Orient Beach - Best place to sit

[CruisingTheWaves]

One great restaurant on Orient a couple of spots from Pirate is BAYWATCH, owned & operated by a couple (Cheryl & Andy) orig from NJ -- absolutely BEST food & they have chairs/umbrellas in front of their place too, but I dont know what they charge -- restaurant is very popular with the Club O crowd but they all put on coverups before crossing rocks from Club O to regular section. Another good restaurant is Kokomarina -- a few down from Baywatch -- also have chairs & umbrellas for rent there & restrooms at both. (Based on our 5 times to stay on St. M for a week or 2)

 

i second this. i was waiting to see when someone would mention them. they do have great food. it has been a couple of years since i have been there but friends of ours are in st. maarten for two weeks every year and they are good buddies with them. a friend of ours we were cruising with when we last visted st. maarten insisted we go to orient and find their restaurant/bar. it was a nice day, from what i can remember.

[The Big Booper]

I third Baywatch, expats from NJ own it. The walls have the best collection of NJ and other lic. plates and the place is festooned with "liberated" NJ highway signs. The food is excellent and the prices are reasonable.

 

The Club O types do put on coverups and wear big beach towels; always a fun sport to check for escaping body parts.:)

[drcbelle]

Does Baywatch (or any of the other restaurants) deliver food and drinks to your lounger on the beach or do you have to go into the bar/restaurant to eat? Thanks!

[sadie8]

You can place your order and then eat at your lounger. All the beach bars are open air. No doors, walls or glass windows. Most have great views of the beach and I enjoy sitting at a table when eating.

[The Big Booper]

You can place your order and then eat at your lounger. All the beach bars are open air. No doors, walls or glass windows. Most have great views of the beach and I enjoy sitting at a table when eating.

 

Baywatch -

 

 

 

 

[GeorgiaBulldogCruisers]

We're long time cruisers and typically don't do the 'lounge chair' beach breaks as we like to do more organized tours or snorkeling type activities. But on this cruise, we want to go to a relaxing day at Orient beach on our own, where we've never gone to before. Now, let's all remember that my husband will go to great lengths to optimize how not to spend a $. :eek: He's wanting to go to the beach and not rent a lounger, instead just wanting to place a towel on the sand. We would like to be close to the nudist side of the beach. I have some concerns over this approach, so I want to ask some questions.

1. Can you just put your towel on the beach and not pay for loungers/umbrellas? :confused:
   
2. If you can just use the towels, what do you do when you need to use the restroom;) ?
   
3. What is the typical cost of a hamburger lunch at the beach resturants, since he's talking about getting a sandwich from the ship to bring with us. I'm trying to nix that one.:o
   
4. On the getting to and from on a taxi/shuttle, is there a better way to go, since he is concerned about getting back to the ship on time?

We on the Celebrity Constellation 11/21/2008

[MomtoCCC]

Hi all

 

We were just there this past week. We told taxi driver to head to Pirate's bar - turns out they are closed for the month. We settled down close by on some loungers (we paid $7 for each chair - umbrella and 1 drink was included). I was surprised that the beach was not that wide - somehow I had the vision of a wide open beach - it was actually crowded with loungers lined up side by side... not much room to manuever. Also I was very surprised at the number of vendors walking up and down the beach. Over and over I was asked if I wanted my daughter's hair braided. I'd never seen this mentioned on this board before. It got to be a little annoying. There was also a lot of seaweed on the beach which I was not expecting. However, the water was warm and beautiful. There was jetskis and parasailing close-by.

 

To previous poster - I think you could just put towels down but the beach is lined with loungers - you will have to be behind the loungers. The place we settled did not have a bathroom but was able to use one behind one of the restaurants for 50 cents. Several places had food for around $8 for wraps, sandwiches, etc.. Beer in bottles was $2. Frozen or mixed drinks were $6.

[sebritish]

Hi all

 

We were just there this past week. We told taxi driver to head to Pirate's bar - turns out they are closed for the month. We settled down close by on some loungers (we paid $7 for each chair - umbrella and 1 drink was included). I was surprised that the beach was not that wide - somehow I had the vision of a wide open beach - it was actually crowded with loungers lined up side by side... not much room to manuever. Also I was very surprised at the number of vendors walking up and down the beach. Over and over I was asked if I wanted my daughter's hair braided. I'd never seen this mentioned on this board before. It got to be a little annoying. There was also a lot of seaweed on the beach which I was not expecting. However, the water was warm and beautiful. There was jetskis and parasailing close-by.

 

To previous poster - I think you could just put towels down but the beach is lined with loungers - you will have to be behind the loungers. The place we settled did not have a bathroom but was able to use one behind one of the restaurants for 50 cents. Several places had food for around $8 for wraps, sandwiches, etc.. Beer in bottles was $2. Frozen or mixed drinks were $6.

 

Do you know when they are reopening...we will be there on the 30th October....if they won't be open any other suggestions

[MomtoCCC]

Do you know when they are reopening...we will be there on the 30th October....if they won't be open any other suggestions

 

I got the feeling it was the month of September that they were closed.. not totally sure on that. I would bet you will see them by Oct 30.

[sebritish]

Thanks Kellye... I couldn't find a way of contacting them on their web site... I daresay our cab driver would know.

[tbmrt]

Like to sunbathe nude, but want to experience the bars, etc also in the other areas.

 

Thanks

Barb & Tom

[FuzzyMelton]

Just got back and you can be as close as 100 yards from the bars and still be in the nude. There are a few bars/beach restaurants right at the rock divide between the clothing optional side and the other side.

