Mullet Beach - Maho Beach - Marigot: All possible in one day?

Arriving in port for 1 day (7AM - 5PM). Is it possible to hit Mullet, Maho, and Marigot all in one day? I know Mullet and Maho are right next to each other, so that kills two birds with one stone, but do I have enough time to go stuff my face with fresh French pastries and snacks? How much will transportation cost this excursion?

Thanks!

Tovan

Arriving in port for 1 day (7AM - 5PM). Is it possible to hit Mullet, Maho, and Marigot all in one day? I know Mullet and Maho are right next to each other, so that kills two birds with one stone, but do I have enough time to go stuff my face with fresh French pastries and snacks? How much will transportation cost this excursion?

Thanks!

Tovan

There are wonderful bakeries on the way to Maho and one just past Mullet that is new and has the best Almond Croissants. If you are only going for the pastries then no, I don't think that it's worth the time or money to go to Marigot.

Thanks, Karysa!

This is my first time to the island, and I haven't had much of a chance to research more into Marigot. I love French food. I would love to explore more if it's worth the trip.

Thanks, Karysa!

This is my first time to the island, and I haven't had much of a chance to research more into Marigot. I love French food. I would love to explore more if it's worth the trip.

There are lovely French Restaurants on the island in both Grand Case and Marigot that are open for lunch.

There is plenty of time. We really liked Marigot. Not only for the pastries at Sarafina's but for the overall vibe. We did a private tour guide so I don't know about taxi costs.

We loved this island. It is so much fun to get the opportunity to visit places I've never been.

Thanks, lovevacadays! I'm hoping to have enough time to get over to Sarafina's. I'm now rethinking my plans for Mullet because I'm not sure how my family would fare without real restrooms to use. I would still like to visit Maho, but now need another beach to visit. There are so many choices and really not enough time. I'm going to have to do this cruise itinerary, again, someday.

Thanks, lovevacadays! I'm hoping to have enough time to get over to Sarafina's. I'm now rethinking my plans for Mullet because I'm not sure how my family would fare without real restrooms to use. I would still like to visit Maho, but now need another beach to visit. There are so many choices and really not enough time. I'm going to have to do this cruise itinerary, again, someday.

You are welcome. We loved St Maarten. It is now one of my favorite ports in the Caribbean. We are either going to go back on a cruise or we have talked about going for a one week land stay. If you get to Sarafina's we loved the mousse and there was an almond,chocolate sort of croissant thing that was amazing!! A couple in our party had the mini sandwiches and thought they were great.

Enjoy your day.

Thanks, lovevacadays! I'm hoping to have enough time to get over to Sarafina's. I'm now rethinking my plans for Mullet because I'm not sure how my family would fare without real restrooms to use. I would still like to visit Maho, but now need another beach to visit. There are so many choices and really not enough time. I'm going to have to do this cruise itinerary, again, someday.

Simpson Bay - Maho is a good combination as they are next to each other.

You could also stop at Nettle Bay on the way back from Marigot and on the way to Maho. Two nice beach bar/ restaurants there but the beach is no Mullet or Simpson Bay either for that matter.:)

Absolutely doable. Especially if you are renting a car.

We rent right at the port every time with Coastal and circumnavigate the complete island with lots of stops.

For 4 of us in a medium size car it's $125.

Thanks, Karysa and mdrobtx, for your helpful notes! I've decided to change our day to hit Maho first at 11AM to see the early flights come in for an hour or so before going to Orient Beach. I don't think my family will do well without real facilities at Mullet. It's my first time and I'd like to see both the French and the Dutch side. I'm sad that I don't think I'll have time for Marigot. And there's 8 of us, so I don't think a car rental is going to be feasible. Thanks so much for all of your helpful tips! Much appreciated!

We're changing our route this time also. With all the traffic in the afternoon at the airport/Maho area we're going to start there. We've been there so many times we'll probably hang across Maho beach at Guy's Driftwood boat bar instead of Sunset bar and grill. Guy's has killer rum punches.

Then thru Marigot, Grand Case, Orient, Oyster Pond and end up at Mr Busby's on Dawn beach before heading back to the ship.

We're changing our route this time also. With all the traffic in the afternoon at the airport/Maho area we're going to start there. We've been there so many times we'll probably hang across Maho beach at Guy's Driftwood boat bar instead of Sunset bar and grill. Guy's has killer rum punches.

Then thru Marigot, Grand Case, Orient, Oyster Pond and end up at Mr Busby's on Dawn beach before heading back to the ship.

If you have been to Maho many times then you would know that in the early morning you will only see the smaller planes but I posted this to inform others of this.

If you have been to Maho many times then you would know that in the early morning you will only see the smaller planes but I posted this to inform others of this.

Oh yeah. We know. We've stayed OI (on island) and have seen the big 747's and even road the fence once.

