snorkeling in St. Marten?

[vmom]

How is the snorkeling in St. Marten? Or should we just stick to going to the beach?

[beachchick]

Hi, vmom. Since no one else has responded, I'll take a crack at it.

 

We leave our snorkel gear on the ship and just make a beach day out of St. Martin. It's really not known for having great snorkeling, and particularly not off the beaches. I know that there are snorkel excursions which go to various offshore locations. Some of those are supposed to be good. But for us, there are so many other great snorkeling opportunities in the Caribbean that we make St. Martin a "let's rent lounges and umbrellas, relax on the beach with cold beverages, swim in the warm water, stroll the beach, and just hang out" day.

 

beachchick

[vmom]

Thanks for the feedback. Maybe we'll use this as a beach day, or go over and explore Margot.

 

Thanks for the response!

[beachchick]

My pleasure. You could easily spend some time on the beach and spend some time in Marigot. Just remember that the shops in Marigot are closed from (I think, don't quote me on this; you'll want answers from someone who knows the hours for sure) noon to 2 pm. So, you might want to head right to Marigot (taxi is our preference, but the buses go there). Wander, shop, check out the waterfront, etc. Then, head over to Orient or another beach. (If you go to Orient, you will need to take a taxi from Marigot because the buses don't go there.) Arrange with a taxi driver to pick you up at X time at X place on whichever beach you choose and head back to the ship from there. If you want to also shop in Philipsburg, you could leave the beach earlier and have the taxi drop you there. (Personally, I'm not a big "shopper," so I'd choose Marigot and skip Philipsburg, but that's just me.) To be safe, you should plan 40 minutes to get from the French side beaches back to Philipsburg. It almost certainly won't take that long, but you don't want to get stuck.

 

beachchick

[imosoreal]

We just returned from a 7 day vacation in St. Maarten and we did try to hit up almost every beach, which was absolutely impossible. However, though not mentioned often, the best snorkeling site in St. Maarten is at Dawn Beach right near the Westin.

[kkpcruiser]

We just returned from a 7 day vacation in St. Maarten and we did try to hit up almost every beach, which was absolutely impossible. However, though not mentioned often, the best snorkeling site in St. Maarten is at Dawn Beach right near the Westin.

 

imosoreal

 

In your opinion, what was the most picturesque beach in your week of St Maarten beach travels?

 

We have been to Orient and want to try something else, maybe a littleless commercialand less crowded. any suggestions??

 

Did you try Pinel Island?

 

thanks!