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Tourist Places to Visit in Sint Maarten, Netherlands Antilles, America

Tourist Places to Visit in Sint Maarten, Netherlands Antilles, America

Sint Maarten is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands geographically positioned at 18°03′ N 63°03′ W. Philipsburg is the capital and the Lower Prince’s Quarter is the largest city of Sint Maarten. American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine, University of St. Martin and Sint Maarten Courthouse are the three prime identities of Sint Maarten.

Geography of Sint Maarten:

Sint Maarten covers southern half of Saint Martin Island and the northern half is covered by Saint-Martin, a French overseas collectivity. It is spread over an area of 34 sq. km.

The major settlements of Sint Maarten are:

Philipsburg
Lower Prince’s Quarter
Cul de Sac
Cole Bay
Upper Prince’s Quarter
Little Bay

History of Sint Maarten:

Sint Maarten earlier had a status of the Island Territory of Sint Maarten and one of the five island territories of the Netherlands Antilles, later it was formed as a constituent country by Netherland Government, when Netherlands Antilles was disbanded on 10^th October 2010.

How to reach Sint Maarten?

Sint Maarten is catered by Princess Juliana International Airport situated around 10 km away from Philipsburg, the capital of Sint Maarten with scheduled flights to and from Atlanta, New York, Miami, Boston, Amsterdam, Charlotte, Philadelphia, Paris and many other European, Caribbean and North American cities.

The major port of Sint Maarten is in Philipsburg receiving cruise ships from the neighboring French Island and many other Caribbean islands.

Taxis cost about $25 USD per person for the entire island journey and the prominent car rentals include:

Avis
Unity Cars
EasyTerra
E-Z Rent-A-Car

Culture, Food and Shopping in Sint Maarten:

Sint Maarten natives speak their own English based Creole dialect and there is Sint Maarten Heineken Regatta that takes place during the first weekend in March annually.

Grand Marche and Sangs supermarkets are the major shopping options, and jewelry, cosmetics and cameras are the purchasable products in Sint Maarten.

The famous food corners in Sint Maarten are:

Vesna Taverna & Bagel House
Byblos Lounge SXM
Panlaan Thai on the Bay
Hilmas Windsor Castle

Places of interest in Sint Maarten:

Maho Bay:

Maho Bay is a very famous beach of Sint Maarten with white sand and crystal clear water. Because of its close proximity with a runway of airport, tourists can see flying flights from very short distances. Most of large flights arrive and depart during the mid-morning and mid-late afternoon.

Mullet Bay:

Mullet Bay is just beyond Maho Bay renowned for food and drink shops and tourists can enjoy parasailing and other different water sports activities here.

Loterie Farm:

The Loterie Farm offers different activities including hiking, eco tours and tree jumping. The Zip Line experience by The Fly Zone and Ti’ Tarzan (for kids) are other specialties of the park. Tourists can enjoy all these activities during day time only but can taste special dishes at the restaurant and lounge in the park during the evening also.

Other places of interest in and around Sint Maarten include:

Orient Bay
Pic du Paradis
Fort Willem
Yoda Guy Movie Exhibit
Little Bay Beach
Great Bay Beach
Front street
Dawn Beach
Philipsburg Courthouse
Wathey Square
Maarten Zoo
Maarten Museum

Best time to visit Sint Maarten:

Generally ending and beginning months of the year will be the most ideal time to travel Sint Maarten.

Accommodation options in Sint Maarten:

December to April is the high season in Sint Maarten, so it is advised for tourists to book hotel rooms well in advance prior to reaching Sint Maarten during this period and generally, splurge resorts charge US$100+ per night. List of major hotels and resorts in Sint Maarten is:

Turquoise Shell Inn
The Azure Hotel
Pasanggrahan Royal Guesthouse
Tamarind Hotel
Royal Palm Beach Resort
L’Esperance Hotel
The Summit Hotel
Holland House Beach Hotel
Divi Little Bay Beach Resort
Belair Beach Hotel
Simpson Bay Resort & Marina
Sonesta Great Bay Beach Resort & Casino
Mary’s Boon Beach Resort and Spa
Sea Palace Hotel
Seaview Hotel & Casino

Places to Visit in Sint Eustatius, Netherlands Antilles, America

Places to Visit in Sint Eustatius, Netherlands Antilles, America

Saba Island in the northwest and Saint Kitts in the southeast. Oranjestad is the capital, USD is the currency and Dutch and English are the official languages of Sint Eustatius.

Geography of Sint Eustatius:

Sint Eustatius coordinates with 17°29′ N latitude and 62°58′ W longitude covering an area of 21 km².

History of Sint Eustatius:

The name Sint Eustatius was derived from Saint Eustace, Christian martyr and soldier saint. On 10^th October 2010, Sint Eustatius became one of the special municipalities of the Netherlands while the Netherlands Antilles were dissolved.

How to reach Sint Eustatius?

