How much can I do there in 7 days?

Hello again, this is Mike. Through cruises, I have been to St. Maarten/St. Martin a few times. It's sort of one of my favorite cruise stops. From what I understand, there's so much to do on this island I haven't done yet. I was last there in January and wondered about actually staying in a hotel there.

Last month, we booked 7 days in mid-May at the Sonesta Ocean Point, located on Maho Beach. It's adults-only, and even being right next (if I'm correct) to the Sonesta Maho Beach resort for families, I'm probably gonna be the youngest guy at this resort alone (I'm 19).

The first thing that comes to my mind is that I will be able to experience this beach from plane perspective, both when we arrive and leave. For our first day, we thought of just unwinding at the resort.

At some point during this vacation (I'm thinking day 3, 4 or 5) we're considering spending a day in Anguilla.

There are a few sights I'm interested in on the Dutch side such as Forts Amsterdam and Willem, as well as the capital (though further from cruise port zone), but what really brings me back to this island is that I still have yet to explore the French side. Attractions there that caught my interest include:

- Marigot?

- Pic du Paradis and Loterie Farm

- Quieter off-hotel beaches

- Grand-Case (can't remember what that is)

- The Durat Bridge

- Fort Louis

- Many sources recommend some butterfly farm

What do you think of these places, and do any lesser known sights spring to mind on this island? How much can I fit in a 7-day stay?

Another thing I'm kind of wondering - how similar or different is it from the real Netherlands or France, or Europe in general (I've also taken interest in the UK and Scandinavia)? Even then, should I learn to speak any Dutch (I'm not very good at it) or French (it's hard to understand it spoken) while I'm there?

Hello again, this is Mike. Through cruises, I have been to St. Maarten/St. Martin a few times. It's sort of one of my favorite cruise stops. From what I understand, there's so much to do on this island I haven't done yet. I was last there in January and wondered about actually staying in a hotel there.

 

Last month, we booked 7 days in mid-May at the Sonesta Ocean Point, located on Maho Beach. It's adults-only, and even being right next (if I'm correct) to the Sonesta Maho Beach resort for families, I'm probably gonna be the youngest guy at this resort alone (I'm 19).

 

The first thing that comes to my mind is that I will be able to experience this beach from plane perspective, both when we arrive and leave. For our first day, we thought of just unwinding at the resort.

 

At some point during this vacation (I'm thinking day 3, 4 or 5) we're considering spending a day in Anguilla.

 

There are a few sights I'm interested in on the Dutch side such as Forts Amsterdam and Willem, as well as the capital (though further from cruise port zone), but what really brings me back to this island is that I still have yet to explore the French side. Attractions there that caught my interest include:

- Marigot?

- Pic du Paradis and Loterie Farm

- Quieter off-hotel beaches

- Grand-Case (can't remember what that is)

- The Durat Bridge

- Fort Louis

- Many sources recommend some butterfly farm

 

What do you think of these places, and do any lesser known sights spring to mind on this island? How much can I fit in a 7-day stay?

 

Another thing I'm kind of wondering - how similar or different is it from the real Netherlands or France, or Europe in general (I've also taken interest in the UK and Scandinavia)? Even then, should I learn to speak any Dutch (I'm not very good at it) or French (it's hard to understand it spoken) while I'm there?

To me it's the best island that I have been on to stay on and just rent a hotel room or a condo and eat at the many restaurants and enjoy various beach bars and live music venues.

The Maho area is a great place to spend nights out. It has restaurants and the Sunset Bar at Maho has parties and live music some nights and there is Tantra and the Sky Bar and a casino. There is a great gelato place there as well and they have a happy hour every day at 4 I think.

As for beaches to try Baie Rouge, Orient, Plum, Mullet and Simpson Bay. You can walk to Mullet and Simpson Bay from where you are staying.

The fort in Marigot as well as the market on Wednesday and Saturday and Marina Royale and Sarafina's bakery are places to visit in Marigot.

Grand Case for lunch on the water and drinks and a swim would be great. It's also a wonderful place for a gourmet dinner.

I have hiked at Loterie Farm and had lunch in the tree house cafe but have not tried the zip line which is why many people go there.

I have never heard of the Durat Bridge. Where is that?

The beaches are fabulous in Anguilla and those along with the Reggae singer Bankie Banx's beach bar are my favorite things on this island. I would look into a catamaran trip there if that interests you. Another alternative would be to ferry over and rent a car. They drive on the right in Anguilla but it's not that busy and it's flat so even if you are not used to it it's not a difficult place to drive on. You are young so renting a car might be an issue. I think renting a car while on vacation in St. Maarten is a must to be completely honest with you.

I only speak English and have vacationed on both sides of the island many times and always got by.

I hope that you enjoy your stay on the island.😊

I'm going next week for a week and your pan sounds great!

I'm staying at Mayo resort and curious how far of a walk is it to Simpson Bay?

Thanks!

The Maho area is a great place to spend nights out. It has restaurants and the Sunset Bar at Maho has parties and live music some nights and there is Tantra and the Sky Bar and a casino. There is a great gelato place there as well and they have a happy hour every day at 4 I think.

 

I have never heard of the Durat Bridge. Where is that?

