Seven Day St. Maarten / St. Martin History & Monuments Itinerary
For history buffs visiting St. Maarten, there is a great variety of monuments and stories to explore. St. Maarten history can be explored on your own or experienced in fun and creative excursions.
If you are readying for a deep dive into island history during your visit, see below a suggested seven day travel plan to satisfy your curiosity to the outmost.
Even though below historical gems are spread throughout the island so any hotel can serve as a base for your seven day journey through history, a historical hotel might add to the experience. Royal Pasanggrahan and Seaview are the oldest hotels on island; in former plantation house Pasture Piece you can even have the small property for yourself during your stay.
Some places below are off the beaten track and not as easy to reach with the minivan bus system, but they are with car rental or cab.
Day 1 (Saturday): Historical Bike Tour in Philipsburg
The Historical bike tour is a very popular thing to do amongst the many stayover and cruise activities. The experts of Trisport have plotted a great route to explore the Dutch side capital in an active way. Its guided tour on bikes takes you along the Pasanggrahan Royal Guesthouse, Captain Hodge Wharf, The Old Court House, the Freedom Fighters Monument, the Salt Pickers Monument, and Carnival Village. After your fair share of sports in the sun, you spend the remainder of this tour day on “open air museum” Walter Plantz square alongside Great Bay Beach. Both cabins and showers to refresh can be found here as well as restaurants like The Pier. Another great way to spend your time after an active morning is by visiting the Sint Maarten Heritage Museum. This compact yet informative museum offers insights into the island’s nature, people, history & monuments.
Dining suggestion: end your Philipsburg journey at Aziana near the cruise port. Its walls are filled with pictures of St. Maarten in the olden days.
Trisports bike tour starts and ends at the cruise port, a 15 minute walk from Emmaplein bus stop where all buses have their final / first station. Aziana is close by Emmaplein.
Day 2 (Sunday): Fortress Day Dutch Side & UnderSXM
Fort Amsterdam is the best preserved fortress of Dutch side St. Maarten and freely accessible via Divi Little Bay Resort. The remaining bulwarks, cannons and huts reminisce of the olden days when the fort was the guardian of the salt trade. It houses a large colony of brown pelicans.
If you like forts and hiking, consider the steep trail along “Spanish fort road” to Fort Amsterdam’s successor, Fort Willem. Only a few walls remain of this fort built as the reach of cannons improved, but the view is commanding.
Down by Fort Amsterdam, consider a snorkel trip to the UnderSXM statue park. Tours take you from Divi to its location right off the beach. Its over 300 statues are portraits of historical figures and settings of St. Maarten history and culture.
In between of your fortress and snorkeling activities, Fort Amsterdam Café, Pure Ocean Restaurant and Gizmo’s Bar & Grill are at your availability on the peninsula for lunch. End your day with a great sunset view from the Mix rooftop bar and restaurant.
Fort Amsterdam is a 15 minute walk from Long Wall Road bus stop on the Maho / Cupecoy, St. Peters and Marigot lines.
Day 3 (Monday): Historical Island Tour
The guides of Seagrape Tours are specialized in St. Maarten history and culture. Their half day history tour takes you amongst others to Fort Louis, the best preserved fortress on island, and volunteer driven Amuseum Naturalis in the old house plantation building. Along the island tour, you will pass historical “slave walls”
Use the second half of the day to explore the Foga salt mill, a remnant of the important St Maarten salt trade, north of Philipsburgs Great Salt Pond.
Day 4 (Tuesday): Into the Hills at Loterie Farm
Loterie Farm is an extensive, well preserved plantation property close to Pic Paradis, the highest point on island. Its park offers a trail up the hill that passes by old remnants of the sugar industry. A “treehouse” feel restaurant is built in between the lush greenery.
This trip combines well with a visit to the Marigot waterfront with various old buildings.
For reaching and leaving Loterie farm, a car or taxi is recommended. Marigot is connected by bus to Philipsburg.
Day 5 (Wednesday): Emilio Wilson Park & Border Monument
Named after its locally very popular benefactor donating the property for use by St. Maarten, Emilio Wilson’s estate is divided in a public park and Rainforest Adventures Park. The latter has a great museum highlighting history and life on St Maarten plantations. After, take the Soualiga Sky Explorer and take the world’s steepest zipline down. Restaurant Emilio’s, with “Dine With History” as a slogan is located in one of its old buildings.
After visiting the estate, park at the Concordia or Border Monument. This needle was constructed in 1948 to remember 300 years of French – Dutch division of the island. It can also be found as a symbol in the Dutch side flag and the unity flag. Finish your day with a close by dinner at K Beach Club & Restaurant, Balls & Wine or Mary’s Boon.
Rainforest Adventures Park is located along the bus line to St. Peters. The Concordia Monument can be reached by the Marigot line.
Day 6 (Thursday): Rum Day
No Caribbean history without rum. The Toppers Rhum Distillery & Visitor Centre has great excursions about how this internationally famed drink is made. And clearly, also how it tastes.
After a sumptuous lunch at Toppers’ famed restaurant, use your newly gained knowledge to create your own rum at the Rusty Parrot.
In addition to rum workshops, this full fledged pirate center also has a multimedia show on offer explaining the true story of piracy in the Caribbean region.
End your day with a Mural and Sunset Tour through the colorful streets of Philipsburg. The tour begins and ends at the Rusty Parrot, making it a convenient follow-up to your rum day. Enjoy vibrant murals and the stories behind them, then watch the sun set from one of the best bars on the Boardwalk.
Toppers Rhum is along the bus route to Maho. The Rusty Parrot is a 10 minute walk from the last stop of this line in Philipsburg (Emmaplein).
Day 7 (Friday): a Statia Daytrip
Though St. Maarten played a key role in colonial history because of its strategic salt supplies, it was “Golden Rock” or “Historical Gem” Statia (officially known as St. Eustatius) that mattered most to the Dutch colonial rulers of the time. Until the 1800s Statia was an important trading hub, and many ruins of that time still show. For history fans, a visit to capital Oranjestad and the various bulwarks still in place is a must. Winair provides reduced day trip fees to the island and back from Princess Juliana International Airport. The flight takes 15 minutes.
The airport is on the Maho to Philipsburg bus route.
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