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Sint Maarten.
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Travelling to Sint Maarten: what to know before you go

Sint Maarten is the Dutch southern part of a Caribbean island shared with France, and a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It is the island's busier, more developed side, with the main airport, the cruise port, duty-free shopping, casinos and lively beaches. The French northern half, Saint-Martin, has its own guide; you can cross freely between the two.

Where to go

• Maho Beach. A small beach at the end of the Princess Juliana Airport runway, where large planes pass low overhead before landing.
• Philipsburg. The capital lies on a narrow strip between Great Bay and a salt pond, with duty-free shops along Front Street, a beachside boardwalk and the white wooden Courthouse dating from the late eighteenth century.
• Simpson Bay and the lagoon. The Simpson Bay Lagoon, one of the largest in the Caribbean, is shared by both sides of the island and is lined with marinas, restaurants and bars, with a drawbridge that opens for yachts.
• Mullet Bay and Cupecoy. Mullet Bay is a long, sandy beach popular with locals, while Cupecoy has sandstone cliffs and small coves on the western edge of the Dutch side.

Best time to visit

December to April is the dry, sunny peak season, with the busiest cruise schedule and highest prices. May and June are quieter and still largely dry.

Staying online in Sint Maarten

Mobile coverage is good across the Dutch side, with 4G widely available. Because the island is shared, phones often switch between Dutch-side and French-side networks, which can lead to unexpected roaming charges on some plans. Wi-Fi is common in hotels, restaurants and beach bars. Sint Maarten is not part of the EU, so EU roaming rules do not apply. Install an eSIM before you fly and switch it on when you land, so you have data across the whole island.