We just want Guys rum punch.:D

Question for both Karysa and mdrobtx:

We are there on June 29th - our first time in St Marteen. We are definitely thinking about renting a car because we want to see both sides of the island (I have both Dutch and French ancestry) and also don't want to be limited to just Maho and Orient beaches. That being said, since it's our first time there, we definitely want to "do the whole Maho / flight path experience" as I'm told it's a "must do" at least once.

So my question is, what, in your opinions, is the best way to do a driving tour to see the best of both sides of the island (Marigot and Seraphina's included!) and still be able to hit Maho in the middle of the day to take advantage of at least one or two of the big planes and maybe have lunch at one of the beach bars there?

We are there from 8 - 5 on a Thurs. I have no idea how many ships are in port that day and don't know how to find out :confused:

Thank you for your help!

According to the port website. There will be 2 boats in the port on the 29th of June.

CARNIVAL MAGIC and CELEBRITY EQUINOX

This is my first time to the island and am curious to see a response to this as well.

Other than anyone else, Gary is an expert on car tour plans on the island. Maybe he will see this and give you the link to some of his past posts or give new guidance.

Please chime in Gary! We have secured our Jeep rental and are ready to map out our drive! Expert advice on how to make the best use of time / avoid traffic as much as possible and spend as much quality time in the best of the "must see" places would be very much appreciated! We port at 8 am but can't pick up the rental until 9. Sail away again at 5 pm so we need to be back in port to return the car by about 3:30 :(

We are planning the same thing for our stop in St. Martin.

Two Jeeps rented from Coastal. Our first time to St. Martin.

We are planning to drive counter clockwise and give ourselves lots of time to make it back to the ship early with traffic.

Oasis is the only ship in port that day so I am hoping it will help with traffic and less crowded beaches.

We are going to attempt two hours at Orient Beach, lunch at Grand Case, Marigot, Baie Rouge, and Maho Beach for some plane watching. Back to Philipsburg two hours prior to departure.

Question - if we do Maho and then Marigot with 4 people, would it be more economical to rent a car than to take taxis or get a private tour?

I had the best intentions to make it to Maho, but my husband wasn't convinced based on what other people had told him about it on the ship. So I changed the day. It was just going to be a beach trip to the family-friendly part Orient Bay, that turned into a tour of the island.

Joseph, our taxi driver (St. Maarten Cab #353), took us to Le String Beach bar after a sharing some information of the island on the way to Orient Bay. He warned us where the nude beach was, and arranged to pick us up later. Max at Le String Beach took care of us by setting up 4 beach loungers and 2 umbrellas ($40 including free WiFi and 4 cocktails). The cocktails were great...try his rum punch and the guavaberry colada. The beach was lovely even though it was an overcast and slightly windy day. Our family enjoyed 3 hours at the beach and then asked if Joseph would take us to Marigot for a tour and a stop a Sarafinas for croissants and pastries. It was great to be able to see more of the island. Marigot was a very nice area with shops. The stop at Sarafinas was nice, but it can't rival the croissants I can get in L.A. at Chaumont...I think the humidity of the island kills the croissants just a tad. Taxi fare was $24 per person for the extra stops and the tour...very worthwhile to see more of lovely St. Maarten/St. Martin.

Question for both Karysa and mdrobtx:

We are there on June 29th - our first time in St Marteen. We are definitely thinking about renting a car because we want to see both sides of the island (I have both Dutch and French ancestry) and also don't want to be limited to just Maho and Orient beaches. That being said, since it's our first time there, we definitely want to "do the whole Maho / flight path experience" as I'm told it's a "must do" at least once.

So my question is, what, in your opinions, is the best way to do a driving tour to see the best of both sides of the island (Marigot and Seraphina's included!) and still be able to hit Maho in the middle of the day to take advantage of at least one or two of the big planes and maybe have lunch at one of the beach bars there?

We are there from 8 - 5 on a Thurs. I have no idea how many ships are in port that day and don't know how to find out :confused:

Thank you for your help!

You won't see the true Maho if you go there first thing in the morning. The next question is other than Marigot what do you want to see. If it's really just Marigot (French), Maho (Planes) and Philipsburg (Dutch) then you very well might be better off just taking taxis. If you want to add Orient Beach or somewhere else then renting a car does make sense.

In Marigot do you want to see the fort or Marina Royale or just the bakery? :D Knowing the answers will help us suggest how much time you would need at each spot.

I'm really not great with specific directions but I can help you with a game plan.:)

Ok, so we have finally decided on the most desired stops for our drive so I'm hoping for some advice to know if these will work! We pick up the Jeep at 9:00 am and would like be back to Maho in time to catch the afternoon large jets landing.

So first question....about what time do we need to plan on be at Maho? It appears there are two time frames: about 12:30 to 2:00 and then again a few around 3:00 - 3:30. Any thoughts on which is better?

Then here is our wish list of stops:

Guana Bay - just a quick stop for the view, photos

Oyster Pond - photos, marina, pelicans

Dawn Beach - maybe a short walk on the beach and a quick dip in the ocean!