 

Actually you can be nude anywhere on the beach, but it is accepted that you nude sunbathe at the far right end of the beach.

[Ellusionz]

Bringing back an old thread...

 

We'll be going to St. Martin in February. Dropping dad off in the start while mom and I go horse back riding at Bayside Stables. Any recommendations on where to tell dad to camp out at?

 

He'll likely just lounge out or go in the water some. He wants drinks, it'd prolly be nice if there's a server who comes to the lounge. Not too crowded but not totally empty either, like to people watch. I was thinking somewhere near the big Club Orient I think its called? Close enough so I could walk to some water sports but far enough not to hear all the noise.

 

I know theres been some bar/restaurant changes. Thanks for any recent recommendations y'all can give me. Would be nice if someone was able to make up a chart about whats included at each spot for how much! Any locals wanna take up that task? ;)

[The Big Booper]

Bringing back an old thread...

 

We'll be going to St. Martin in February. Dropping dad off in the start while mom and I go horse back riding at Bayside Stables. Any recommendations on where to tell dad to camp out at?

 

He'll likely just lounge out or go in the water some. He wants drinks, it'd prolly be nice if there's a server who comes to the lounge. Not too crowded but not totally empty either, like to people watch. I was thinking somewhere near the big Club Orient I think its called? Close enough so I could walk to some water sports but far enough not to hear all the noise.

 

I know theres been some bar/restaurant changes. Thanks for any recent recommendations y'all can give me. Would be nice if someone was able to make up a chart about whats included at each spot for how much! Any locals wanna take up that task? ;)

 

Club Orient at the South end is the clothing optional portion of the beach and there is no waiter servuice to the loungers. Best to stick to the center section of the beach where there are nice loungers with bar service. Kakao, Bikini, Kon Tiki come to mind and lots of water sports equipment including parasailing in the area.

[mmcm18]

So what restaurants or bars are good on the clothing optional side? I'm planning on trying the topless thing but don't want to freak anyone out (people with children, etc) on the just topless left-hand side. Several posts have indicated that topless isn't very common on that side and I don't want to be the only one. Plus, when I get home I've got to be able to say I went to Club Orient, just for the experience :p

[gtaylor]

So what restaurants or bars are good on the clothing optional side? I'm planning on trying the topless thing but don't want to freak anyone out (people with children, etc) on the just topless left-hand side. Several posts have indicated that topless isn't very common on that side and I don't want to be the only one. Plus, when I get home I've got to be able to say I went to Club Orient, just for the experience :p

 

Pedro's offers chairs on both sides of "The Rocks" that unofficially seperate the clothing optional portion of the beach (in front of Club Orient) from the rest of Orient Beach.

 

Pedro's offers chair rentals and "waiter" service on both sides. Drinks and/or food from their menu.

 

If you move onto the more expensive Club Orient portion of the beach, then your only real choice is The Perch, with drinks, but very limited food offerings and NO chair service. Chair rentals are also more expensive than from Pedro's.

 

gary

[The Big Booper]

The Perch offers 2/1 drinks from 2:30 PM for one hour (used to start at 12:30 PM). Both drinks must be the same.

 

There is a restaurant inside Club O itself that anyone can use, just bring a towel to sit or put shorts on. But the service is slow and the food is mediocre.

 

Also, The Perch does not offer 1 to 1 on $/Euro conversion so if you have left-over Euros, this is the place to them use them.

[lrskier]

just returned from another great day on Orient Beach this month. We enjoyed "Le STring" bar/restaurant again. Couldn't remember the name since a new US owner had purchased the bar but John, the manager who has hosted us for years is still aboard.

 

Location is great, next to Kon Tiki/Pirate/ not far from the divider-Pedros. they offer the same deal as others, 2 chairs/unbrella/2 drinks, very reasonable. The also have Private bathrooms and a shower for you.. Drinks, great eats and fun are all there for you to enjoy. If you want to go topless that is ok there or walk past pedros and go in the buff.. some walkers will be seen on the beach no matter where you are. The water and the sand are awesome and John's service is great. It is located next door to Forbidden Fruits Swimwear if you want to guy a new piece of cloth as well.

 

Hope you have as good a day as we did again.. Do you have suggestion for another beach on our next visit???? Would like to venture out next call. thanks

[tinybabynurse]

...Coco Beach Bar & Grill (15 Euros or $23 for two chairs and umbrellas). With that cost, you have use of the outdoor shower and bathrooms. ....... It is in the "clothing optional" side of the beach, but really didn't see many topless ladies. There were children sitting near us. I did see the trampoline, just a short walk down the beach.

 

TBN Hubby here...

 

While Coco has a small clothing optional area that has just recently (early Jan 2010) reopened after being 'textile only' for some time, the Clothing Optional Beach most folks are talking about is Club Orient, which is at the extreme opposite end of Orient Beach from Coco. It is considerably larger and with many more folks than Coco.

 

Also, this last fall, we stayed for a week on Orient beach in the last-Sept/first-Oct time frame. We were at Baywatch on the last day they were open in the old location. Although it may be hardly noticeable, 'Baywatch' moved one building south (Closer to Club Orient) to have a slightly larger building. Also, the name is now Cheryl and Andy's (only), according to reports I read elsewhere. They apparently have dropped the 'Baywatch' name. The photos posted above are the old location.

 

New location shown on the left of this photo, Photo during the move: http://i426.photobucket.com/albums/pp343/danzooo/100_6428-1.jpg?t=1257121685

[Gambit6971]

What is the cost of renting a lounge chair on the club orient end of the beach and are there normally alot of people laying out there?