One Day St. Maarten Cruise Visit Itinerary “Arts, Artists & Ateliers”
Caribbean getaway St. Maarten / St. Martin have been a long standing source of inspiration for artists. United States painter Romare Bearden made the island his atelier for decades, but also local celebrities like Ruby Bute and Roland Richardson rose to international acclaim.
Below idea for an itinerary to spend your cruise day on island is centered around island art. You will meet island artists, experience their working surroundings and sources of inspiration and get to know port of call Philipsburg by their mural art in the process.
Art & Artists Tour
In the morning (9 am), your personal guided tour to explore local artistry awaits at Dock Maarten, next to the Philipsburg cruise port. Organizer Seagrape Tours takes you along artists and their ateliers. The tour is designed by island creatives so rest assured you are in expert hands. With only 6 spots per tour available, ensure you book timely. Local delicacy banana bread and refreshments along the route are included.
An Artful Lunch at the Beach
Ask if Seagrape Tours can drop you off at the Seaview hotel in Philipsburg for lunch (As of here, it is only 20 minutes back to the ship so consider yourself already back on time!). Seaview hotel is one of the oldest on island and wholly redone some years ago to reflect the owners’ affinity with art. Local artists decorated beach side cabanas and its unique pool alongside the Philipsburg boardwalk. If you want to spend the rest of your cruise day on Great Bay Beach, consider renting one of the cabanas.
Mural Walk
But there is a lot more to explore when it comes to art in Philipsburg. While moving back, visit some of the murals made by local artists during a national campaign to decorate the capital. An app provides background information on the colorful wall paintings. You will find various of the creatives you visited represented in this open air museum alongside the streets of Philipsburg.
Finish your selection of artworks on the other end of the boardwalk by visiting the local arts and crafts store of the Heritage Museum. This small museum can learn all you need to know about the island. Entrance is free of charge. From here, it is an easy 15 minute walk or 2 minutes taxi drive to the cruise port. Taxis can be picked up on the Front street side of the museum.
This suggested St. Maarten / St. Martin route is not the only one involving art and culture. See the offer of other cruise tours to create your personal journey or use our other itinerary ideas for inspiration.
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