please help me find a beach

[kcdancerkc]

Give UP! Need some beaches with day passes / pool/resort

in st. Martin

Thanks - St M. boards are no good!

I've looked at other websites --- please help! :confused:

[ScriptOhio]

Check out the Cruise Critic board :p:

 

St. Maarten

 

Westin Dawn Beach Resort & Spa

 

What You Get for Your Money: If you're traveling with your family or as part of a group, this resort in St. Maarten offers day passes for up to four people for 50 percent of current, regular room rates. The price includes the use of a room for up to four people between the hours of 10 a.m. and 5 p.m., as well as use of the resort's pool, lounge chairs, beach and towels. Meals and drinks are not included.

 

How to Get There: Expect a half-hour taxi ride from port.

 

For More Info: Visit the Westin's "Resort for a Day" Web site or call +599-543-6700.

 

 

Sonesta Great Bay Beach Resort & Casino

 

What You Get for Your Money: Passes here include use of all resort facilities, including the pool, as well as all food and beverages during the day. Prices are $30 for children (ages 5 to 12) and $60 for adults. Day pass offerings are subject to change over peak season, so check the Sonesta Web site for updates.

 

How to Get There: Your taxi ride from port will take between 15 and 20 minutes.

 

For More Info: Visit Sonesta Great Bay Beach Resort's Web site or call +599-542-2446.

 

http://www.cruisecritic.com/articles.cfm?ID=1100

[Hlitner]

Just keep in mind that all St Maarten/St Martin beaches are public (although access can be another issue). The more popular beaches such as Orient and Mullet have plenty of chair/umbrella rentals and food options. In fact, Orient Bay is lines with many restaurants, several of which have excellent food. Personally, having spent vacations on St Marteen, we would recommend Orient because of its wide range of food offerings and its wonderful beach. If you want a more quiet beach with very sheltered gentle waters you could go to Le Galion where there is a small café with pretty decent lunch food. For something off the beaten path there is Friar's Bay where they have an really excellent beach restaurant. And you can hike over to nearby Happy Bay to enjoy the beauty of this nearly desserted stretch of sand (where a local guy sells world-class BBQ).

 

Now when it comes to the Westin, this hotel/resort is huge (like a city) and located on Dawn Beach. For those that want to swim in the Ocean there is a good chance that you will not even be able to go into the water here because of the too oft rough seas. The Sonesta is probably the best day-pass option although there are those who vacation on the island that prefer to avoid Great Bay thinking it is too often polluted by sewage run-off.

 

Hank

[George C]

Also recomend orient beach as just said some really nice resturants , great beach, but there is a nude side and you may see some people nude.

[mamaofami]

We always go to Orient Beach when we are in St. Martin. Beach chairs, umbrellas, changing rooms, and nice restaurants.

[sun~]

I have been to St. Martin/Maarten many times on land vacations.

 

Avoid the hyper touristy Orient beach. Blech. Bus loads of cruise ship passengers. Dirty old men looking for nude sunbathers. Double blech.

 

The good beaches are Dawn Beach, Baie Rouge, Ansel Marcel and Copecoy Beach.

 

Dawn Beach is one of our faves. It is in a fairly easy to get to location and across a small bit of land from the Oyster Bay Marina. Great views from here.

 

Baie Rouge is where my husband likes to body surf. It probably is the nicest beach on the island.

 

Ansel Marcel is really great for the kids. Shallow water that goes out quite a distance.

 

Copecoy Beach has cliffs and the beach isn't very wide. It is a really pretty place.

 

I have to say that over the years we have been to every single beach on the island (we always rent a car) and those are my favourites.

 

I hope you have a great time!

[The Sunset Glow]

I have been to St. Martin/Maarten many times on land vacations.

 

Avoid the hyper touristy Orient beach. Blech. Bus loads of cruise ship passengers. Dirty old men looking for nude sunbathers. Double blech.

 

The good beaches are Dawn Beach, Baie Rouge, Ansel Marcel and Copecoy Beach.

 

Dawn Beach is one of our faves. It is in a fairly easy to get to location and across a small bit of land from the Oyster Bay Marina. Great views from here.

 

Baie Rouge is where my husband likes to body surf. It probably is the nicest beach on the island.

 

Ansel Marcel is really great for the kids. Shallow water that goes out quite a distance.

 

Copecoy Beach has cliffs and the beach isn't very wide. It is a really pretty place.

 

I have to say that over the years we have been to every single beach on the island (we always rent a car) and those are my favourites.

 

I hope you have a great time!

 

Baie Rouge beach sounds interesting. What does it have for services? (food, rentals, washroom/change rooms, etc.)

 

Would also love to hear more about the body surfing there as my hubby would love to try that. Is it dependant on the tme of year for the required waves and can you rent the body boards there? We'll be there in November.

 

How far is it from the cruise pier?

 

Thanks!!

[mamaofami]

I have been to St. Martin/Maarten many times on land vacations.

 

Avoid the hyper touristy Orient beach. Blech. Bus loads of cruise ship passengers. Dirty old men looking for nude sunbathers. Double blech.

 

 

We've been to two different beautiful beaches at Orient and have never seen anything like what you describe.

[sun~]

Baie Rouge beach sounds interesting. What does it have for services? (food, rentals, washroom/change rooms, etc.)

 

Would also love to hear more about the body surfing there as my hubby would love to try that. Is it dependant on the tme of year for the required waves and can you rent the body boards there? We'll be there in November.

