question for kal?

[JBeefy]

It seems like you know quite a bit about St. Maarten. I leave tomorrow for a cruise and one of our stops is in St. Maarten. I am looking for a beach that has descent snorkeling, but has bars/restaurants, and a nice beach to layout on; reggae music would be a plus! I am currently thinking little bay, baie rogue, mullet bay, but any info on any beach would be greatly appreciated! Do you have any suggestions?

 

Thanks!

[kal]

Here are my thoughts:

 

* Decent snorkeling - Due to previous hurricane events the snorkeling is only so so. The better locations are off the beaten path and would not match up with your other criteria.

 

* Bars/restaurants - Orient has the very best variety in terms of menu, quality and pricing.

 

* Nice beach - Orient is continuously rated in the top 5 of the entire Caribbean. It's 1.5 miles long and has excellent sun exposure with nice prevailing breezes. People watching is incredible. Easy access to taxis. (checkout water color and sand in background of pix)

 

* Reggae music - Orient again. Depending on the day of the week, there are almost always live performers, sometimes 2-3 groups.

 

Other beaches:

 

Little Bay - a hotel beach with nothing special. Only positive is it's close proximity to the cruise terminal.

 

Baie Rouge - nice beach with relatively few people. Very limited beach bars (2). The beach faces north so the sun exposure is difficult. Often sheltered from prevailing breezes so it can get hot. You'll need to car for reasonable access.

 

Mullet Bay - Again, very limited beach bars (1) and only 1 or 2 vendors of beach chairs. Sand is not as fine as Orient and due to westerly exposure and prevailing winds behind you, it can get HOT. Access to taxis is limited but available about 2-3 blocks away at Maho complex. The location is close to Maho so you can hike over to Sunset Beach Bar to see the big jet landings/take-offs.

[JBeefy]

What/where are the snorkeling spots off the beaten path? Is it possible to go to one of these places for a couple of hours, and then taxi back to a different beach to relax, eat, and drink? Thanks a lot for the help!

[kal]

You might look at Creole Rock which is just off the fishing village of Grand Case. There's a pinnacle, which juts from the shallow water. Maximum depth is 35 feet.

 

Just across from Orient is Green Cay. Check with the guys at the jet ski rental to arrange a quick trip over to the island.

 

At the northern end of Baie Rouge there is a Cave. If the ocean is not rough, this would be an interesting place to explore.

[caribbean crazy]

Kal,

 

I have read a lot on these boards about rough seas in St. Marten. Does the time of year impact the likelihood of encountering rough seas? We will be there at the beginning of June. Is that a fairly calm time? Also, is it easy to get a taxi to and from Baie Rouge? Is Orient Beach actually a prettier beach or is it just better for people watching? We are more into the natural beauty of the beach than watching the other people. How would you rate Dawn Beach? We're also interested in snorkeling. Thanks for your good advice! Cathy

[kal]

Does the time of year impact the likelihood of encountering rough seas?

 

It all depends on the proximity of storm activity. April thru mid-summer the number of storm events is quite low; therefore the seas should be fairly calm. Before that you get fronts moving thru the islands. After mid-summer you get into hurricane season. Then too, it depends on the wind direction and topography of a particular bay.

 

Orient is protected by nearby islands while Dawn has direct exposure to prevailing winds. Grand Case and Baie Rouge are on the north side of the island and are also protected from prevailing winds.

 

We will be there at the beginning of June. Is that a fairly calm time?

 

Yep, June should be calm.

 

is it easy to get a taxi to and from Baie Rouge?

 

Baie Rouge is best served by car and not in the normal taxi runs. You'd have to work a deal with the taxi driver dropping you off. Or maybe have one of the locals in the beach bar try to call a cab. No guarantee on that one.

 

Is Orient Beach actually a prettier beach or is it just better for people watching? We are more into the natural beauty of the beach than watching the other people.

 

Orient is a 1.5 mile long arc and provides a very nice view of nearby islands. With the arc shape you also have interesting terrestrial views. The width of the beach varies considerably and so does the wave action. At some spots toward the north end the waves have a lot of action while concurrently there would be no action at the southern end. The sand is quite wide at the north end and there are usually only a few people. Its shallow slope provides a beautiful teal green water.

 

How would you rate Dawn Beach?

 

Dawn is nice, but fairly boring because it is relatively small. The choices of food are limited. Winds and wave action can get pretty rough due to its direct exposure to the ocean and prevailing winds.

[caribbean crazy]

You are very thorough in your info. Thanks a lot!!

[Marykatesmom]

Kal,

 

I've never been to SMX and I'm trying to get an idea of how the "bar" works. They rent you lounges for the day and you can buy food and beverages from attendants?

 

What do you pay and how much do you tip?

 

We'd like to do the Orient beach (loved the picture). Which bar would you recomend for a party of 12 with 6 kids? The water trampoline looks interesting. How do you get to use it? Do you rent it or just get in line? I'd really love to hear reggae music, where would you recommend for music?

 

We're not planning on snorkeling and would probably not rent jet skis.

 

TIA:)

[MamaParrotHead]

we're looking for somewhere where we can wade out into the water quite a bit...is Orient like this at all? thanks!

[kal]

Orient Beach is 1.5 miles long with MANY restaurants and beach bars. There are also a few shops and water sports rental places. Go HERE for the full list. All of them rent lounge chairs and umbrellas, but the prices differ. Some include a rum punch or beer. A good price would be $7 for a chair, umbrella and one beverage. Tipping is all a matter of personal preference. It depends on how well the attendant takes care of you. If (s)he watches your stuff while your gone and straightens out your towel, you might want to take good care of them.

 

Just walk down the beach until you find a place that you like based on such things as the number of people in that area, the nature of the sand, or even the color of the chairs!

 

You can have the beach attendant bring you food/beverage or stroll down to a bar/restaurant you like and get your own. Prices vary from place to place.

 

With a party of 12 with 6 kids, you need to get there EARLY and negotiate a special price for the group. It's do-able.

 

For the water trampoline, just talk to the nearby attendant for rates. I recall it's either hourly or for the day. Pay the fee and go for it. There's no line.

 

There are live bands playing Reggae at a few places. One is Pedro's and the other is further down at Bikini Beach. Other places usually play CDs frequently with Bob Marley.

 

MamaPH - The beach is VERY gradual and you can easily wade out. It's 4 feet deep at about 30-40 feet out. Wave action is usually calm.