I couldn't recommend these beaches to a cruiser and why.

[navybankerteacher]

lol... :D

 

Amazing though that there are so many beaches. Who (if not living there) would have known.

 

Think about Antigua - which claims 365 beaches, one for each day of the year.

[BillOh]

Maho Beach: The only reason for going there is if you enjoy watching low flying planes. The small beach area is not a good place to plan to spend the day.

 

For me that depends on how many ships are in port. During the slow season its been fine.

[momof3cruisers]

Dawn Beach (facing east)- about 15 minutes by taxi from the pier - usually has pretty good waves. There is a good beach restaurant: Mr. Busby's (who will call a taxi for your return, if there isn't one waiting) and chair and umbrella rentals. Baie Rouge ( facing north) further away on the French side, is my favorite, but can be chancy getting a taxi back.

 

Great! Thank you. We have two cruises planned that include St Maarten so I am needing extra info.

 

Now if I could just get anyone to answer me about City Clickers.

[SnorkelAway]

I have no personal experience or direct knowledge of City Clickers - but, from everything I have read and heard, they are doing a great job and people seem to like the photo hunt/tour.

[bettyboop16]

I haven't been to Palm Beach, but comes highly recommended by maxsmom who has been there several times. It's located down from Orient beach.

 

Does anyone know this beach?

[Karysa]

I haven't been to Palm Beach, but comes highly recommended by maxsmom who has been there several times. It's located down from Orient beach.

 

Does anyone know this beach?

 

It's a little confusing. Palm beach is basically the beach I front of Palm Beach beach bar/restaurant on Orient Beach.

 

Orient does not make my list of beaches that I would not recommend to cruisers. Something for everyone at Orient.

[bettyboop16]

It's a little confusing. Palm beach is basically the beach I front of Palm Beach beach bar/restaurant on Orient Beach.

 

Orient does not make my list of beaches that I would not recommend to cruisers. Something for everyone at Orient.

 

We will be in St. Maarten 2/4/16 & a total of 8 ships there...any suggestions on where to go for a nice quite beach or resort?

 

Thanks,:)

[Karysa]

We will be in St. Maarten 2/4/16 & a total of 8 ships there...any suggestions on where to go for a nice quite beach or resort?

 

Thanks,:)

 

Take a look at Dreams or Sands on Nettle Bay on the sea side not the lagoon side. I really liked Dreams and I had lunch with a guy who lives on the island a few weeks ago while on vacation and he said that Sands is his go to place for lunch.

 

Not sure how quite they will be in February. That's a busy time on the island. Any nice beach with facilities that can be easily reached will likely be quite busy then. If Maho is not on your list of places to see then pick a beach in the opposite direction so you are not stuck in that zooish traffic. Yup even in November the place was a zoo.

[bettyboop16]

Take a look at Dreams or Sands on Nettle Bay on the sea side not the lagoon side. I really liked Dreams and I had lunch with a guy who lives on the island a few weeks ago while on vacation and he said that Sands is his go to place for lunch.

 

Not sure how quite they will be in February. That's a busy time on the island. Any nice beach with facilities that can be easily reached will likely be quite busy then. If Maho is not on your list of places to see then pick a beach in the opposite direction so you are not stuck in that zooish traffic. Yup even in November the place was a zoo.

 

Thanks Karysa for the info, We were in St. Maarten 2013 & our tour did stop at Maho.

[SnorkelAway]

Not sure where this should be posted, but here is recent new blurb on pollution in Great Bay that just came out:

 

GREAT BAY (DCOMM):---The Collective Prevention Services (CPS), a department within the Ministry of Public Health, Social Development and Labour, strongly advises against any swimming in Great Bay on Wednesday and Thursday morning.

This advisory is in relation to water that is being released into Great Bay from the ponds. Pumping of the Great Salt Pond is part of a control lowering of the water levels in the ponds.

This water can be contaminated, from amongst others, rainwater runoff into the ponds.

CPS advisory is a precautionary measure to prevent swimmers from coming into contact with any contaminated water that could pose a health risk if ingested or by skin contact, thereby making the person vulnerable to recreational water illnesses.

The Ministry of Public Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment and Infrastructure (Ministry VROMI) commenced on Tuesday at 6.00pm with the pumping of water into Great Bay. This will continue for eight hours. The same timeframe will take place on Wednesday at 6.00pm.

[brookeq]

I haven't been to Palm Beach, but comes highly recommended by maxsmom who has been there several times. It's located down from Orient beach.

 

Does anyone know this beach?

 

We are there the same day as you. We are Trying to decide where to go

[bettyboop16]

We are there the same day as you. We are Trying to decide where to go

 

My understanding from reading her review, Palm Beach is on the same stretch

of beach as Orient....just a ways down the beach in a less crowded area & there are facilities available.

 

max'smom does great reviews with plenty of pics.

 

We are on the Carnival Glory.

Edited December 2, 2015 by bettyboop16

[Karysa]

My understanding from reading her review, Palm Beach is on the same stretch

of beach as Orient....just a ways down the beach in a less crowded area & there are facilities available.

 

max'smom does great reviews with plenty of pics.

 

We are on the Carnival Glory.

 

The beach is Orient Beach.

 

 

Just asked my husband who has visited the island 2 dozen times since 1992 if he has heard of Palm Beach in St Maarten/ St Martin. He said "no idea".

 

 

Try looking at a beach map of the island beaches and you will see what I mean.

[gaylemh]

What about Buccaneer Beach on Simpsons Bay? Anyone know anything about it? How's the food? How far from the port?