 

How far is it from the cruise pier?

 

Thanks!!

 

 

There are a couple of places to eat. I am pretty sure there is a place with toilets. We always bring our own stuff, so we never bothered with any services. When ever we get off the ship and go to the beach we are in our swimsuits, so I have never used a change room anywhere in the Caribbean.

 

Body surfing is throwing your body on the waves and riding the waves in. No equipement required. Dangerous for a poor swimmer. Lots and lots of fun! I stay on the beach while he body surfs, and I can rescue him if needed (and yes I have had to do that twice! I have my lifesaving/lifeguard training). Hubby lost his wedding ring there so there is a reward if you find it!

 

The waves may be pretty good in November, depending on the hurricane season. Early November is a better bet for waves.

 

The island isn't really big, but there is always a bottle neck of traffic close to the cruise pier. A straight run to baie rouge would be 20 -25 minutes. But leave lots of time to get back to the ship, that darn traffic bottle neck can be bad.

[kcdancerkc]

Thanks! I was looking at Westin, and the Sonestas

 

BUT there is no expansive BEACH

 

I can't seem to get a beach + a resort?

 

Does it exist?

 

Ansel Marcel looked good -- Will look at it again. Want to go NOT touristy!

 

Thankssssss !

[Boytjie]

You can always look for that kind information on Cruise Critic's Ports of Call boards: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=5

[George C]

Thanks! I was looking at Westin, and the Sonestas

 

BUT there is no expansive BEACH

 

I can't seem to get a beach + a resort?

 

Does it exist?

 

Ansel Marcel looked good -- Will look at it again. Want to go NOT touristy!

 

Thankssssss !

 

we wanted to book a resort for a week and did not see any in St Martin that realy interested us, so we booked Sandals again, whish they would build a sandals in St Martin .

[mamaofami]

Try this site:http://www.booking.com/searchresults.en-us.html?aid=318615;label=New_English_EN_USA_Hotel

[igraf]

You are cruising to the Caribbean and you don't want touristy? Good luck!

 

igraf

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks! I was looking at Westin, and the Sonestas

 

BUT there is no expansive BEACH

 

I can't seem to get a beach + a resort?

 

Does it exist?

 

Ansel Marcel looked good -- Will look at it again. Want to go NOT touristy!

 

Thankssssss !

[sharks48]

If you want non-touristy, go to the beach at the end of the road that goes past the butterfly farm [unfortunately, I can't remember the name now]. It's "one over" from Orient. No resort, but there is a little snack bar and you can rent chairs/umbrellas.

 

We found it by browsing the St. Martin board. Had a van that was going to Orient stop and drop us off there. They returned for us precisely when we had asked and we paid them for the entire trip when we got back to the ship. We had a lovely time.

[The Sunset Glow]

There are a couple of places to eat. I am pretty sure there is a place with toilets. We always bring our own stuff, so we never bothered with any services. When ever we get off the ship and go to the beach we are in our swimsuits, so I have never used a change room anywhere in the Caribbean.

 

Body surfing is throwing your body on the waves and riding the waves in. No equipement required. Dangerous for a poor swimmer. Lots and lots of fun! I stay on the beach while he body surfs, and I can rescue him if needed (and yes I have had to do that twice! I have my lifesaving/lifeguard training). Hubby lost his wedding ring there so there is a reward if you find it!

 

The waves may be pretty good in November, depending on the hurricane season. Early November is a better bet for waves.

 

The island isn't really big, but there is always a bottle neck of traffic close to the cruise pier. A straight run to baie rouge would be 20 -25 minutes. But leave lots of time to get back to the ship, that darn traffic bottle neck can be bad.

 

Thanks for the info! Hubby is a good swimmer (was a life guard at one time) but I'm no life guard so I won't be of much help if he gets in trouble:p. I'm more of a beach lover;). I guess I was thinking boogie board??

 

If we go I will keep an eye out for the ring.;)

[olson99]

Mullet Bay Beach is where the locals go. Get there early and you will be able to rent umbrellas and chairs for $15 for each couple and be right near the water’s edge. There is usually quite a swell and it is fun rolling back and forth in the waves. The snorkelling there was not very good The view and the beach were gorgeous. We took the local bus and they dropped us off.

[Typhoon1]

Orient Beach is probably the better of the public beaches.

[Taxguy77]

You are cruising to the Caribbean and you don't want touristy? Good luck!

 

igraf

 

Yes. They are at least 20 years too late!

We really enjoyed our first cruise, walked a little way and found an interesting old church. The inscriptions on the walls where people were entombed; Died in hurricane, lost at sea, died in the plague... Fascinating.

 

Last time our ship docked in same port, have to pass 50 shops leased from the gov't, show ID, no local color, no handworking folks, just big stores.

:confused::(:eek:

[Hlitner]

The way to find a non-touristy Caribbean Island is to look for a place that is not visited by cruise ships. Once the cruise ships come, the cruise-related touristy stuff quickly follows. Islands like St Barts have managed to keep their charm by keeping out most cruise ships.

 

Hank

[mermaid72]

We've been to two different beautiful beaches at Orient and have never seen anything like what you describe.

We been to Orient Beach & found it to be wall to wall lounge chairs filled with tourists. One end is nude & not as crowded.

The beach itself is nice, pretty blue water, nice waves, but way too many people.

[ookpik]

Cupecoy Beach. Snt Martin; just down from the saphire beach club.:D