F.D. Roosevelt Airport serves the island of Sint Eustatius with scheduled flights to and from Saba, Sint Eustatius (also called as Statia or Statius) is a small island as well as a special municipality of the Netherlands, located in the Caribbean, surrounded by Sint Maarten, catered by Winair. It also operates charter flights to Montserrat and Saint Barthelemy, served by FlyMontserrat and St Barth Commuter respectively.

There is no public transport in the island, but taxis and cars are available at both airport and Oranjestad city centre. Some travel agencies offer advance booking facility for tourists convenience.

Boats are available on special occasions for nearby islands, Saba and Sint Maarten.

Culture, Food and Shopping in Sint Eustatius:

Dutch and English are the official languages of Sint Eustatius but natives use English-based Creole for communication. Local people are friendly and they show great respect towards tourists and guests.

Oranjestad is the major settlement on the island housing most of the major restaurants, shops and travel agencies on the island.

There are few accommodation centres in Sint Eustatius but the area houses plenty of food corners with traditional and international cuisines and the major food corners include:

Cool Corner Bar & Restaurant
Blue Bead Bar & Restaurant
Smoke Alley Bar & Grill
Kings Well Bar & Restaurant
Sandbox Tree Bakery
Ocean View Terrace
Stone Oven Bar and Restaurant

Things to do in Sint Eustatius:

Diving
Snorkeling
Hiking
Visiting gardens and historical sites

Places of interest in Sint Eustatius:

Quil National Park:

The Quill National Park is a popular tourist attraction on Sint Eustatius, maintained by the non-profit foundation STENAPA. It is located on the north end of the island. Hiking fee is charged $6 for the year and $2 is extra for a guided hike.

Sint Eustatius Marine Park:

Sint Eustatius was opened in 1998 to preserve underwater nature. It offers the great diving facility, and the diving sites include coral reefs, drop-offs and canyons. There is yearly pass offered to regular visitors, costing US$20 and single dive pass is available for US$4. Dive tag for the upkeep is must.

Miriam C. Schmidt Botanical Garden:

The Miriam C. Schmidt Botanical Garden is within the Quill National Park featuring a variety of indigenous plants and flower species. It is sited at the base of the park.

Other places of interest in Sint Eustatius include:

Scubaqua Dive Center
Golden Rock Dive Center
Fort de WindtDive Statia

Best time to visit Sint Eustatius:

From March to June to will be the ideal time to visit Sint Eustatius during which there will be very less crowd (July and August is high season).

Accommodation options in Sint Eustatius:

Sint Eustatius is a small island housing many natural attractions such as marine parks and botanical gardens. It is also renowned for its accommodation centers but less in numbers. Due to this, tourists can refer nearby Saba Island for more facilitated resorts and hotels. The prominent hotels and resorts in Sint Eustatius are listed here below:

Kings Well Resort
The Old Gin House
Golden Era Hotel
Country Inn
Statia Lodge

Saba Tourist Places to Visit in Saba, Netherlands Antilles, America

Saba Tourist Places to Visit in Saba, Netherlands Antilles, America

Saba is an island as well as the smallest special municipality of the Netherlands geographically positioned between 17°38′ N latitude and 63°14′ W longitude. The Bottom is the capital and largest city of Saba. Saba houses A.M. Edwards Medical Center and Saba University School of Medicine which is one of the major universities in the Caribbean.

Geography of Saba:

Saba is spread over an area of 13 sq. km and the main settlements of Saba are The Bottom, Hell’s Gate, St. Johns and Windwardside.

History of Saba:

It is believed that, the name Saba may be derived from the Arabic language. Saba was sighted by Christopher Columbus on 13^th November 1493 and later British landed in 1632, later French claimed it in 1635 and finally Dutch took the full control of Saba in 1816. Saba became a special municipality of the Netherlands when Netherlands Antilles was dissolved on 10^th October 2010.

Connectivity to Saba:

Saba is served by only airport on the island, Juancho E. Yrausquin Airport which is catered by Winair (regular flights to Sint Eustatius, Saint Maarten and charter flights to Anguilla) and Anguilla Air Services (charter flights to Anguilla only). JEYA is situated around 7 km away from capital city, The Bottom. Taxis are available at the airport.

Dawn II (Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays) and The Edge (Wednesday to Sunday) are the major boat operators between Saba and Saint Martin.

The major car rentals in Saba include:

Caja’s Car Rental
Morgan’s Car Rental

Culture, Food and Shopping in Saba:

The culture of Saba is inherited from Dutch, Scottish, and African. Dutch is the official language and English is widely communicated language all around the island.

Saba houses numerous standard shops with branded and latest products. The famous food corners in Saba are:

Tropic’s Cafe
Bistro del Mare
Restaurant Eden
Swinging Doors
Scout’s Place Restaurant & Bar

Things to do in Saba:

Diving
Snorkeling
Hiking

Places of interest in Saba:

Mount Scenery:

The Mount Scenery is the highest point on both Saba and the Kingdom of the Netherlands sited at an elevation of 887 meters. It is clearly visible from Windwardside, a town in Saba. Morning is the best time of the day to hike up.

