Seven Day St. Maarten Itinerary “On a Shoestring”
The Caribbean is known as an exclusive beach paradise. Many global media feature its beach paradises as luxury getaways for the global jetset.
But that does not necessarily needs to be so. St. Maarten for example has ranked consistently as an affordable Caribbean destination. If you have a limited travel budget but you know where to go on St. Maarten / St. Martin, you can even further reduce expenses during your trip and still have a great impression of the dual nation island.
Most importantly, contrary to many other Caribbean destinations, all beaches on island are free of charge. As the many island beaches are considered its crown jewels, its biggest attraction comes complimentary!
See a suggested itinerary below if you are traveling to the island on a shoestring and might not have the budget for many island excursions. Also see our separate St. Maarten saving tips for a shorter or longer stay.
Lodging Bargains
Before traveling to the island, consider a boutique hotel next to possible resort deals. Depending on your needs and holiday desires, a package with less amenities could reduce cost. If your intention is more to relax than explore, an all-inclusive resort could also be a way to save some budget. Car rentals, at least for some days, can assist you in exploring the full binational character of the island.
For as cheap as a Caribbean getaway can get, always see if the St. Maarten Auction website has one of its hotel and activity offers available. Bidding starts at only 50% of the market value. The SXM Deals blog is another spot where you might find recent hotel bargains.
Choose The Lower Season
In addition to your hotel (type) choice, the time you decide to visit St. Maarten / St. Martin can make a difference in price too. The timeframe between December and May is high season for the stayover industry, the megayacht sector and has the most cruise arrivals. These months also have a series of major island events and festivals. Booking outside this timeframe can save expenditures in lodging and bring other savings while on vacation. The offer of beaches, activities, restaurants and bars will not differ much in the lower season.
Day 1 (saturday): Arrival
When arriving on island via the St. Maarten airport there will always be taxis readily available. The same applies to car rentals if you are after in-depth exploration of the island by yourself. To reduce cost, also consider one of the public-private minivan bus lines, running frequently during the day. The airport is on the Maho / Cupecoy bus line. In Cole Bay, you can change buses to French side capital Marigot from where buses serve most French side areas.
Explore your area for supermarkets. Most areas have cornershops.
Day 2 (sunday): French side Beach Day at Grand Case
Take the bus or head your rental or cab to Grand Case Beach today. Strawl this former fishing village with its lush restaurants. Eating at its famous local Lolo barbecue shacks is not going to break the bank, but supermarkets are widely available too. Note that next to the main beach there is also two gorgeous little beaches on its north end in front of Grand Case Beach Club.
If you are staying on the Dutch side of the island, French side capital Marigot is on your way back. For some goods hopping here can be at a lower price point than Philipsburg.
Evening: Happy Hour Hunt
Did we already mention the island is filled with great bars for an afternoon drink at reduced price? At most St. Maarten bars, happy hour comes at a relaxed Caribbean pace stretching multiple hours. Depending on where you stay and when you reach from your French beach adventures, consider Tortuga under the airplane landings at Maho (3-5pm), Buccaneer Beach Bar on Kim Sha Beach (5-7pm) or Replay (3-6) and the St. Maarten Yacht Club in Simpson Bay (4-6pm). All have affordable bites alongside your pub crawl on offer.
If you use a bus, you need to change buses at the Marigot bus station. All French side buses go to Grand Case. Note that in the weekends, bus frequencies are considerably lower than during the week.
Day 3 (monday): Simpson Bay & Maho Biking Day
The bustling Simpson Bay and Pelican area is the island’s best known resort area. It is home to Simpson Bay Beach, Kim Sha Beach and various other shoreside gems. In addition, its lagoon runs majestically along its full length.
Renting a bike at Trisport can be a great low-budget way to explore the vast binational lagoon and the many sights around it. Trisport provides routes and maps allowing to explore this area on your own, including highlights like the Concordia monument on the border and natural wonders like Devil’s Bluff.
End your route at famous Maho Beach. For an affordable lunch here. Veer off the beaten track for D’s beach bar alongside the runway and possibly explore the cool waters of this quiet Simpson Bay Beach corner.
Eating Like a CEO – for way less
At the end of your Simpson Bay / Maho day, try a bite out of the many ethnic cuisines on island in the bustling Maho Village. Petite Spices of India is that much of an in-the-know specialist for Indian cuisine, that it was granted a visit by a worldwide famous CEO recently. Prices for this cosmopolitan on-island foodie trip are very low.
