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Sint Maarten Travel Guide: 361 reviews and 793 photos
Living peacefully side-by-side on the same island are the separate countries of Sint Maarten, which is Dutch, and Saint Martin, which is French.
The island of Sint Maarten/St. Martin was originally settled by the Arawak Indians who migrated north from the Orinoco River basin of South America. The Arawaks gave the island the name of "Sualouiga" or "Land of Salt" because of the salt-pans and brackish water which are found in abundance here. Later the Caribs, a more agressive Indian tribe from North America supplanted the Arawaks.
Though never having set foot upon the island, Christopher Columbus claimed the land for Spain on November 11, 1493, on the feast of St. Martin thus came the name currently used. Though not an object of the Spanish Crown's attention for many years, when the Dutch occupied the island and began mining salt and built Fort Amsterdam, Spain's possessiveness was aroused and the Dutch were expelled in 1633 and removed to Curacao. After the 80 Years War between Spain and the Netherlands, Spain once again abandoned the island and was soon claimed by both the Dutch and French. In 1648 a treaty divided the island between the Dutch and French and there after a mostly peaceful coexistance flourished. The Dutch St. Maarten became an important trading center for cotton, salt and tobacco followed by many lean years. It became a duty-free port in 1939, followed by the opening of Queen Juliana Airport in 1943.
Source: www.interknowledge.com/st-maarten
The island of St. Maarten is a popular port of call for cruise ships in the Eastern Caribbean. Several ships may be in port on any given day making Front Street and close cross streets more of a pedistrian street mall than a place for cars. St. Maarten's economy is based largely on tourism and international trading.
Many nice resorts are located away from the downtown tourist area, but there is a decent beach literally within steps of downtown! Day trips or excursion tours of the French St. Martin are also a popular pastime for tourists of all kinds.
- Pros:Sun, Surf, Shopping
- Cons:Wish there was more to see and do!
- In a nutshell:Only good for a short visit if you're not staying at a resort.
Reviews (11)
Street Markets
Shopping
(3)
Outdoor street markets on Back Street. Local crafts, souvenirs, summerwear, beachwear. As with most shops here,... more travel advice
Shop til You Drop!
Shopping
(3)
St. Maarten is known for its shopping, most particularly for jewelry, and while the French side shops may be more... more travel advice
Well, the Beach of Course!
Things to Do
(3)
St. Maarten has several nice beach resorts. If you are a cruise passenger with a limited amount of time here, why not... more travel advice
A Cute Place for A Quick Bite
Restaurants
(3)
This cute little restaurant was recommended by the cruise line and I would have liked to try it, but we opted for... more travel advice
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Sint Maarten Travel Guide
Member Travel Pages
- "The Friendly Island"
- "Our Visit to the Friendly Island"
- "St. Maarten of the Dutch Antilles Islands"
- ""The Friendly Isle""
- "Gateway to the Caribbean"
- "I Still Have Sand in My Shoes"
- "Sint Marteen - the Happy Island!"
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Comments (22)
The beach and sea looks lovely! To try some products made of Guavaberry would be interesting.
Maybe next year. Nice pages.
Looks like a cool place for a winter break :).
Looks like a great place for a holiday but is that the place with the scarily low airport approach right over the beach?
Hi Lynne, thanks for visiting my St. Maartin page. Yes some interesting shopping there for island clothing. I'd like to try one of their lovely resorts there sometime for a stay-put vacation.
This sounds like quite a fun place, Sylvia. I would just love those markets. The beaches look good too. Nice photos
hi Sylvia...another great page with good informative tips and pics...certainly a destination to add to the must see list...
Lovely page! Great info!
Nice place to divide your time between beaches & shopping = loved the restaraunt name so cool
Saint Martin/Sint Maarten is obviously an amazing place! Some wealthy French are now residents … because it is income tax free for them!
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