To and from Maho Beach

[Karysa]

You should have plenty of time in May if you leave at 3:30 from Maho even to make it by 5. March and April are very busy times on the island with the Regatta and Carnival, not to mention all the people that come to the island for spring break on ships and planes. May is definitely slower, some ships are already in Europe or Alaska and there are less boaters and tourists visiting. The drive is maybe a half an hour without traffic or bridge openings. I would feel comfortable leaving Maho at 3:30 if I had to be on the ship by 5:30 and I am pretty cautious when it comes to these sorts of things.

[mnbtx]

We are going to be in St. Martin next week. Is it possible to do Orient Beach in the morning and Maho in the early afternoon? Is it worth the travel between them? Thanks

[cruzwpj]

Where did you find out there were going to be 6 ships in port on March 3. The Regatta will be taking place so this will really pack things up. Did you see the big jets before you had to leave at 1:30? We plan to see the planes and that is it. Sound so darned fun! We can't wait.

[PittNet]

We were just in St Maarten on January 12 and went to Maho beach. The beach is beautiful and not very crowded. We were there from 11:30 to 1:30.

 

For our transportation there a compact car rental was only $40 for the whole day plus gas. Were able to fit four people in it comfortably and this also gave us the freedom to check out other beaches on the island as well. Traffic was not that bad, it may take some getting used to for some but we had no problems. You can also haggle with the car rental companys. I believe because we did not rent a car first thing in the morning when everybody got off the ship we were able to get a better deal.

 

What side of the road do they drive on? I'll be there on 3/31 and was thinking anout renting a car but am afraid I won't be able to adjust if they drive on the left. Also, how is parking at various places like Maho Beach and Orient beach?

[smoosh21]

I avoided the taxis at 7 per head... I opted to go via the public bus system it cost me $2 a head .... was very easy to go and come back on it.. and i saved a ton of money.

 

I have never taken the buses out, but I have taken them back from the lagoon area by Pineapple Petes. Basically, I got on because the bus came along before the taxi. It was a nice surprise that the bus got us back to the pier faster and only cost us $2.00 each.

[smoosh21]

I avoided the taxis at 7 per head... I opted to go via the public bus system it cost me $2 a head .... was very easy to go and come back on it.. and i saved a ton of money.

 

I have never taken the buses out, but I have taken them back from the lagoon area by Pineapple Petes. Basically, I got on because the bus came along before the taxi. It was a nice surprise that the bus got us back to the pier faster and only cost us $2.00 each.

[kcparrothead]

We are going to be in St. Martin next week. Is it possible to do Orient Beach in the morning and Maho in the early afternoon? Is it worth the travel between them? Thanks

 

I'm trying to get this question answered also.

[bmccarthy]

I know a lot of people that do Bernard's Tours where you tour the island with stops at both Orient Beach and Maho Beach. However the time is limited at Maho Beach. I know that some people try to go to both on their own, but I think it would depend on how long your ship is in port. The bigger planes land in the afternoon, so you need to allow plenty of time to get back to the ship with traffic it can take an hour or longer.

[mitsugirly]

I'm trying to get this question answered also.

 

Yep, that's exactly what I did (on my own) http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?p=26322154#post26322154

[tiggyfrank]

I avoided the taxis at 7 per head... I opted to go via the public bus system it cost me $2 a head .... was very easy to go and come back on it.. and i saved a ton of money.

 

Can you tell me how to take it, is there a certain bus # you have to catch? It's right from the pier and you get dropped off where the beach is?

[tiggyfrank]

Does the bus also go to other beaches like Mullet?

[gtaylor]

Can you tell me how to take it, is there a certain bus # you have to catch? It's right from the pier and you get dropped off where the beach is?

 

This is not a transportation system like you might have at home. No bus route numbers. It is a group of licensed independent drivers with their own choice of vehicle, which cover much of the island, but with their own routines. There is no set schedule.

 

You would stand at a bus stop or 'Bushalte' and flag down and board the bus of your choice as it arrives.

 

There is no service to/from the Cruise Facility. You would have to make it over to Philipsburg proper, and find 'Back Street', it's the next one away from the water past, Front Street, the main shopping street.

 

Take a look at this map. There's a bus stop just behind the Courthouse, above Wathey Square.

 

(click)

 

To go to Maho, you would find a bus passing by that has a small sign, usually in the lower passenger-side front window that would say Maho, or Mullet Bay, or M'Bay or such. Mullet Bay is adjacent to Maho, so the bus might say either. If the sign says 'Maho' and you want to go to Mullet Bay Beach, ask the driver as you board.

 

The 'stop' at Maho would be near the Casino Royale, a very short walk across the street and down to the beach itself.

 

gary

 

p.s. If you're headed to Sunset, you'll have to walk past Guy's Driftwood Beach Bar, and I suggest you pop in to check it out.

[saphir]

A taxi would be the easiest way for you to get to Maho Beach. Some people plan to spend the day there and others go in the afternoon for a couple of hours to see the big jets. There are other beaches near Maho that you may want to visit as well. Mullet Bay and Simpson Bay beach are the two that are closest to Maho. March and April tend to be a little busier on the island than May is so the traffic will reflect that. Also, since that is not high yachting season the bridge at the Simpson Bay Lagoon would probably open less frequently which would also help with traffic flow. If you left at 3:30 I think that you would have lot's of time to get back to the ship in May.

 

I would like go shopping in the morning and the Maho beach in the afternoon. Is it possible And return on the boat at 5:00

[tinybabynurse]

We were just in St Maarten on January 12 and went to Maho beach. The beach is beautiful and not very crowded. We were there from 11:30 to 1:30.

 

....

 

 

 

 

 

Tropical storm Otto during the first week of October completely washed away all the sand at Maho leaving only the large rocks protecting the road with water a couple of feet deep at the rocks. I know this first hand because we were there for the week! The beach bars were not damaged as far as we could see, and viewing the airplanes would still be fun. But, unless the sand has returned, there is no beach left to have a sun-and-sand beach day.

 

Gary posted a couple of photos on another thread (do a search). Might want to check with some local source of have a backup plan...

[Choozin Croozin]

Tropical storm Otto during the first week of October completely washed away all the sand at Maho leaving only the large rocks protecting the road with water a couple of feet deep at the rocks. I know this first hand because we were there for the week! The beach bars were not damaged as far as we could see, and viewing the airplanes would still be fun. But, unless the sand has returned, there is no beach left to have a sun-and-sand beach day.

 

Gary posted a couple of photos on another thread (do a search). Might want to check with some local source of have a backup plan...

 

Very helpful. Thank you for the update!!

[mitsugirly]

Tropical storm Otto during the first week of October completely washed away all the sand at Maho leaving only the large rocks protecting the road with water a couple of feet deep at the rocks. I know this first hand because we were there for the week! The beach bars were not damaged as far as we could see, and viewing the airplanes would still be fun. But, unless the sand has returned, there is no beach left to have a sun-and-sand beach day.

 

Gary posted a couple of photos on another thread (do a search). Might want to check with some local source of have a backup plan...

 

When we went in Sept, a hurricane had just been there 1 week prior. The water was all the way up to the rocks and there wasn't much beach area. Most of the sand was on the road instead. We actually had to climb on the rocks to get around (unless you were walking in the water). Hence...me climbing on the rocks to the concrete barrier between the rocks and the road and breaking my hand. :(

 

Even if you can't enjoy the beach (which I don't think it's really a "beach" place to begin with), watching the planes come in would still be nice as long as the restaurants are open. They are RIGHT there where they come in.