Things to do in  St Maarten

A great way to see the St Maarten coast line. Lots of stops in gorgeous coves and fab snorkelling. Brett our boat captain was super friendly, knowledgeable and safety conscious. Highly recommend!!

Fantastic day trip. The crew went above and beyond. Great way to enjoy beautiful St Maarten. Thanks so much Anna and Dylan. Hope to see you again.

The jet ski tour was the highlight of our cruise. My entire family is still talking about this tour weeks after our experience. We would 100% do it again the next time we visit. Our daughter wanted to ride a jet ski after getting her boating license during the pandemic lockdown. We found this tour and it lined up with our cruise stop in Saint Martin. Cabs were easy to locate at the port and we arranged for the driver to come back and pick us up when we were done. The ride over was about 35-40 minutes to the French side, so factor that into your planning if you’re coming in on a ship. Lucas was amazing and took some incredible photos of our family. We toured around the island and got to see it from a different perspective while having an insanely fun time on the Jet Skis. Hands down, this tour was the best port adventure we have ever experienced, and we would not hesitate to do it again or recommend it to our friends and family. Thank you, Lucas, and Island Jet, for one of the best times our family has ever had!

At great way to see a lot of St Maarten if you’re only here for a short time or to get oriented at the start of a longer trip. Our Captain Bret was friendly, informative and had a great sense of humor. I love snorkeling but learning about the island’s history and recent hurricane from a survivor was fascinating. One thing to note: If you’re going with another couple booking separately, make sure you mention that during registration. There are two boats and we got separated.

Since it was our first visit to St Maarten we wanted to get the lay of the land before we ventured on our own so we signed up for “The Best”. We expected a typical bus ride to see some of the island vistas but we got so much more. Our guide Raj was remarkably knowledgeable, friendly and helpful. We experienced hidden beaches, island history, authentic local cuisine, as well as famous landmarks. Raj showed us what we wanted to see, answered our questions, shared secrets and adjusted the pace to our comfort. The tour so greatly exceeded our expectations we will do it again on our next trip to St Maarten.

We had the best day ever seeing St Maarten by sea. Captain Mike and guide Chris were so much fun, personable, and knowledgeable. They were open to suggestions and tailored the tour to our liking. We were able to see various fishes, a dolphin and a few turtles. The vibe was perfect with our personal preferences for music and the rum punch kept flowing.

Highly recommend this service. Andre was the BEST! Comfortable ride, reliable pick-up and drop-off and great recommendations for local activities and restaurants and bars. We used this service for the airport transfer and during our entire stay in Sint Maarten. Andre -we appreciate you!!!

We has Jacob as our guide. We had a relaxing yet exhilarating experience. We got to explore a lot of the island and take awesome pictures. We felt safe and taken care of by Jacob. I would recommend this to everybody. Definitely the best way to see Sint Maarten!

Make sure to brig along a water proof camera for some great pics! The trip is fun and relaxing. a great way to see the coast line of Sint Maarten.

Orient beach was beautiful and relaxing. Maho beach was busier but still really cool to see. Anthony our driver was very knowledgeable about the island and gave us an insider's perspective of where to go and what to see when we return to St Maarten

Very good opportunity to see both sides of St Maarten/St Martin!! Beaches were relaxing and the planes landing right behind you on one beach was amazing to see!

Ferry ride good, crew staff very good very nice place to visit we really enjoyed our vacation to St Maarten

This is a great tour for anyone who has not been to St Maarten before. It is a great opportunity to visit to of the most popular beaches on the island. Our driver, Oscar was a lot of fun and gave us a lot of good information about the island. He got us back to the ship in time to do some shopping as well.

What a great day with a small tour and a great captain to see both sides of St Maarten. We snorkeled and swam at 4 different spots with pretty water and some marine life. We ate a great local lunch and watched an airplane land right over our head! We discovered Pinel Island which was a pleasure!! We really enjoyed our trip. It was really cool to see the island from the water and not just the beach . We would definitely do it again!