Saba National Marine Park:

The Saba National Marine Park covers an area of around 5 square miles with a wide range of fish species such as the Atlantic blue tang, black durgon, barracuda and parrotfish. Tourists can also spot stingrays, Octopus and turtles in the park. Visitors are needed to pay $5 as an entrance fee.

Saba Government House:

The Saba Government House is one of the major landmarks in Saba. It was established in the pleasant area, backed by large trees, and the outer structure of the house looks very nice.

Other places of interest near Saba:

Diamond Rock
Tent Reef Wall
Twilight Zone
The Bottom
Tide Pools at Flat Point
Hell’s Gate
Hell’s Gate Community Center
Holy Rosary Church
Shark Shoal
Torrens Point
Hole in the Corner
Christ Church
Harry L. Johnson Museum

Best time to visit Saba:

From December to April will be the ideal time to visit Saba.

Accommodation options in Saba:

Due to the visit of around 25,000 tourists every year, there are plenty of inns, hotels and rental cottages established all round the island for visitors convenience. A list of the major hotels in Saba includes:

Juliana’s Hotel
Shearwater Resort
The Cottage Club
Scout’s Place Hotel
Selera Dunia Boutique Hotel
The Gate House
Cranston’s Antique Inn
Queen’s Gardens Resort
El Momo Cottages
Ecolodge Rendez-Vous
Mountain Spring Villas
Scout’s Place
Cottage Club

Tourist Places to Visit in Philipsburg, Netherlands Antilles, America

Tourist Places to Visit in Philipsburg, Netherlands Antilles, America

Philipsburg is a town as well as the seat of Sint Maarten, one of the constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It is home to Princess Juliana International Airport and a well constructed seaport as well. The Front Street is the prominent shopping street of Philipsburg.

Geography of Philipsburg:

Philipsburg is sited between Great Bay and the Great Salt Pond positioned geographically at 18.0237° N 63.0458° W.

History of Philipsburg:

Arawak people were the first settlers of Sint Maarten and Christopher Columbus visited the island on 11^th November 1493. A Scottish captain in the Dutch navy, John Philips was the founder of Philipsburg in 1763. Fort Amsterdam and Fort Willem are the two major historical identities of Philipsburg.

Connectivity to Philipsburg:

Princess Juliana International Airport is one of the main airports of Caribbean Dutch islands located around 10 km away from the major town of Sint Maarten, Philipsburg. It has a wide network with connection to most of the major European, North American and Caribbean destinations.

The major cites connected with PJIA include Paris, Atlanta, New York, Miami, Boston, Amsterdam, Montréal, Charlotte, Philadelphia and Toronto.

Buses are common in the town, travelling all around the island. Car is cheap and simple way to get around and taxis are always available at the airport stand.

Food and Culture in Philipsburg:

The best option to different product shopping in a single place is Front Street located in the centre of the town. Philipsburg is famous for jewelry items.

The famous restaurants in Philipsburg are listed here below:

La Sucriere
Honky Tonk Bar
Le Petite Cafe
Au Petit Cafe
The Green House

Things to do in Philipsburg:

Harley Motorcycles Tour
Snorkeling
Swimming
Diving
Shopping
Boardwalk

Places of interest in Philipsburg:

Fort Amsterdam:

Fort Amsterdam is a historical fort, constructed by the Dutch in 1631. It houses numerous rusting 19th century cannon and also tourists can spot Brown Pelicans in the fort. It is worth to visit.

Maho Beach:

Maho Beach is noted for nearness with Princess Juliana International Airport. Here tourists can see flying flights from short distance from the land and also can take pictures of flights. Be careful when taking photos because sometimes flights fly very close to land.

Butterfly Farm:

Located in Carter D’Orleans, the Butterfly Farm of Sint Maarten is home to hundreds of colorful butterflies. It is an ideal spot for nature and insect lovers and is open from 9AM-3PM. The entrance fee is $12.

Other places of interest in and around Philipsburg include:

Fort Willem
Mullet Bay
Loterie Farm
Kid Connect
Yoda Guy Movie Exhibit
Little Bay Beach
Great Bay Beach
Frontstreet
Dawn Beach
Maarten Zoo
Maarten Museum
Philipsburg Courthouse
Wathey Square
Guana Bay Beach

Best time to visit Philipsburg:

From May to June and from November to mid December is the ideal time to travel Philipsburg.

Accommodation options in Philipsburg:

Philipsburg is packed with world class casinos, spas and resorts with the latest styles of facial and body treatments and entertainment activities. Budget hotels charge around $100, mid range-$150+ and splurge- above $200. A list of prominent hotels in Philipsburg includes: