Simpson Bay Beach is one of the longest stretching beaches of the island, along the silent paths of old Simpson Bay Village and the St. Maarten airport but close to the lively “restaurant strip” of Airport Road and the marinas in the Simpson Bay Lagoon.
The long sandy shore is one of the more tranquil beaches of Dutch Side St. Maarten, still breathing the peaceful times when it was a fisherman’s area. The remnants of the old village can still be found along the eastern end of the beach. The natural isthmus in between of the beach and the lagoon made the lagoon a salt lake for ages, but was breached by a storm in 1819. A small ferry connected passengers wanting to cross the natural gap in the Pelican area, until a bridge was built mid-19th century. Some decades later, the artificial channel near the St. Maarten Yacht Club was dug. In 1944, the west side of the isthmus became home to the airport. For about a mile, Simpson Bay Beach directly borders the airport.
With the exception of airplanes landing and departing on this west end, the beach is overall perfectly suited for a quiet time. You will not find much watersports here but for an anchoring catamaran or two. In conjunction with a peaceful swell, it makes Simpson Bay a safe, family friendly beach option and great place to see the sun set into the sea.
Find yourself at peace at one of the many silent corners of the beach, or dive into the always lively D’s Beach Bar, K’s Beach Club and Boon’s area for your beach club of choice.
Behind the beach, the Simpson Bay Area provides the island’s main nightlife district, with restaurants like Balls & Wine, Al Pasha and Beirut. Finish your evening at famed nightclub Lotus.
For people wanting to stay close to Simpson Bay Beach, one can find many hotels like Azure, Atrium, Horny Toad, Mary’s Boon, Simpson Bay Resort, Hilton Grand Vacations Royal Palm and Hilton Grand Vacations Flamingo Beach Resort.
Simpson Bay Beach is one of the longest, most tranquil stretches of sand on the Dutch side of St. Maarten. It directly borders the airport runway for about a mile, allowing you to peacefully watch airplanes landing and departing on its west end.
Yes, it is a highly safe and family-friendly option with a peaceful swell and lack of heavy water traffic. Because the waters are typically much calmer than at many other beaches, it is a fantastic place to bring kids for a swim.
There are no public showers located directly on the sands of Simpson Bay Beach. However, K’s Beach Club does provide an on-site shower exclusively for its guests to use.
Yes, pets are welcome to join you on the sand. In fact, Simpson Bay Beach is widely known as a very popular location for local neighborhood residents to walk their dogs.
Although the beach borders the eastern side of the runway, the actual airport terminal buildings are on the opposite side. It takes only a quick 5 to 10-minute drive along Airport Road to reach the main terminal.
Simpson Bay Beach is located in the Simpson Bay Area of St Maarten.
Find Simpson Bay Beach and other Beaches of St Maarten / St Martin on our Interactive Map !
Simpson Bay is well connected by bus via the Maho to Philipsburg line. For the beach, it is easiest to get out when you pass the Beirut restaurant.
Simpson Bay Beach is in the Cole Bay taxi zone. See our overview of St. Maarten taxi rates what pricing is in place from this location to your place of departure.
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