Jump to content

St. Maarten on our own...


Recommended Posts

We are visiting St. Maarten for the first time and are curious as to what we should try to do on our own? We booked an excursion through RC but the tour operator cancelled it last week. We have now decided to explore on our own (no private tour either) so I'm looking for advice on what do do. Any advice is much appreciated!

 

Has anyone visited Anguilla while docked in St. Maarten for the day via the ferry? 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If this is your first visit to St Maarten, why go to Anguilla when St Maarten has so much to do.  There are several zip lines in operations, Orient beach is making a comeback and there are multiple beach-side businesses for chair rental and food.  The downtown are is great for shopping and my favorite beach is Karakter.  You can also just ask a taxi driver to take you around the island.

 

Enjoy!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

13 hours ago, Sunseeker20 said:

 SeaTrailer, can you give a few details about Karakter beach? Interested to know more... cost of taxi, how long it takes to get there from pier, etc

 

Karakter Beach Bar is on Simpson Bay Beach - before the airport.  It is situated on the beach side of the runway.  I'd allow an hour to an hour and a half travel time especially for the return trip as you never know what you will hit for traffic.   The ride could be as short as 25-30 minutes but it all depends on traffic and bridge openings and the time of year you are going.  Food is good, but I think it is kind of pricey.  They have clean restrooms, beach loungers and umbrellas and you get to see and hear the airplanes without having to be at Maho.    Also on a clear day you can see Saba in the distance!

IMG_0788.JPG

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 weeks later...

I recommend going to Pinel Island. We went to the taxi terminal when we got off the ship and told them we wanted to go to Pinel Island.  We ended up sharing a taxi with a couple that wanted to go to Orient Beach.  It was on the way to our drop off to take the "ferry" (small boat that holds maybe 30 to 40 people) to Pinel Island. Check times because the first ferry of the day depends on the time of the year.  But, we got off the ship right away and just got there early. We did wait a little bit. I've heard good things about the beach, but we didn't spend much time there, as we walked on the trail around the island, which has gorgeous views in all directions.  I also tried the snorkeling area (for a fee), and have heard great things about this too, but my experience wasn't the greatest because the water was really choppy and stirred up due to a tropical storm 150 miles away. But, I would go back to Pinel Island in a heartbeat and even try the snorkeling again. HOWEVER, one very important note to make, make sure you tell your taxi to pick you up at a certain time and give yourself enough time to get back.  We asked the taxi driver that dropped us off to pick us back up at a specific time and he was right on time.  But, there isn't really a place to call for a taxi, so its important to schedule it ahead of time. Here's a video of Pinel Island, which focuses more on the island itself.  https://youtu.be/nVazZZTUUiw Subscribe to KD Travel Adventures for more videos.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Please sign in to comment

You will be able to leave a comment after signing in



Sign In Now
 Share

  • Forum Jump
    • Categories
      • Welcome to Cruise Critic
      • New Cruisers
      • Cruise Lines “A – O”
      • Cruise Lines “P – Z”
      • River Cruising
      • ROLL CALLS
      • Digital Photography & Cruise Technology
      • Special Interest Cruising
      • Cruise Discussion Topics
      • UK Cruising
      • Australia & New Zealand Cruisers
      • Canadian Cruisers
      • North American Homeports
      • Ports of Call
      • Cruise Conversations
×
×
  • Create New...