Activities & Things To Do on St Maarten / St Martin

An Introduction to the Best St. Maarten Excursions

Research has shown that one of the five key factors that makes St. Maarten worth visiting is its wide variety of things to do. From the steepest zipline in the world at Rainforest Adventures to the historic UnderSXM statue park for snorkelers and scuba divers. From sampling the culinary capital of the Caribbean to indulging in its culture, there is a lot of excursions to explore. Every area and beach on the island are available well within one St. Maarten day trip!

Booking the Best St. Maarten Tours

See below a guide of the top 10 categories of activities our visitors like to do on island, divided in activities on land, sailing tours, St. Maarten scuba diving and snorkeling tours, other water and activity tours, island hopping and excursions, excursions for history and culture fans, excursions to the French side and island hopping tours and those looking for inspiration.

Below our guide you find a visual overview of the many things to do on St. Maarten / St. Martin. See what appeals to your preferences and click for more information!

If you want to swiftly book excursions, you can also directly proceed to reserve your spot in our overview! All St. Maarten Tour companies involved are professional and part of the St. Maarten Hospitality & Trade Association. See the conditions of the individual tour companies, dress code and what you need to bring when checking for availability.

Excursions and Tours for Families and Cruise Visitors

If you are visiting St. Maarten by cruise ship, the vast majority of activities listed below can be experienced during your stay. To ensure your timely return to the ship, see our dedicated guide on best things to do when visiting the Philipsburg St. Maarten Cruise Port to explore what trips are available during your stay in port of call St. Maarten.

If you are traveling with family and looking for things to do with kids, see our inspiration page for kids friendly activities. That does not mean that many other activities listed below can not be enjoyed by the youngest generations, so take a look regardless!

A Quick Travel Guide to St. Maarten Excursions at sea, on Land and Under Water

St. Maartens famed offer of activities can be divided into these main categories:

Things to do on land

If you are aiming to explore the lush green hills and highly varied activities and areas of St. Maarten on land, make sure to enjoy our wide offer of activities for zipline thrillseekers, bike fanatics, pirate trainees, scavenger hunters and puzzle pros! See our Things to do on Land page for a more detailed overview of land based St. Maarten excursions on offer. Some tips in advance for iconic landlubber tours you might want to book directly:

Take the Soualiga Sky Explorer up Sentry Hill, enjoy the magnificent view over the Northeastern Caribbean, and take the Flying Dutchman, the steepest zipline in the world, down!

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 If you prefer to see the sights at Rainforest Adventures Park panorama platform but to take the Soualiga Sky Explorer back up – no problem as the view alone is worth it!

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Learn all you need to know (the truth, that is) about pirates in a multimedia presentation at the Rusty Parrot Pirate Ship.

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Nature & Hiking Tours

Explore the beautiful and highly varied landscapes, either by taking part in a guided tour or on your own with a car rental! Some suggestions for a guided tour to discover St. Maartens natural beauty to the fullest:

Do a Guana Bay hiking tour to see the beautiful Atlantic coast of the island and the Natural Pool.

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Take a Kayak Lagoon Tour to learn about the nature and mangrove forests of St Maarten / St Martin

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See for individual hiking routes and nature areas to explore our St. Maarten nature & hiking page.

Active & Sports Excursions

Many visitors like to enjoy their holidays in an active manner. Some fun tips to combine exercise with great views of the Caribbean:

The Adventure Race scavenger hunt in and around Philipsburg gives you a great and active discovery of St. Maarten history.

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Combine a Little Bay Beach day with playing padel under the Caribbean sun at the Padel court of SXM Padel, frequented by some of the most famous players in the world!

Lob a ball at St. Maartens only Golf Course along Mullet Bay Beach.

Set Sail for Great Vistas On and Under Water- Sailing Excursions

St. Maarten is an internationally recognized sailing centre, famous for its yearly Heineken Regatta. Embark on one of its famous and well-provisioned catamarans for a great day at sea, or charter your own catamaran! Explore our sailing activities page what excursion fit you best. Some great sailing tour options:

Explore St. Maartens seas in a sustainable manner with Eco Friendly Sailing Tours!

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Enjoy the spectacle of a true Caribbean sunset with the Lambada Sunset Sail from Aqua Mania!

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For those that want to take a enjoy a full day of sailing, try the Tropical sailing, beach and snorkel tour.

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Other Water Excursions: From Motor Boat Tours, Dinner Cruises to Jetskis & Kayaks

St. Maarten offers many nautical activities beyond sailing. St. Maarten boat tours can also be motor boat excursions during the day or in the evening, jetski or kayak trips and dinner cruises. Go and navigate the St. Maarten / St. Martin shores! See our for a full overview –  but here are some suggested excursions on the water in advance:

Catamaran “Tango” does dinner cruises along the St. Maarten coast line.

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Motorboat Santino does tours around the island with swim and snorkel stops at Tintamarre, Creole Rock and Grand Case.

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Go Kayaking along Kim Sha Beach into the beautiful Simpson Bay!

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Take a “Wave Runner” jetski out, and tour the waters!

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When bringing kids, consider spending a day at gorgeous Little Bay beach, with water fun, umbrella and beach chairs included!

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Bubbly Sunset Cruises are available to enjoy a great champagne while enjoying a great Caribbean sunset.

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St. Maarten Scuba Diving & Snorkeling Excursions

St. Maartens / St. Martins beauty does not end at its shores. Amongst the many nautical activities on offer, boat excursions including Scuba Diving and Snorkeling are important tour categories on their own merit for those curious for under water sea life. Some excursions that will bring you to amazing spots to snorkel and / or dive:

The new UnderSXM is a historical statue park just under the surface of the Caribbean. Plunge in and learn about St. Maarten history in the process!

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For those fanatics ready for a full day of diving, try the two tank dive!

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The Sand Dollar snorkling tour provides a motor boat tour geared towards great snorkeling too.

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Excursions to the French side

Though most tour companies depart from Dutch side St. Maarten, many visit the French side of the island too. See the descriptions of your excursions of choice for more information on their itinerary. Some tours that visit famous parts of the French side:

The “Two Countries, One e-bike Tour” is a great exploration of the binational character of the island by e-bike.

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The “Gem of St. Maarten” e- bike tour takes you to famous Orient Beach, St. Martins partially clothing optional beach.

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The Tour de lagoon e-bike tour explores both the French and Dutch side of the Simpson Bay Lagoon.

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Island Hopping Excursions to Anguilla, Saba and St. Barths

A popular day trip for stayover tourists is to spend a day of island hopping by sailing a catamaran or taking a fast ferry to neighboring islands like Saba, Statia, St. Barths and Anguilla! St. Maartens geographic position, with many neighboring islands clearly visible on the horizon, allows for excellent excursions to other islands for just a day. Explore our St Maarten Island Hopping Page for an overview of surrounding islands and for more information on their character. Some excursions that can take you to our “neighbors”:

Boat tours with Aqua Manias “The Edge” to the beautiful “unspoiled queen” island of Saba.

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The Eagle Tours Anguilla and Prickly Pear Island Day Excursion with its own set of gorgeous beaches.

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Boat tours with the Edge to St. Barths, the regional elite hotspot.

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Mambo sailing tours to Rendez Vous Bay, Anguilla.

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Day trips by plane to surrounding islands are available with Winair.

St. Maarten Culinary & Craft Brewery Excursions

When on St. Maarten, do not forget to take a culinary tour along St. Maartens dazzling offer of restaurants, cuisines, bars and breweries. Explore our multicultural cuisine offer and try Caribbean, American, Austrian, Chinese, Dutch, French, Indonesian, Indian, Italian, Japanese, Lebanese, Mexican and many other tastes! Immerse yourself in the stories of craft breweries with a St Maarten brewery tour or rum distillery visit during the day. Consider these excursion packages to get a feel of how to experience food and drinks apart from our great lunch and dining options:

Renowned rum distillery Toppers provides a great Rum tour, and don’t forget their famous Rum cake if you decide to dine in their restaurant after!

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Craft Brewery SXM Beer provides a great Brewery Tour with much more included than tasting their delightful home made brew!

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Learn how to make your own version of the most celebrated Caribbean delicacy in a Rusty Parrot Rum Workshop!

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Enjoy the special culinary match of Dutch and French influences with a Cheese and Wine tasting at the Amsterdam Cheese & Liquor Store!

Take a craft beer distillery tour at the Caribbean Brewery.

Seaview Hotel and Beach Bar offers a day pass package with a cabana, drinks and food along the beach.

Pelikaan Brewery also offers tours through its Cole Bay brewery

If you decide Great Bay Beach is your outing of the day, consider Big Bastards Beach Bar for their umbrella, beach chairs and drinks package.

Chic Ocean Lounge offers an umbrella, chairs and food combination.

Cultural & History Excursions

Many visitors like to learn about the history of destination St. Maarten on their excursion. See below some guided tour ideas; see our dedicated St. Maarten culture page and St. Maarten Monuments site if you want to explore local history on your own.

The Historic Philipsburg bike tour learns you about the history of the island and guides you along the main landmarks of “town” as locals like to call it.

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Take an Island Art Tour to learn about local artistry and crafts.

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The Rusty Parrot organizes Mural Tours through Philipsburg. Enjoy the wall painting of local artists, learning you about St. Maarten history in the process.

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Dive into Little Bay with a tour to the UnderSXM historical statue park under the water!

The St. Maarten Heritage Museum in Philipsburg and Amuseum Naturalis are free of charge and give you glimpses of island life in the past and learns about island nature.

Beach Excursions

Rest assured any trip with St. Maarten Tour Operators will include a visit to at least one of St. Maartens dozens of world famous, pristine beaches. There are many beaches to explore on St. Maarten day tours beyond world famous Great Bay and Maho Beach alone, from the lively to the tranquil.

Select your Beach Club (and reserve some beach chairs) in advance!

When bringing kids, consider spending a day at gorgeous Little Bay beach, with water fun, umbrella and beach chairs included!

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Grand Case Beach is included in the many resorts and hotels offer a variety of day passes, from the all-inclusive to packages including water fun for the kids and/ or beach chairs. See our St  Maarten daypasses page for an overview where you can indulge in a full day of St. Maarten seaside hospitality.

Excursions to Maho Beach

Seeing planes landing at Maho Beach is a must-do for many. This most famous St. Maarten activity of all is incorporated in many tours, but can also be reached easily by bus or taxi. The distance is about 11 kilometers.

Go shopping!

Philipsburg especially has received many accolades for its shopping experience. In addition, the nations capital provides opportunities for cultural, culinary and beach activities. See our dedicated list of things to do in Philipsburg.

If you are still looking for inspiration for fun things to do on island, see our list of unique experiences on St Maarten! Should our famous St. Maarten sun be absent during your stay, see our dedicated page for things to do on St. Maarten when it rains.

How to get to the excursions?

See our St. Maarten buses page how your excursions can be reached via the St. Maarten minivan bus system. See for an overview of St. Maarten taxis and taxi rates to the various activities should you want to take a cab to your excursion.

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