 

The beaches are fabulous in Anguilla and those along with the Reggae singer Bankie Banx's beach bar are my favorite things on this island. I would look into a catamaran trip there if that interests you. Another alternative would be to ferry over and rent a car. They drive on the right in Anguilla but it's not that busy and it's flat so even if you are not used to it it's not a difficult place to drive on. You are young so renting a car might be an issue. I think renting a car while on vacation in St. Maarten is a must to be completely honest with you.

 

I only speak English and have vacationed on both sides of the island many times and always got by.

 

I hope that you enjoy your stay on the island.😊

Oh, I don't drink. :)

The Durat Bridge is a stone bridge located not too far from Fort Louis, as far as I know.

The resort I'm staying at, which is all-inclusive, offers excursions to Anguilla, but I don't know whether I'll choose that, a catamaran there or what. And catamaran sailing always sounds nice.

We don't do rental cars.

This won't be a solo vacation. I'm doing this with madre, staying in separate rooms, while my father decided to take my older sister to Japan.

And a gelateria is something I could kill for :hearteyes:. The last couple times I was on this island, I walked over to Gelateria Milano in Great Bay, and the second time, I met an Italian guy behind the counter, much to my pleasure. That time, I went for the stracciatella. Don't really know what it is - è qualcosa con il cioccolato, difficile da spiegare, ma era delizioso (it's something with chocolate, hard to explain, but it was delicious) 😋.

Oh, I don't drink. :)

 

The Durat Bridge is a stone bridge located not too far from Fort Louis, as far as I know.

The resort I'm staying at, which is all-inclusive, offers excursions to Anguilla, but I don't know whether I'll choose that, a catamaran there or what. And catamaran sailing always sounds nice.

We don't do rental cars.

 

This won't be a solo vacation. I'm doing this with madre, staying in separate rooms, while my father decided to take my older sister to Japan.

 

And a gelateria is something I could kill for :hearteyes:. The last couple times I was on this island, I walked over to Gelateria Milano in Great Bay, and the second time, I met an Italian guy behind the counter, much to my pleasure. That time, I went for the stracciatella. Don't really know what it is - è qualcosa con il cioccolato, difficile da spiegare, ma era delizioso (it's something with chocolate, hard to explain, but it was delicious) .

You don't have to drink to enjoy live music and dancingYou might want to skip a catamaran if other people drinking is an issue. You need to also try Carrousel for ice cream. Any taxi driver will know it! :D

I don't think the Durat bridge is a touristy thing. I just looked it up. Know wonder I never heard of it before! :).

If you don't rent a car then perhaps you can rent a driver with a car for a few days. :)

There is a bus near your resort that will take you to the main towns but not to out of the way beaches.

If your resort has an excursion to Pinel Island, I would suggest looking into that.

Did a travel agent suggest St. Maarten as an island to have an All-inclusive vacation or did you because you liked it when you stopped there during cruises?

I'm going next week for a week and your pan sounds great!

I'm staying at Mayo resort and curious how far of a walk is it to Simpson Bay?

Thanks!

To get to the nearest end of Simpson Bay from Sonesta Maho would be 15-20 minutes.

The easiest way is to walk to Maho is to walk to Maho beach and pass the Driftwood beach bar walking toward Sunset Bar and Grill which is on your right (water is on that side to :)), and the airport is on your left. Follow the road as it curves to the left keeping the airport fence on your left. Keep walking until houses take over where the airport fence was and stay to the left (there may be a sign for the car rentals and beach side villas ) and walk past Tripple A car rental (the airport is still there on your left behind the car rental place) and turn right immmediately after that on Fern Coral and there is a new condo unit that will be on the left and just after that there is a path leading to stairs that go down to the beach. There is a nice beach hotel/bar/restaurant to the left and further down ( it's about a 15 minute beach walk) is Karakter beach bar.

If you like to walk, explore the Cupecoy area around the medical school. Great little places there. The Almond croissants at Jules bakery is worth the walk. The Pizza at the takeout only Pizza place near the little grocery store is the best pizza I have had on the island.

Have fun!

Did a travel agent suggest St. Maarten as an island to have an All-inclusive vacation or did you because you liked it when you stopped there during cruises?

I was trying to decide between numerous destinations for land vacations, including those I haven't been to yet, but our travel agent deemed most of them as unsafe. We ultimately chose St. Maarten.

I was trying to decide between numerous destinations for land vacations, including those I haven't been to yet, but our travel agent deemed most of them as unsafe. We ultimately chose St. Maarten.

Did they mention to you that there are very few AI's in St. Maarten compared to Antigua, St. Lucia and Dominican Republic for examples? We never recommend it as an AI place but we have done both a villa rental and an AI in Antigua and enjoyed evenings better in Antigua at the AI because we didn't feel comfortable driving there at night 10 years ago as there were very few street lights or signage.

Enjoy your trip.:)

We stayed at the Sonesta Maho for a week in 2014. We walked to Mullet Beach for the day, get there early before the excursions from the cruises show up.

We also did the excursion from the Sonesta to Anguilla. It was one of the highlights of our trip.

We never rented a car the whole week. We would take the bus for $2 a person everywhere.

Have fun!

We stayed at the Sonesta Maho for a week in 2014. We walked to Mullet Beach for the day, get there early before the excursions from the cruises show up.

We also did the excursion from the Sonesta to Anguilla. It was one of the highlights of our trip.

We never rented a car the whole week. We would take the bus for $2 a person everywhere.

Have fun!

The bus does not go everywhere but it does go to the major towns. Many beaches are not reachable by bus.