One Day Cruise Visit Itinerary “Exploring the East Side -Hike & Beach Day”
Go East!
Many cruise visitors spend their day in capital Philipsburg and its famed Great Bay Beach along the namesake bay. Others head west to famed Maho Beach. The eastern part of the island is often overlooked by cruise visitors, though it has a lot to offer and is more tranquil than the bustling Simpson Bay and Maho areas. Your morning will be one of tranquility and activity off the beaten track; the afternoon will allow you to wind down on a beach towel.
Guana Bay Beach Hike & Natural Pool
Right off the cruise port starts one of the most unique natural landmarks of the island. Hop on a guided walking tour (or download your personal guide along the rugged but pretty Atlantic coast along the Natural Pool towards Guana Bay. Do not turn around, but continue along the road to the Oyster Pond area.
Binational Oyster Pond
After some hours of walking and the weather prone to have become more hot, call it quits at Veranda Bistro for lunch. This petite restaurant overlooking Oyster Bay Beach also has a supermarket for extra refreshments.
Don’t leave before taking a good look at the Oyster Pond area. An invisible border runs through it; you are now looking from the Kingdom of the Netherlands into France.
Baie L’Embouchure
Buses do not serve this part of the island. Pick a taxi at Oyster Bay Beach Resort where Veranda is located. Ask if you can stop shortly at the Rotary Lookout Point at Baie de L’Embouchure. You can wade towards tiny Caye Chateau island to relax your feet after this morning’s hike, and enjoy great views all the way to Anguilla, St Barths and Tintamarre in the process.
Have the cab driver bring you to Amuseum Naturalis. This museum in an old plantation house has many free exhibitions on island history, nature and architecture. From the back of the mansion, a commanding view of the eastern side of St. Maarten / St. Martin unfolds itself.
Optional: Orient Bay or Philipsburg
The itinerary promised a dip in the sea, but it depends on your cruise ship schedule where that would be. Should you have completed above itinerary well before 2pm, you can have your east side “icing on the cake” by paying a short visit to Orient Bay Beach. This village is the best known beach on the Atlantic side of the island and a popular resort town.
An alternative is to have the taxi head back for Philipsburg, and to cool down from your adventures at Great Bay Beach instead. This beach is an easy 20 minutes walk back to the ship.
In any of the two scenarios, you will have completed a quadruple beach hop! If beach hopping (with even more time to swim) is your thing, consider our other one day cruise itineraries or build your own!.
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