Sint Maarten travel guide
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.
Places worth the trip
Maho Beach
A small beach at the end of the Princess Juliana Airport runway, where large planes pass low overhead before landing. Jet blast from departing aircraft is dangerous, so stay away from the fence and follow the warning signs.
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.
Fort Amsterdam
The ruins of a seventeenth-century Dutch fort on a peninsula between Great Bay and Little Bay, with cannons and views over Philipsburg.
Guavaberry Emporium
A shop in Philipsburg selling the island's traditional liqueur, made with the small guavaberry fruit and rum, with tastings in a historic wooden building.
Day trips by sea and air
From Sint Maarten, ferries and short flights reach Saba, Sint Eustatius, Saint Barthélemy and Anguilla, making the island a good base for exploring the north-eastern Caribbean.
Interesting facts about Sint Maarten
- Sint Maarten became a constituent country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands on 10 October 2010, when the Netherlands Antilles was dissolved.
- In 2025 the Caribbean guilder replaced the Netherlands Antillean guilder as the currency shared by Sint Maarten and Curaçao, though US dollars are used widely.
- The island has been divided between the Netherlands and France since the Treaty of Concordia in 1648.
- Princess Juliana International Airport is one of the busiest airports in the eastern Caribbean and the main gateway to the whole island.
- English is the everyday language of Sint Maarten, even though Dutch is an official language.
Best time to visit Sint Maarten
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. The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June to November, peaking from August to October; the island was severely damaged by Hurricane Irma in 2017. The Sint Maarten Carnival is held around late April and May, and the Heineken Regatta takes place in March.
Getting around
Taxis are the main way to get around for visitors, with set fares by zone; confirm the price before you go. Minibuses run along the main roads between Philipsburg, Simpson Bay and the French side. Renting a car makes it easy to explore both halves of the island, though traffic can be heavy in Simpson Bay and Philipsburg. There are no border checks between the Dutch and French sides. Ferries from Philipsburg and Simpson Bay go to nearby islands.
Practical details
- Capital
- Philipsburg
- Currency
- Caribbean guilder (XCG); US dollars are widely used
- Languages
- Dutch, English
- Plug types
- A, B
- Voltage
- 110 V, 60 Hz
- Emergency
- 911
- Driving side
- right
- Tipping
- As in the US, around 15% in restaurants is customary if no service charge has been added; check the bill. Tip taxi drivers and guides.
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.
Sint Maarten eSIM plans
1 ГБ
1GB eSIM Data for 7 Days for Sint Maarten
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1GB eSIM Data for 30 Days for Sint Maarten
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3GB eSIM Data for 7 Days for Sint Maarten
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3GB eSIM Data for 30 Days for Sint Maarten
Useful apps
- Google Maps: Directions across both the Dutch and French sides.
- Flightradar24: Track arrivals to time your visit to Maho Beach for the larger planes.
- Windy: Sea and wind forecasts for boat trips to neighbouring islands.
- XE Currency: Converts between US dollars, Caribbean guilders and euros, all used on the island.
Sint Maarten travel FAQs
They are the two halves of the same island. Sint Maarten, in the south, is part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, with the Caribbean guilder and US dollar in use; Saint-Martin, in the north, is French and uses the euro. You can cross between them freely.
Not usually. US dollars are accepted almost everywhere, and many prices are quoted in dollars. Cards are widely accepted. Change may be given in guilders.
Yes, coverage is good, but your phone may switch between Dutch and French networks. A travel eSIM that covers the island gives you predictable data while keeping your own number.
Watching planes land is generally fine, but the jet blast from departing aircraft can knock people over and throw sand and debris. Stay well away from the airport fence, as the warning signs advise.