Cul-de-Sac - just the drive up for the views - and then back down

Grand Case - shopping and lunch - suggestions for fav restaurants gladly accepted!

Marigot - Sarafina's! and the market if it's open on Thursday

Fort St Louis

From here we can either go straight to Maho Beach or the Harley shop in Cole Bay - depending on what time we decide to be at Maho (see first question above). Either one first and last is fine.

Then back to Phillipsburg by 4:00 to turn in the rental and be back on the ship. We disembark at 5:00.

So we would either have from 9:00 to noonish to make the road trip portion of the trip (which would probably mean we would not eat lunch in Grand Case, just maybe do a little quick shopping) - if we were going to plan on being at Maho for the earlier round of flights. But we could grab a bite to eat at the Sunset Bar and Grill and then we would also have plenty of time to go to the Harley shop afterwards and maybe even hit Mullet Beach. The question is, can we make the road trip portion in 3 hours????

OR

We would have from 9:00 to about 2:00 to make the road trip portion (including stopping at the Harley shop in Cole Bay) and then go back to Maho for the later couple of flights that land. Then we would about one hour to go turn in the rental after watching the jets land and then get back to the ship. Might be a little tight!

Do either of those routes sound doable? I APPRECIATE ANY COMMENTS! WE LEAVE IN 6 DAYS!!!!! :cool::D:p

Question for both Karysa and mdrobtx:

We are there on June 29th - our first time in St Marteen. We are definitely thinking about renting a car because we want to see both sides of the island (I have both Dutch and French ancestry) and also don't want to be limited to just Maho and Orient beaches. That being said, since it's our first time there, we definitely want to "do the whole Maho / flight path experience" as I'm told it's a "must do" at least once.

So my question is, what, in your opinions, is the best way to do a driving tour to see the best of both sides of the island (Marigot and Seraphina's included!) and still be able to hit Maho in the middle of the day to take advantage of at least one or two of the big planes and maybe have lunch at one of the beach bars there?

We are there from 8 - 5 on a Thurs. I have no idea how many ships are in port that day and don't know how to find out :confused:

Thank you for your help!

I use port of st maarten website for ship schedule. 😊

I would go to the east see Orient, to anse marcel viewing perhaps, to Grand Case and Marigot then Maho to sunset bar and grill for lunch and plane viewing. Depending on how many ships are in which I would guess less than 4 at that time of year I would be out of Maho at 2:30 ish and if time stop in Philipsburg on way back to dropping car off at port.

Ok, so we have finally decided on the most desired stops for our drive so I'm hoping for some advice to know if these will work! We pick up the Jeep at 9:00 am and would like be back to Maho in time to catch the afternoon large jets landing.

 

So first question....about what time do we need to plan on be at Maho? It appears there are two time frames: about 12:30 to 2:00 and then again a few around 3:00 - 3:30. Any thoughts on which is better?

 

Then here is our wish list of stops:

 

Guana Bay - just a quick stop for the view, photos

Oyster Pond - photos, marina, pelicans

Dawn Beach - maybe a short walk on the beach and a quick dip in the ocean!

Cul-de-Sac - just the drive up for the views - and then back down

Grand Case - shopping and lunch - suggestions for fav restaurants gladly accepted!

Marigot - Sarafina's! and the market if it's open on Thursday

Fort St Louis

 

From here we can either go straight to Maho Beach or the Harley shop in Cole Bay - depending on what time we decide to be at Maho (see first question above). Either one first and last is fine.

 

Then back to Phillipsburg by 4:00 to turn in the rental and be back on the ship. We disembark at 5:00.

 

So we would either have from 9:00 to noonish to make the road trip portion of the trip (which would probably mean we would not eat lunch in Grand Case, just maybe do a little quick shopping) - if we were going to plan on being at Maho for the earlier round of flights. But we could grab a bite to eat at the Sunset Bar and Grill and then we would also have plenty of time to go to the Harley shop afterwards and maybe even hit Mullet Beach. The question is, can we make the road trip portion in 3 hours????

 

OR

 

We would have from 9:00 to about 2:00 to make the road trip portion (including stopping at the Harley shop in Cole Bay) and then go back to Maho for the later couple of flights that land. Then we would about one hour to go turn in the rental after watching the jets land and then get back to the ship. Might be a little tight!

 

Do either of those routes sound doable? I APPRECIATE ANY COMMENTS! WE LEAVE IN 6 DAYS!!!!! :cool::D:p

Whatever you decide DO NOT leave one hour before all aboard time to get from MAHO.

I am in plane and taking off but I saw this and you are close to leaving so I thought that I would respond to this part.

You need minimum 2 hrs from Maho with ship on the line. :)

Go for the Maho stop at 12:30 -2:00 time slot. If you are thinking about getting to Philipsburg by 4:00 (and catching your ship), heading back at 3:00 would be risky - and 3:30 would be insane.