Simpson Bay and Maho are on the bus line from Philipsburg to Maho / Cupecoy. The bus stops right in front of trisport’s office close to the Simpson Bay Lagoon bridge if you ask the driver to do so.
Day 4 (tuesday): Philipsburg on a Shoestring
Capital Philipsburg is averagely the busiest island area during the day due to the many shore excursions visiting and departing here from the cruise ships. As the island’s largest town, it is a center of commerce too. But there is a lot to do here without it costing you a cent!
Take for example the St. Maarten Heritage museum, opening at 10am. This mostly volunteer-run museum does not charge an entry fee (though leaving a tip in the box is always appreciated!). The museum has a full first floor to explore the history, culture and nature of the island. It also has an affordable arts and crafts souvenir shop.
For lunch, head for the seaside boardwalk alongside the capital. With dozens of beach clubs at your disposal, there is always one befitting your budget. Affordable beach clubs like Big Bastards, St Rose, Seaview and The Pier provide cost saving beach chairs & drink packages.
If you feel like exploring in the afternoon, do as many do and explore the Philipsburg mural exhibition walking route in the many alleys in town. Behind two mile Front Street, you find Back Street. Contrary to the exclusive main shopping street alongside it, Backstreet is a shopping street with regular consumer goods for your daily needs.
Finalize your Philipsburg day for a sunset back at the beach bars above or at budget-friendly Aziana restaurant in Bobby’s Marina.
All bus lines end and start on Philipsburgs Emmaplein close to the cannon on the eastern end of the boardwalk.
Day 5 (wednesday): Take an Active Atlantic Hike
For day 4, head back to Philipsburgs eastern end in the morning. From here it is only a 15 minutes walk to the starting point of the Natural Pool hike. This trail guides you along the Atlantic coast of the island with its impressive rugged landscapes and, as promised, a natural pool carved into the rocks by nature.
If you are a true early bird you are able to see the sun come up over the Atlantic en route. In general, starting this hike early helps as the afternoon can be hot.
Back in town, prepare for a budget miracle. How can it be that a restaurant chosen 4th best Caribbean restaurant and an island favorite of the late connaisseur Anthony Bourdain will only ask you about twenty bucks for a sumptuous lunch with drinks included? Ital Shack is not just a local hotspot, but a must-visit experience for every visitor. For the adventurous type that is: no meat is served out of respect for nature, and there is only one series of dishes available per day.
Ital Shack is on the other side of the pondfill road. Buses to Maho, Cupecoy and St. Peters stop right in front.
Day 6: Little Bay Beach & Fort Amsterdam
From Philipsburgs west end, it is roughly a fifteen minute walk to historical Fort Amsterdam. This historical landmark is also a nature hotspot: Brown Pelicans fly off and on during the entire day. It is also a great place to snorkel; many colorful fishes live right of its western end. Take a moment too to dive into the waters of pristine Little Bay Beach. The namesake all-inclusive resort has a small supermarket for beach drinks and snacks.
At sunset, head to the resort elevators for rooftop bar Mix. It might be on the 5th floor of the Divi Little Bay resort, as it is a hillside building you are in fact at 10 stories high above sea level. From 5 to 7pm, you have happy hour and “lite bites” served with one of the best views of a sunset over Great Bay and departing cruise ships and yachts.
Day 7 (friday): Budgeted Island Hopping
By now, your adventurous backpacker nature must be triggered with all these other surrounding islands on the horizon. St. Maartens regional hub function allows for plenty day trips to surrounding islands – but how to do so in an affordable way?
That depends on your island of choice. Aquamania offers the Edge Ferry to Saba. This 900 meters high volcanic island steeply rising out of the Caribbean is a very popular day trip for visitors. Adding to its mountainous and lush tropical landscape is its famous cottage building style. A return trip with the Edge is just enough time to give you a great impression of all the “Unspoiled Queen of the Caribbean” has to offer.
Another option would be to take a sailing trip to close-by Anguilla. These tours include snorkel moments and beach relaxation. Additionally, weather depending, small inhabitants islands north of Anguilla are part of the route.
An Anguilla trip with Eagle Tours departs from Bobby’s Marina in Philipsburg, at a crawling distance from the Emmaplein bus stop. Its Aquamania counterpart leaves from both their Divi Little Bay and Simpson Bay locations. If coming by bus to the Simpson Bay marina, it is only a 5 minutes walk from the Kim Sha Beach bus stop.
Should all above still be a stretch for your travel budget, there is always the opportunity to see the island from home with a webcam!
