St. Maarten Other Details

Restaurants and Night Life
St. Maarten is the Culinary Capital of the Caribbean. The island expresses its culinary soul by giving voice to cuisines from the far-flung corners of the globe. Some restaurants are located on the beach. Whether the food is Italian, French, Indian, American, Argentinean, Chinese, Middle Eastern, Creole or Caribbean. St. Maarten restaurants represent the cultures, pride, hearts and dishes of 93 nationalities on our island, sure to suit every taste and wallet size to perfection.

St. Maarten is a Casino Mecca with many casino offering evening shows, live music and entertainment. You will find a vast amount of bars/cafes and nightclubs. Many restaurants and bars have live music, such as jazz, reggae, soca, zouk, salsa and disco.

Shopping
St. Maarten is the only duty free destination in the Caribbean. Philipsburg the capital of St. Maarten is the main shopping district and can be considered an international shopping area. The Maho area is a great option for boutique shopping and the stores stay open later until 10 - 11 p.m. Simpson Bay and Marigot offer designer shops and boutiques.

Meetings & Incentives
When planning your next meeting or incentive trip, consider the beautiful island of St. Maarten. Boasting 37stunning beaches, impeccable accommodations, and +/- 300 restaurants with mouth-watering cuisine. St. Maarten plays host to various conferences, tradeshows, retreats and top-tier incentive groups annually and is the ideal tropical destination for delegates and attendees.

The multifaceted atmosphere of the island, friendly hospitality and service will “wow” your group every step of the way. We have a plethora of choices that will entertain, relax and invigorate any attendee.
Not only do we boast top meeting locations but also duty free shopping, horseback riding, spa and wellness and evening entertainment that will have your attendees on their feet; rocking to the rhythms.
Sailing and our under sea world of snorkeling and a semi-submarine tour are enticing, tour of The Gauvaberry Emporium, historic sites and art galleries will appeal to your senses.

Despite the travel purpose, St. Maarten is hallmarked by its warmth, brilliance, friendliness and uniqueness that allow each traveler to return to their homes relaxed and refreshed.

Courtesy & Dress
Dress throughout the island is generally informal. Casual sports clothes in cotton and other light fabrics are typical. One can choose to wear the latest fashions but jeans, shorts, polos, tees, sandals, sneakers and boat shoes are the norm.
While swimwear is perfect for the beach, it is not considered proper in town. In the evenings, women tend to "dress up" a bit but, for the men, ties and jackets are rarely seen. Some upscale resort hotels may require jackets for men and dresses for women at dinner, particularly during the high season. Check when making reservations.
A hat, sunglasses and sunscreen are recommended for solar protection during the day. On the French side, topless swimming and sunning are common at pools and beaches. The only designated clothing-optional area, however, is a section of the beach at Orient Bay.

Electricity
The Dutch side of St. Maarten has 110V (at 60 cycles) electricity system. The electrical outlets are the same as the USA.

Population
The official estimate of population as of 1 Jan 2009 was 40,917, for a population density of 1,942 inhabitants per km².

Schools
On St. Maarten the various types of schools, languages of instruction used and the levels within these schools are designed to facilitate the optimum development of all students in an effort to produce highly skilled and responsible individuals. The school system can be divided into: public schools, private schools funded by government and private schools that are not funded by government.
The school system on St. Maarten has for decades been patterned after the education system in the Netherlands. Education was primarily offered in Dutch but in the 1970’s education in the English language became possible with the emergence of two school boards. Today, education is available where the language of instruction is either Dutch or English. The system of education on St. Maarten is so diverse that it encompasses Dutch, Caribbean and American systems of education. There is a large amount of playschools, kindergartens and elementary schools on St. Maarten.

Secondary Schools:
Caribbean International Academy
Learning Unlimited Preparatory School
Milton Peters College
St. Dominic High School
St. Maarten Academy
Sundial Secondary School

College/ University:
American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine (AUC), founded in 1978, was previously located on Montserrat. Because of the eruption of the Soufrière Hills volcano in 1995, AUC moved its campus to St. Maarten later that year. A permanent campus was completed in 1998 in Cupecoy.
University of St. Martin (USM) in Philipsburg. USM is an affiliate of Johnson & Wales University.

Time Zone
St. Maarten is on Atlantic Standard Time year-round, which is 4 hours behind Greenwich Mean Time (GMT-4). During the summer months this is the same as Eastern standard Daylight Savings time. In the winter months St. Maarten is 1 hour ahead of the U.S. East Coast. In relation to Western Europe, St. Maarten during the winter months is 5 hours behind. During European day light savings time, that changes to 6
Click here for the exact time in St. Maarten

Precipitation
St. Maarten/St. Martin Average Temperatures & Precipitation
Month
Degrees in Fahrenheit
Degrees in Celsius in Inches Precipitation in mm
January
73-83F
23-28C
2.5"
63

February
72-82F
22-28C
1.3"
33

March
73-84F
23-29C
1.6"
41

April
75-85F
24-30C
2.3"
58

May
76-85F
24-30C
2.3"
58

June
78-86F
26-30C
3.8"
97

July
78-86F
26-30C
3.8"
97

August
78-87F
26-31C
3.5"
89

September
77-87F
25-31C
3.7"
94

October
76-86F
24-30C
4.4"
110

November
74-84F
23-29C
3.8"
97

December
74-83F
23-28C
3.7"
94