St. Maarten / St.Martin boasts an exciting nightlife scene with something for everyone. St. Maarten/St. Martin’s nightlife is just what is needed to vanquish stress and workaday worries. What better way to free your mind and body than with a fun and safe night out alongside the Caribbean? Treating yourself to the island’s buzzing after-dark scene is part of an approach you can take to ensure a thoroughly enjoyable vacation in paradise.
Much of the night-owl action is on the Dutch side of St. Maarten / St. Martin, though some can also be found on the French side of the island. It’s here you’ll find live-music venues, pulsating dance clubs and red-hot casinos, not to mention a whole lot of people who like to party.
First-class DJ’s and international artists are on hand to make your night out an exceptional one. Tap your toes or swing your hips to the sounds of soca, reggae and calypso or the throbbing rhythms of electronic house music. But music isn’t your only nocturnal option.
Charter a party boat, go on a pub crawl, take a nighttime taxi or put on your poker face and head to a casino, where you can court the cards or sit down at the slots. If you prefer to tone it down a bit, seek out a cozy lounge at an upscale resort and toast new friends with rum cocktails or local Guavaberry liqueur. Get to know the locals at a rollicking beach club. Or make a memory with a moonlit stroll along the strand.
St. Maarten / St. Martin has a wide variety of areas, and some are well known as the place to have a great night out. Particularly the Maho, Simpson Bay / Pelican and Philipsburg areas on the Dutch side, and Grand Case and Orient Bay Beach on the French side are of international fame for their offer after sunset.
Some pointers that you really want to know before a night out on St. Maarten / St. Martin:
St. Maarten is known for its many events, so make sure you know what’s on the island Event Calendar during your visit! Large events like the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta, Dutch side Carnival, SXM festival and Soul Beach Music Festival make the entire of spring a lively time of year – but there is always something to do throughout the year.
In addition, its weekly events calendar tells you of recurring specials, band evenings and other small scale events held on a weekly basis.
See also the Events Blog what is new out there! To further scope out the best parties and happenings, do what the locals do: grab a copy of The Daily Herald, the island’s only newspaper. On Thursdays, flip to the Out n’ About section. This weekly insert charts the island’s major nightlife happenings.
Ready to party? The party capital of the Caribbean is ready for you!
For pointers where to head for your night out, let’s start with the Simpson Bay and Pelican area. For sunset, head for Simpson Bay Beach or Kim Sha beach alongside the “Simpson Bay Strip” that is officially known as Airport Road. K’s Beach Club is a long standing, popular beach bar and restaurant to be for islanders. Hidden in the corner of Simpson Bay Beach, it is an in the know location. It works with DJ’s to make the already pretty sunset even more enjoyable. Next door The Boon is another insider beach club where you will run into locals, known for its cocktails at sunset. Buccaneers at
You will find that the later it gets, the more the main road comes alive. Some locally – and internationally – renowned restaurants are Balls & Wine an islander favorite for an intimate dinner with great cuisine (and wines), Beirut representing the cosmopolitan tastes of the island from a Lebanese cuisine, and Al Pasha for a Mediterranean touch of the “Culinary Capital of the Caribbean”.
Toppers is also a well known restaurant but even better known by its internationally exported Rum brand, allowing to get your Caribbean cocktails in a bar that knows how to brew a party. Nearby HuppelDePub is a popular Dutch-style bar, also for yachties of next door IGY Marina. If you had these stops included in your route, finish off in style in Club Lotus.
In Maho, beach clubs are abundant too. D’s Beach Bar is right off the beaten track at the outskirts of Simpson Bay Beach, but in walking distance of famous Maho Beach. Tortuga’s Beach Bar is also a good place to start the evening.
At dinnertime, head over to SALT, an upscale restaurant paying homage to the formerly premier island industry before tourism took over, or internationally renowned Indian restaurant Spices of India. For more tastes of global cuisines, Mr Chow and Roma are a unique food court combining Korean and Italian Cuisines.
Across the Maho Golf course, Cupecoy is also nearby as restaurant destination (five minute cab ride). Rendez Vous Restaurant and are amongst the many located on its scenic, Tuscany-inspired marina. End your evening at one of the many bars in the Maho Village.
Philipsburg cafes can be found around its Boardwalk. If you start early, happy hours at Big Bastards can still be enjoyed. Around Bobby’s marina, Grumpy’s and Aziana have bars popular amongst the crews of superyachts and islanders alike that remain open later. Chique Ocean Lounge is also a place where residents would go to, especially on Fridays. Seaside Seaview has private Cabana’s to celebrate your weekends close to their local craft beer drafts. Neighboring Dutch Blonde Beach Bar offers additional locally brewed beer. The Pier on the far end of the boardwalk is also a beach club combining a day at the beach with refreshments till late.
Orient Bay Beach is not just known for its clothing optional beach, but also for its restaurants. This miles long Atlantic beach is dotted with a variety of restaurants and cafes in between. Grand Case Beach on the Caribbean side of the French part is an old fishing village, many of its cottages currently occupied with high end restaurants. In between, you find an array of cafes and beach side bars.
All above locations and their resorts and boutique hotels are a great base of departure to explore, evening after evening. If you are after a really long night out, Simpson Bay and Maho are your places to be – this is where you find nightclubs and bars open till the early morning. Buses get less frequent at night – consider a taxi or car rental for the road back. Pub crawls are also organized in an excursion format to take the planning out of your hands.
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