[Karysa]

What about Buccaneer Beach on Simpsons Bay? Anyone know anything about it? How's the food? How far from the port?

 

This one is a little confusing. It's not on Simpson Bay beach but rather in the area known as Simpson Bay. Technically it's on Kim Sha Bay beach. It's an ok beach and for people finishing an excursion in the Simpson Bay Area I have recommended it for a couple of hours. My girls had burgers there in May and loved them. We chose to eat at the Indian place across the street.:)

[Arzeena]

Just came across this great thread! Thanks to all who provided info.

I have been to St Marten MANY times but mostly ended up on Little Bay. Orient a couple times, Dawn once, and been to Pinel Island once.

 

Karysa, I looked up Dreams and Sands on Nettle bay and they seem to be too far out from the cruise port (44 minutes per google maps???) I would love to go there but am not sure of traffic issues while returning. How many "safe in plenty of time to make the ship commute hours" should be allocated ?

 

The Kim Sha recommendation looks good.

 

And I totally agree on your take of Great Bay!

[Karysa]

Just came across this great thread! Thanks to all who provided info.

I have been to St Marten MANY times but mostly ended up on Little Bay. Orient a couple times, Dawn once, and been to Pinel Island once.

 

Karysa, I looked up Dreams and Sands on Nettle bay and they seem to be too far out from the cruise port (44 minutes per google maps???) I would love to go there but am not sure of traffic issues while returning. How many "safe in plenty of time to make the ship commute hours" should be allocated ?

 

The Kim Sha recommendation looks good.

 

And I totally agree on your take of Great Bay!

 

Much has changed since Irma and Maria so this thread would need to be read from today for the most part.

 

Dreams and the Sands are no longer from what I have been told. The rason why I WOULD HAVE visited or suggested these beach bars is because they are quite close to the town of Marigot and actually in the Nettle Bay resort area and I think getting a taxi for the way back would have been pretty easy. The beach bars were were very nice and made this beach. It also was a good beach to go to if you went to Marigot in the morning.

 

I recommended Kim Sha. Hmmm I might have for the Play station that used to be out in the water in that area. Perhaps for a quick beach stop if an excursion ended in that area. I have stayed in that area for many years and I remember going in the water twice there. It's never been a favorite Beach of ours.

[susietb]

A few years ago we took the "public bus" from Phillipsburg, transferred at Marigot to a bus for Grande Case.

 

Had a great beach day, as well the best ever RIBS.

 

Is this still doable? The ship will overnight, so worrying about the schedule is not a problem.

[Karysa]

A few years ago we took the "public bus" from Phillipsburg, transferred at Marigot to a bus for Grande Case.

 

Had a great beach day, as well the best ever RIBS.

 

Is this still doable? The ship will overnight, so worrying about the schedule is not a problem.

 

Things are improving slowly so first off when is your cruise?

[susietb]

Will be in St. Martaan March 8th and 9th.

 

Thank you

[Karysa]

Will be in St. Martaan March 8th and 9th.

 

Thank you

 

Too bad it’s not on a Tuesday as Harmony Nights music,craft and food celebration happens then during high season and they are starting it in mid-February this year. I am a little surprised as there are far less visitors and islanders as usual.

 

I would look up reviews of Rainbow beach restaurant in Grand Case. There are not many places open on the beach but I heard that they are.

[Karysa]

The prefecture has listed the French beaches that are now safe for swimming.

 

The only French sided beaches that are really swimmable that I don’t recall seeing on the list are Nettle, Anse Marcel and Happy Bay. None of these beaches were popular beaches with cruisers.

[Arzeena]

Much has changed since Irma and Maria so this thread would need to be read from today for the most part.

 

Dreams and the Sands are no longer from what I have been told. The rason why I WOULD HAVE visited or suggested these beach bars is because they are quite close to the town of Marigot and actually in the Nettle Bay resort area and I think getting a taxi for the way back would have been pretty easy. The beach bars were were very nice and made this beach. It also was a good beach to go to if you went to Marigot in the morning.

 

I recommended Kim Sha. Hmmm I might have for the Play station that used to be out in the water in that area. Perhaps for a quick beach stop if an excursion ended in that area. I have stayed in that area for many years and I remember going in the water twice there. It's never been a favorite Beach of ours.

 

:( so sad about Dreams and Sands.

 

Which beach will you recommend for a lunch/ afternoon visit ? I do not want to go to Great Bay. I love Little Bay but I think it will not be open. (I am there March 1). Any thoughts on Karakters? Mary's Boon? Are they open? I was also thinking of Kokomo on Indigo Bay till I read about the oil wells(??)

[Karysa]

:( so sad about Dreams and Sands.

 

Which beach will you recommend for a lunch/ afternoon visit ? I do not want to go to Great Bay. I love Little Bay but I think it will not be open. (I am there March 1). Any thoughts on Karakters? Mary's Boon? Are they open? I was also thinking of Kokomo on Indigo Bay till I read about the oil wells(??)

 

I know that Karakter is open and it's pretty easy to get to via taxi. The food is great but I'm not sure that you will get a beach chair if you go at noon. I like Simpson Bay beach. It's so long and I love walking long beaches such as Grand Case, Orient,Mullet and Simpson.

[LC Crusader Dad]

Too bad it’s not on a Tuesday as Harmony Nights music,craft and food celebration happens then during high season and they are starting it in mid-February this year. I am a little surprised as there are far less visitors and islanders as usual.

 

I would look up reviews of Rainbow beach restaurant in Grand Case. There are not many places open on the beach but I heard that they are.

 

 

https://www.sxmstrong.com/2018/02/01/watch-rainbow-cafe-back-better-ever/