progress" sometimes really ruins neat little beaches. Labadee used to be so much more enjoyable, before RCI started building concrete walls and money making areas. Yes, I rode the Zipline and the dragon coaster, but I miss the old laid back Labadee.

It appears that the 'destruction' phase of this project has begun.

 

 

 

Many of the restaurants that I mentioned above are now closed, and some are currently being demolished.

 

 

 

gary

Do you have any current photos?

I was in St Maarten last week, and did go see for myself the demolition going on. Pedro's is open, but all other Restaurant/beach bars from there to Kontiki have been/are being bulldozed. There is a chain link fence up around the site. They were still clearing off the properties. Since there are less places, the prices have increased to $10 per lounger and umbrella, with no included drink. Last year, most charged $7 for chair, umbrella and drink. While sitting in a lounger on the beach, something stung my arm. It stung, swelled, got red, and had fever for several days. It is still itching, but is better. I went by medical on the ship, and they offered me to buy a $3 tube of hydrocortisone or pay a fee starting at $120 for seeing the doctor. They also suggested me putting ice on it. I had some hydrocortisone and did use and ice bag several times. I also had asked a local lady on the beach for a small section of aloe plant, and rubbed aloe on it, which helped relieve the stinging.

I think that chair and food prices have historically been higher at the spots on the stretch of the beach that remains open.

It will be very interesting when places like Orange Fever reopen.

Current image from Orient. NOT my photo:

(click)

These spots are gone:

gary

Suppose to be done by the time I get there in Oct. But who knows with island time

Suppose to be done by the time I get there in Oct. But who knows with island time

I will be there in October too. When you say "done" do you mean just the bulldozing and clearing away will be done or will the new places be built by then?

Orient Beach is just the right size for an airport runway. That way, instead of the planes coming over your head you could run alongside them.

I will be there in October too. When you say "done" do you mean just the bulldozing and clearing away will be done or will the new places be built by then?

See my Post #10, above. The demolition phase has already been completed.

They are moving very quickly with this (government) project.

It is supposed to be completed by the end of September.

gary

Thank you for the info. Very helpful.

See my Post #10, above. The demolition phase has already been completed.

 

They are moving very quickly with this (government) project.

 

It is supposed to be completed by the end of September.

 

gary

Actually, the demolition is still happening. There are several walls of old beach bars still standing, and huge piles of rubble, too. They were working with a bulldozer the day I was there.

Actually, the demolition is still happening. There are several walls of old beach bars still standing, and huge piles of rubble, too. They were working with a bulldozer the day I was there.

Weren't you there on July 1st?

The photo that I linked to was taken July 4th.

gary

Sad to hear this. I will definitely miss Orange Fever and a few others also. I will be surprised if the most of beach bars return at all and much more surprised if their reasonable prices are still in effect if they do return. Looks like there will now be no reason at all to travel all the way to Orient Beach just to recreate the atmosphere of great bay and the cruise pier shopping area.

Unless you might want to actually get into the water.

gary

The last time we were there (Nov 2014?), there was a lot of erosion of sand between the beach bars such as Baywatch and Orange Fever and the water/sand level, with damaged ladders etc. We couldn't make it up the ladder to OF and had to walk 30-40 feet down the beach to a different spot, clamber up the incline and walk back to OF. As part of the reconstruction I guess they will be leveling the sand and the beach bar level. This was a couple of weeks after the hurricane. Many of the places were closed because of storm damage and were still being rebuilt.

Very interesting and thanks for posting this info. Scheduled to go there in October and have enjoyed Orange Fever in the past. My first few visits years ago to Orient were to Kontiki an Kakao/Bikini beach area so might have to go that way again.

Wow, we will be there in Feb, these new additions will be a must see. What else is planned for the "boardwalk"?

DH is not a fan of Orient but we went to check it out today for Gary and those that are interested. :) The old beach bars from past Kontiki to before Club O are gone. There is a fenced area behind where these buildings were and there was sand spread out level and one digger/escavator. That's all we saw. we did not see anyone in this area to speak to about the progress and the only people that we knew at all on Orient were the guys at Orange Fever and there is no OF currently.

Orient had quite a bit of seaweed today and was pretty choppy. We decided not to swim and went to Grand Case for lunch and Mullet for a swim. No seaweed today at Mullet and it was quite calm.

Thanks! :)

If you have any photos you could e-mail them to me and I will post if you like.

gary

e-mail is in profile.

Thanks! :)

 

If you have any photos you could e-mail them to me and I will post if you like.

 

gary

 

e-mail is in profile.

No photos taken of the site or beach. DH lugged his big Nikkon with lens along with our towels and noodles but he did not take a single picture of the beach or the work site. Honestly Orient isn't the same in the summer as it is in high season. It's simply uninspiring. We most likely will go to LeGallion in a few days and we can stop by Orient and snap a few pictures and send them to you. :)