SPORT, HEALTH & WELLNESS

(Header photo courtesy of Sonesta)

St Maarten / St Martin A Great Island To Celebrate Body and Mind

With 37 magnificent beaches, St. Maarten/St. Martin is the indisputable queen of island watersports, but the Dutch/French gem also takes pride in its many land-based activities. St Maarten / St Martin has a tremendous amount of opportunities to enhance your personal wellness during holidays.  From hiking to lobbing a golf ball and horseback riding to exploring the terrain on an ATV, there are countless ways to fill your days without ever getting wet. Here are a few of the land-based sporting options you will want to try.

An Active St Maarten / St Martin Itinerary From Golf To Kayaking

If you are looking for an active holiday, many sports can be pursued on the island. Watersports on water and sailing can be pursued in the Simpson Bay, Little Bay and Orient Bay.

Biking tours can be found in Simpson Bay and Marigot areas.

Various tennis and padel courses are available on St Maarten; the same accounts for basketball courts. Last but not least, St Maarten / St Martin has a renowned golf course at Mullet Bay, along the namesake beach stretching along the course. Horse rides are also available on St Maarten / St Martin.

Biking 

Mountain biking is one of the best ways to explore scenic St. Maarten/St. Martin. Coast leisurely through the French flatlands or along seaside trails from Cay Bay to Fort Amsterdam and Mullet Bay Beach. Tackle the Bellevue Trail from to Marigot. Serious pedal pushers may want to take on the 35-mile-longroad that encircles the island or challenge to ascend more than 1,400 feet to the top of Pic Paradise (Paradise Peak), the island’s highest point. Cycle on your own or book a guided biking tour.

Golf

Golf aficionados will be pleased to know that the island offers tee time opportunities in Mullet Bay. There’s only one course on the island, but if you love to putter around it’s worth your while to grab yourclubs and head to Mullet Bay Golf Course. Master Joseph Lee designed the 18-hole, par-70 course sculpted around a lovely lagoon. Contact the St Maarten Golf Course at Mullet Bay for further information.

Horseback Riding

The horses at Lucky Stables in Seaside Nature Park were born with an innate sense of their native land. Saddle up and explore winding trails overlooking scenic St. Maarten/St. Martin and neighboring islands. Discover scenic turf from a unique vantage point. Then you and your newfound equine pal can cool off in the surf.

Tennis

Several resorts on the island maintain quality courts. Open daily, The American Tennis Academy, on the French side, features two lighted courts and offers structured programs, lessons, clinics and rentals for juniors and adults of every skill level.

Running and jogging

If you want to do your running or speed walking exercise, go where the locals go: the Philipsburg Boardwalk !. In the evening, you might find fitness classes on the boardwalk. Once a year, to celebrate the four centuries existence of the Royal Dutch Marine Corps, the Boardwalk is even the décor of the “Beat the Marines” event.  In a triathlon team setting, invites to sports clubs, French side gendarmerie and police forces of both sides of the island go out to take part in this yearly boardwalk battle of the fittest. See our Events Calendar for this year’s Beat the Marines event!

Cricket & Baseball

If you say Caribbean, you say cricket and baseball. Many of the 100 plus cultures of Dutch side St Maarten hold either of these sports as #1, so it will not surprise you there is both various baseball grounds as well as a beautiful “oval” cricket  ground on St Maarten. The cricket grounds you find right behind Cost U Less supermarket and in front of the Mary’s Fancy area. You will often find a match going on! As since some years for the first time in history a St Maartener , Keacy Carty has made it to the legendary West Indies team, attention for Cricket is only growing on St Maarten.

And of course… Watersports!

As the main nautical hub of the region, St Maarten has options galore for those who want to get wet whilst sporting! Watersports and sailing can be pursued in the Simpson Bay, Little Bay and Orient Bay. Please see our dedicated watersports and sailing segments! 

St Maarten / St Martin Spa Bliss

We appreciate more than ever the importance and benefits of a healthier lifestyle. And St Maarten / St Martin had a vantage point provided by nature. The sea has long been said to have healing powers. St. Maarten/St. Martin has 37 beaches, providing perfect backgrounds for soaking up that much-needed vitamin D. But that’s not all the island has to offer those seeking to improve their health!

Take good care of yourself at one of the island’s spas, with beauty treatments like facials, scrubs and manicures and healing therapies like massages and body wraps. A day at the spa is guaranteed to leave you feeling invigorated. The Morgan Resort and Spa, the island’s latest addition to luxury boutique accommodations, is one place to get your pamper on. The resort opened in the summer of 2021 to stellar reviews, with 124 opulent guest rooms and suites. Starting in February 2022, the two-story, full-service Blu Spa and Salon opens with three treatment rooms and a salt-wall sauna. In the meantime, guests can experience the “Seaside Unwind and Dinner” special package that includes a private massage and an intimate dinner on the pier facing the ocean. Another luxurious option for the spa lovers among us is the Spa at La Samanna. With five treatment rooms, each opening onto lush gardens, the spa has been pampering guests for years. Dare to drag yourself away from the beach for a day and spend it here, indulging in a Roucou pre-tanning treatment, a Lomi-Lomi massage or a French manicure by some of the best beauticians on the island.

“Me time” is essential when talking abouthealth and wellness. Nobody understands that better than those at Orsana Center. Located in Pelican Key, Orsana creates specialized treatments unique to you. Leave your skin care in the expert hands of the Orsana therapists, who will evaluate which treatment is best for you. Orsana also features medical pedicures and eyebrow tweezing.

To feel beautiful on the inside, it is sometimes best to start from the outside. Step into Five, a hair salon in Simpson Bay for a cut, blow-dry and coloring. Then step out a new you, ready to turn heads at any of St.Maarten’s gourmet restaurants for dinner and drinks!

Breathe and let Go – Yoga on St Maarten / St Martin

Vacationing in paradise should not mean hitting the pause button on your exercise routine. Whether you’re a practicing yogi or you have always wanted to try yoga, you’ll find private yoga instructors and studios on both sides of the island. Practice your favorite type of yoga, meditate or nourish your chiat outdoor morning yoga classes at . If you prefer a studio setting, try Joga or Island Rebel Yoga in the Area. You can nurture your body, mind and soul with weekly yoga classes for beginners and advanced, enjoy a dance or Pilates class or delve into the serene world of meditation. There is a class for you any day of the week.

Grace Yoga Studio in is another option for yoga fans staying on the Dutch side. The studio next to the offers various classes from Mondays to Saturdays, as well as yoga clothing, gear and swimwear. For those staying on French St. Martin, Ti Temple, a beautiful outdoor yoga studio at L’Esplanade Boutique Hotel, comes highly recommended. Yoga classes here are free for guests and open to the public. There are also yoga options at the studio at La Plènitude in Friar’s Bay and at several beach locations with Idolem Beach Yoga.

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Guide to Best St Maarten / St Martin Sport, Health and Wellness Excursions