We had the most wonderful day with Captain Benjamin and Chef Patty! The service they provided was top notch, and we had a truly wonderful day. Captain Benjamin kept us safe and entertained. He chose beautiful places for us to anchor and explore, and he directed us to the perfect spots for snorkeling to see the wildlife! We were very well taken care of and were able to relax and enjoy our time on his boat so much. A day on Flagship II is a day well spent and a must do experience in St Maarten!!

When booking our trip to St. Maarten, I was in charge of the activities. As New Yorkers and coming from the land who invented social distancing, we only wanted private tours AWAY from people. Well, I decided to book a private island tour. Diederick communicated with me several times as to what and what we did not want to see. When and where to stop for lunch etc. Then, the day of the tour. Diederick and his beautiful wife Candia come to pick us up. They work very well together like peanut butter and jelly. Diederick, is extremely knowledgeable of all things St Maarten. He explained all of the history of the French and Dutch side. He also explained all of the plants, trees and uses for them as well. He also brought us to local beaches that are off the beaten track. I had wanted to stop for lunch at a certain place but it was close. Well, we found an unexpected gem. If local people like it, it must be good. I had terrific conch fritters. Candia seeing I was disabled, took special care of me helping me. I really appreciate all they did for us. We could have had a free tour from our hotel but I would have never had the pleasure of meeting Diederick and Candia.

First, let me say we have done many catamarans on various islands and this was the best one we have ever taken. This was not your same run of the mill cruise around the island. We had one of our best days ever enjoying an au naturel day on the Flagship II catamaran with Captain Alouis and Chef Patty sailing around Sint Maarten/St. Martin with stops to Long Bay, Happy Bay & Tintemarre. Captain Alouis literally sailed around the entire island at the perfect pace to see and enjoy the entire island and all surrounding islands. The boat was super clean, beautiful and spacious. The breakfast, snacks, and lunch prepared by Patty were absolutely amazing. She prepared everything on the boat with beautiful presentations. We were served fresh fruits (kiwi, pineapple, grapes, watermelon, honey dew melons, etc.), hummus, guacamole, fresh veggies (celery, carrots, zuchini, tomatoes, etc. ) tuna fish, assorted breads and pita slices, olives, mayo garlic dipping sauce, curry salad, and that was just the breakfast and snacks! We were then served a 4 course lunch with the most divine and fresh salad including beets, boiled eggs, bamboo, olives, carrots, red bell peppers, arugula, and homemade dressings for the first course. The second and third courses included rice pilaf with raisins and the best curry chicken I have ever tasted! Finally, for dessert we were served moist chocolate ganache cake with fresh cream and assorted fruits and berries. They had plenty of assorted wines, beers, rum punch, soft drinks, juices, etc. Definitely, the best food we have had on a catamaran. The stops were beautiful with ample time at each stop to snorkel, swim to shore and explore, float in the water and relax on the boat. They provide noodles, floats, and snorkel equipment. There were two other couples for a total of 6 customers and 2 crew feeling like a private charter. It was very relaxing, laid-back, and no pressure. The only thing you need to bring is sunscreen, towels, sunglasses and a camera to capture the amazing views. We can not wait return again!

My wife and i have just returned from Sint Martin (Dutch side) and we had a wonderful trip. Andre was waiting for us with a sign with my name and held high. His Luxury Van was very comfortable. Andre was very knowledgeable in regards to all things Sint Martin and very professional. I would highly recommend Andre to anyone traveling to and around Sint Martin/Saint Martin. Thanks Andre, it was a pleasure doing business with you and your team and we will be in touch in 2022 for our next summer adventure.

