THRILLIST: THE CARIBBEAN ISLAND WHERE PLANES SOAR JUST ABOVE YOUR HEAD AT THE BEACH
ULTIMATE ISLAND GUIDE ST MAARTEN
The friendly island of St Maarten is one of a kind. First of all it is one of the few islands on the world shared by two countries. The north is French and the south of the island belongs to the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Apart from its special geography, the island has a lot to offer. This article will therefore serve as the ultimate guide for your stay in St Maarten.
St Maarten has a total of 37 public beaches. The most famous beach of St Maarten is Maho Beach. What makes this beach so special are the passing planes right over your head. Princess Juliana International Airport‘s runway lies right next to the beach, so all the planes landing on the runway pass the beach at very low altitude. If you are into beaches that are more calm you should check out Baie Longue or Baie Rouge on the French side of the island. For the more adventurous type, Simpson Bay is more suitable due its many sailing activity options.
An other thrilling experience is one the many ziplines St Maarten offers. Rainforest Adventures has the famous Flying Dutchman, which is the steepest zipline in the world. First you can take the sky explorer up Sentry Hill and enjoy the amazing 360 degree of all St Maarten including neighboring island St. Eustatius and Saba. Once on top of the hill take the zipline down to experience high speeds building up to 60 mph.
The capital of the Dutch side of the island is called Philipsburg. Philipsburg is awarded the number 1 shopping city in the Caribbean. Front street is the main street of Philipsburg where many jewelries, designers clothing boutiques and many other shops are located. Apart from shopping, there can be found a lot of art. For example, you could do the Philipsburg Mural Walk.
Every April, the Carnival takes place on St Maarten. For almost one whole month there are a lot of parties, parades and other events. In Philipsburg there is the Carnival Village, where there are over 60 boots with delicious local food as well as a big stage where performances are given. The biggest event of the Carnival is arguably Jouvert Morning, where everybody gets up at 4 in the morning, and then parties until the break of dawn.
St Maarten is also referred to as the culinary capital of the Caribbean, and with good reason! Some famous local dishes are Johnny Cakes, Callaloo, Lokri and also spareribs. For drinking, Dutch Blonde Beach Bar is considered a favorite with their award winning freshly brewed Dutch Blonde Beer. If you want a true local souvenir to enjoy at home you should go for a bottle of Guavaberry Rum.
For doing all this amazing activities you have to be on the island for some time if you want to include the whole St Maarten experience. Luckily St Maarten has a lot of luxury hotels/resorts which will make your stay as comfortable as possible. For example Divi Little Bay Beach Resort is a fine option as well as Sonesta Maho Beach Resort, Casino & Spa. Both these resorts offer an all-inclusive option. If you desire a more private stay one of the villas at Coral Beach Club is your best option.
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