When winter sets in, it's time to follow the example of all those migratory birds and head south to warmer climes. The perfect place to escape the cold is the Caribbean with its idyllic islands destinations. One of these is the Dutch constituent country of St Maarten, where you can enjoy the perfect Caribbean break.
The Netherlands has several constituent countries in the Caribbean, one of which is Sint Maarten. It's not an entire island, like most other Dutch constituent countries, but covers part of an island known as Saint Martin. Anguilla lies to the north and the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico to the west. The part of Saint Martin that isn't Dutch is French and is called Saint-Martin.
Sint Maarten's capital is Philipsburg, which is also the largest settlement on the island in its entirety. Philipsburg is renowned as a shopper's paradise and is a popular port for cruise ships. It lies along Great Bay and is backed by the Great Salt Pond, so the town itself has a long, narrow lay-out. Apart from the shops, restaurants and beaches here, you'll also find museums and historic sights such as Fort Willem.
The capital of the French side, which is called Saint-Martin, is the town of Marigot. It lies in the west. For the best food on the island, however, head north to Grand Case, which is renowned for its excellent restaurants.
The main reason to visit any Caribbean destination is for the chance to laze on the beach and Saint Martin Island is no exception. The beaches won't disappoint either, with their warm waters and white sands. You can take part in a variety of water sports, from surfing to scuba diving, or simply shoot the breeze. One beach not to miss is Maho Beach, less than half an hour's drive to the west of Philipsburg. Here, landing aircraft fly over so low that you can almost touch them and this makes for a very unusual photo opportunity.
While many of the activities on offer on Saint Martin Island are centered in or on the water, you'll find plenty to do on those days when you want to stay dry as well. Go for a hike or a ride on horseback, try a canopy tour, play golf or tennis or, for something different, wage a paintball war. On the French side there is a popular butterfly farm while on the northern shores of the Great Salt Pond you'll find Sint Maarten Zoo.
The northern winter means that in Sint Maarten, nights are a little cooler. However, this is the perfect time to visit since it's dry season and days are sunny and warm. Low season, which generally lasts from around May to December, is a good time too because even though this is the rainy season, the rain comes mainly in the form of quick, refreshing showers that are over in minutes.
One way to get to Sint Maarten is by cruise ship, which will dock at Philipsburg. Even better is to fly into Princess Juliana International Airport, the main airport serving the entire island, with flight connections to the entire Caribbean, Panama, the USA and Canada as well as Amsterdam and Paris. Besides, you then get to see the airplane-watchers at Maho Beach from a different angle.
The Netherlands has several constituent countries in the Caribbean, one of which is Sint Maarten. It's not an entire island, like most other Dutch constituent countries, but covers part of an island known as Saint Martin. Anguilla lies to the north and the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico to the west. The part of Saint Martin that isn't Dutch is French and is called Saint-Martin.
Sint Maarten's capital is Philipsburg, which is also the largest settlement on the island in its entirety. Philipsburg is renowned as a shopper's paradise and is a popular port for cruise ships. It lies along Great Bay and is backed by the Great Salt Pond, so the town itself has a long, narrow lay-out. Apart from the shops, restaurants and beaches here, you'll also find museums and historic sights such as Fort Willem.
The capital of the French side, which is called Saint-Martin, is the town of Marigot. It lies in the west. For the best food on the island, however, head north to Grand Case, which is renowned for its excellent restaurants.
The main reason to visit any Caribbean destination is for the chance to laze on the beach and Saint Martin Island is no exception. The beaches won't disappoint either, with their warm waters and white sands. You can take part in a variety of water sports, from surfing to scuba diving, or simply shoot the breeze. One beach not to miss is Maho Beach, less than half an hour's drive to the west of Philipsburg. Here, landing aircraft fly over so low that you can almost touch them and this makes for a very unusual photo opportunity.
While many of the activities on offer on Saint Martin Island are centered in or on the water, you'll find plenty to do on those days when you want to stay dry as well. Go for a hike or a ride on horseback, try a canopy tour, play golf or tennis or, for something different, wage a paintball war. On the French side there is a popular butterfly farm while on the northern shores of the Great Salt Pond you'll find Sint Maarten Zoo.
The northern winter means that in Sint Maarten, nights are a little cooler. However, this is the perfect time to visit since it's dry season and days are sunny and warm. Low season, which generally lasts from around May to December, is a good time too because even though this is the rainy season, the rain comes mainly in the form of quick, refreshing showers that are over in minutes.
One way to get to Sint Maarten is by cruise ship, which will dock at Philipsburg. Even better is to fly into Princess Juliana International Airport, the main airport serving the entire island, with flight connections to the entire Caribbean, Panama, the USA and Canada as well as Amsterdam and Paris. Besides, you then get to see the airplane-watchers at Maho Beach from a different angle.
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