I was able to call the tour provider, Twin Island Excursions, to advise of our arrival at St Maarten. They were aware of the Harmony arrival times and told us the tour will be waiting for us to arrive. We actually docked a bit early, and Tom and I sprinted off the ship to the meeting location. It is 86 dripping degrees, a slight drizzle just letting up as we ran down the gangway. We hurried up the pier, past the diamond and liquor shops out to the street. We were happy to see others waiting. We found our tour driver who introduced himself as Duce. After the running, we had to sit down and wait for the slower cruisers. Sometimes life is like that, hurry up-then wait! Walking around the puddles, trying not to start the day with wet sand in my shoes, we boarded the van. We drive through Phillipsburg, the capital of the Dutch side of the island. I’m not impressed, it doesn’t present itself as somewhere I’d like to return to. The city is dirty, messy, hot & humid, and this is January. Our first stop is the Oyster Bay Resort, a beautiful turquoise painted resort around what use to be a bay full of oysters. Today, it’s a bay of abandon boats. Duce tells us that when hurricane Irma did a dead-on hit of the island, so many boats, homes and resorts were damaged. When the owners of the boats collected on their insurance, they just left the boats were they were on moved on. I’m thinking they should at least sink the boats — it could eventually become a good snorkel spot? As we cross into the French side of the Island, Duce explains a bit of the history of the island, and how the Dutch and French decided to share the island rather than fight about it. Today, there are two of everything here, school systems, utilities, housing systems, languages, even two different names for the island. Persons born and living on the Dutch side (Sint Maarten) carry Netherlands Antilles passports, while the French side (Saint-Martin), issues French passports and conducts its business in a more European manner. We are stopping at Orient Beach, where it’s raining as we arrive. There are a few nudist resorts here, and part of the beach is clothing optional. Tom and I head for a cafe, he for a cup of hot tea and a flute of Prosecco for me. Soon the sun is shining and we head to the beach for some photos. Duce has a cooler of soda, beer, and homemade rum punch he calls “Duce Juice’. He makes it the same way I do, mango, pineapple, passion fruit and lots of rum. Next, we head to Marigot, still on the French side. Here, we walk around a flea market as I’m looking for a pharmacy. Tom is getting sicker, and I’m out of Mucinex. He stubbornly says “I’m not going in”…..as I head up to the pharmacy counter. The very handsome french pharmacist asks about his symptoms and gives me a box of liquid packets. I’d like to have spent more time with him, just looking into his blue eyes made me think he could cure Tom’s cold! Back on the van, more rum punch, and we’re off to the Dutch side again. We passed Princess Juliana International Airport and arrive at Maho Beach. This is why I booked this excursion. The airport has one of the shortest runways in the Caribbean. The airplanes make their approach directly above the beach. The planes are so low, I think you could wave to the pilot. There are many great videos of aircraft landings on youtube. My friends Karen and Donny were here recently and got a great video…I’m going to try to do the same. American Airlines Aircraft landing over Maho Beach The beach isn’t very wide, and today it’s completely full. (There are 6 cruise ships docked in St. Maarten today.) We find a spot on the sand, and I lay on my back trying to film the incoming planes. I was a little too close to the water, however, and got completely drenched by an incoming wave. Drenched, full of sand, I was laughing as Tom helped me back up. Working hard to get some videos (moments before I got soaked) More rum punch and we were back on our way through Simpson Bay. This area I’d return to, the beach, the hotels, and many restaurants offer lots to do. Just taking a walk to look at the incredible yachts docked here would be fun. Simpson Bay use to be the capital of the Dutch side, but since it tends to flood, business was moved to Phillipsburg. My impression of the island overall is better now that I’ve seen it all. I understand that a lot of the mess I see was caused by Hurricane Irma in 2017. So many derelict boats just floating in the water? Houses just abandoned? I guess it’s the American in me that expects this should be at least in the process of being cleaned up – but I don’t see any work being done. The only construction I see on the island is the resort hotel being built next to the Casino on Maho Beach. For photos and video go to TheHolloWAYtoTravel.com

It was a great boottrip. A can advice it to everyone who comes to visit Saint Martin. You go around almost the whole island and Damiaan, the captain, told a lot about the island and gave some good advices. We went to beatiful snorkling spots and saw a lot of fish, some coral and turtles.