Orient Beach - good for family day at the beach???

[25dbb]

We are looking for a good family beach day in St Maartin=

 

Our group of eight, 3 parents and kids 17, 16, 2x14,and 9 want to "beach it"

in St Maarten. Would Orient Beach be okay??

 

We don't want to be hounded by people selling stuff or offer to braid hair

we don't want too much nudity.....the 14 year olds are boys.....

we want to rent beach chairs, etc and have access to cold drinks

we would like some shade too (one is particularly a problem)

we would like clean, beach with some waves

 

Orient or other in St Maartin???

 

dbb25

[kal]

When you've got one of the Top 3 beaches in the entire Caribbean, there's no point in taking anything less. Go to Orient. The group will love it. If you want to avoid being pestered by beach vendors, DO NOT sit where all the cruisers are located, i.e. Bikini Beach. There are lots of other places on the beach that are much less expensive.

[zqvol]

Just be prepared for a LOTof topless women (but that is true almost everywhere on St. Maarteen) and quiet a bit of nudity.

[Zeno]

Re: Nudity on Orient beach

Approximately 1/4 to 1/3 of the women WILL be topless as is the European custom. This is true of virtually ALL beaches on St Martin.

Complete nudity: the occasional fully nude person(s) WILL walk by. Most fully nude people are located near Club Orient (the naturist resort). It is located at the extreme south end of the beach. The further you are from Club Orient the fewer nude people you will see. So in your case I recommend mid-beach to north end. BTW anywhere on Orient beach (except directly in front of Club Orient) the VAST majority of people WILL be wearing bathing suits. I have seen many children on Orient beach having a good time and completely ignoring the occasional naked person.

North end of beach has more wave action. Mid beach has more activities - jet skis, climbing iceberg etc. South end has least wave action.

There are lots of places willing to rent you chairs and beach umbrellas and keep you supplied with cold drinks - just pick the one you like the look of. The beach is quite clean. Vendors do wander about but are polite and take no for an answer. (We never never showed an interest in their stuff and after one or two refusals, we were ignored by them.)

[khfadpi]

What is the best beach bar to sit at on Orient Beach? We want to go towards the north end of the beach.

Thanks

[kal]

The best prices are in the area around Pedros. As you proceed toward the north end of the beach the prices get higher. A lot of that has to do with those bars catering to the cruise industry. They can gouge at will.

[RJRider]

Speaking from my experience in Sint Maarten, I've been to Orient about 15 times in this past year. It is a nice beach I've seen plenty of families there and it is a cultural experience no doubt but I don't know if it's a "Family" beach.

One end of Orient is totally nude but the naturalists will walk totally nude on the entire beach. If you're French or European nudity is likely not that big a deal for you. I find that definitions of Family day at the beach depends on were you're from.

If stripper volleyball on Sunday is a family event go to Orient otherwise stay away.

Braiders and peddlers selling hats and skirts called “so-wrongs” :) abound everywhere. I've even been solicited by a foot massager at Orient beach.

Where ever you go however select a lounge chair with a thick pad on it not the ones that look like they were recently re-covered by a trampoline repairman (generally repaired in yellow and look like Army cotts). They are uncomfortable, bad on the back and never lay flat. The ones with the multitude of straps to sit on I can't talk about because I like to pretend they don’t exist.

Suggestions for Family Beaching

Great Bay, Divi Little Bay's Beach, Mullet, and Maho to name a few.

Enjoy the Sun

RJ