Sint Maarten

. The Dutch side has had its own government since 2010 and has its own legal system, with its relations with the French side remaining unchanged. To avoid confusion between the three variations on the name, the two regions are commonly referred to as "the French side" and "the Dutch side". On the Dutch side, grocery stores and other businesses may have prices expressed in Caribbean guilder (Cg) which is the local currency, but the US dollar and the euro are accepted at these establishments. The guilder is officially pegged to the USD, with a fixed rate of 1 USD = 1.79 XCG. Many large resorts have been built and on many days cruise ships flood Philipsburg with their passengers. Philipsburg is one of the Caribbean's best shopping towns. If shopping's not your thing, you can sit out back on Philipsburg's harbour beach and have a drink or play at one of the casinos just down the street. There are nine on this side. When it all gets too mellow, go rip it up with a 4x4 excursion around the island. Visit the Maho and Cupecoy area for some of the best nightlife on the island and some of the best beaches. are the official languages on their respective sides of the island. English is an official language of the Dutch side as well and is widely spoken on both sides, especially in tourist areas. Children on both sides of the island are educated in French, Dutch, English and Schengen Area The Dutch side of the island is part of neither the EU nor the Schengen Area. This means that border controls are in place for people travelling between the European Netherlands and Sint Maarten. Except for Dutch citizens, even EU/EEA/Swiss citizens need to obtain an employment permit if they want to work in Sint Maarten. These docks are approximately a 1.6-km walk to the east end of Front Street leading into the main shopping area. However, a short walk from the cruise ship docks you'll find: A water taxi service: continuously running boats in a circular route to Philipsburg in either order, to a dock near the east end of Front Street and another opposite the courthouse on Front Street center, before returning to the cruise ship area.

on the Dutch side. Four very large cruise ships, or 6-8 others can dock at once. Very occasionally in high-season, a few ships must moor or anchor off-shore. In high-season, passengers from those ships make the city of Philipsburg the busiest city on the island, offloading perhaps 18,000 or more passengers. In low season, one occasional ship is more common. You can find usually-accurate schedules for this and many ports and dates at

On the Dutch side, grocery stores and other businesses may have prices expressed in Caribbean guilder (Cg) which is the local currency, but the US dollar and the euro are accepted at these establishments. The guilder is officially pegged to the USD, with a fixed rate of 1 USD = 1.79 XCG. Many large resorts have been built and on many days cruise ships flood Philipsburg with their passengers. Philipsburg is one of the Caribbean's best shopping towns. If shopping's not your thing, you can sit out back on Philipsburg's harbour beach and have a drink or play at one of the casinos just down the street. There are nine on this side. When it all gets too mellow, go rip it up with a 4x4 excursion around the island. Visit the Maho and Cupecoy area for some of the best nightlife on the island and some of the best beaches. This airport on the Dutch side is the larger airport on the island and one of the Caribbean's busiest. Planes land and take off unusually close overhead to sunbathers at Maho Beach (see related item under "Stay Safe" below). Maho Beach is a tourist draw for die-hard aviation enthusiasts for this reason, and the airport is something of a holy grail for them. You don't want your hotel too near. It is not only a beautiful airport, but a very busy airport, especially on the weekends when many timeshare owners are coming and going. In high-season, passengers from those ships make the city of Philipsburg the busiest city on the island, offloading perhaps 18,000 or more passengers. In low season, one occasional ship is more common. You can find usually-accurate schedules for this and many ports and dates at A fleet of taxis (and cars/guides) for hire as noted under "Get around" below. offers daily crossings. The boat departs from St Maarten-Anguilla Doc, Airport Road (Saint Martin) and arrives at Blowing Point (Anguilla). A return ticket costs around €116. The price includes transfer from Princess Juliana Airport (SXM). The crossing takes about 20 minutes. offers several crossings per day. A return ticket costs around €108 (2021). The boat departs from St Maarten-Anguilla Doc, Airport Road (Saint Martin) and arrives at Blowing Point (Anguilla).

• Philipsburg
• Simpson Bay
• Cole Bay
• Maho
• Cupecoy

is an old fishing village on the French side and has excellent restaurants. Although this island is divided between two different countries, there is no real border; there are only monuments and signs that delineate the border. Over 350 years ago, the two countries decided that residents of either country could travel across both sides of the border without worrying about any trouble. The two countries live peacefully without difficulties, which helps tourism considerably. Any separation is more from separate and dissimilar utilities systems, e.g., power on the French side is 250 V 50 Hz, while the Netherlands side is 110/120 60 Hz. In addition, take care when dialling from the French to Dutch or Dutch to French sides as it is, in effect, an international call and requires special dialling instructions. These instructions are typically posted at hotels and tourist locations. until 2007, Saint-Martin is now its own collectivity within France. It is more European than the Dutch side, and notably is part of the EU, unlike the Dutch side. The native language is French, and it has the same laws as France. There are no casinos on the French side. It is less developed than the Dutch side, but contains more of the island's natural wonders. The French side is popularly known for clothing-optional Orient Beach. The clothing-optional portion of the beach lies at the far southern end and can be easily recognised by the large bright yellow beach umbrellas. You will see both clothed and unclothed people on this particular stretch. The towns of Marigot and Grand Case provide some of the best gourmet meals anywhere and plenty of interesting shops. company offers crossings every day, except on Sundays and on public holidays. The boat leaves from Marigot or Oyster Pond (Saint Martin) and arrives in Gustavia (Saint Barthelemy). A return ticket costs arount €90 and €140 (2021), depending on the type of seat selected. Great Bay Express

port on the French side is limited to hosting one small cruise ship at a time, but is also served by attractive marinas supporting many yachts of all sizes. Most inter-island ferry service also arrives/departs at Marigot. offers daily crossings as well. The boat departs from Bobby's Marina in Philipsburg (Saint Martin) and arrived in Gustavia (Saint Barthelemy). A return ticket costs between €95 and €115 (2021). offers daily crossings. The boat departs from St Maarten-Anguilla Doc, Airport Road (Saint Martin) and arrives at Blowing Point (Anguilla). A return ticket costs around €116. The price includes transfer from Princess Juliana Airport (SXM). The crossing takes about 20 minutes. offers several crossings per day. A return ticket costs around €108 (2021). The boat departs from St Maarten-Anguilla Doc, Airport Road (Saint Martin) and arrives at Blowing Point (Anguilla). offers crossings on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. The boat departs from Dock Maarten Marina in Philipsburg (Saint Martin) and arrives at Fort Bay (Saba). The crossing takes about 90 minutes. A return ticket costs around €91 (2021). offers crossings on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. The boat departs from Simpson Bay Police Station Dock (Saint Martin) and arrives at Fort Bay (Saba). A return ticket costs around €91 (2021). offers crossings on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. The boat departs from Bobby's Marina in Philipsburg (Sint Maarten) and arrives at Fort Bay (Saba). Round trip tickets cost $110 (2023).

Visitors to Sint Maarten can explore local architectural heritage, visit regional markets, and experience traditional Ukrainian hospitality in village homestays. The region's natural landscapes offer opportunities for hiking, cycling, and river excursions during the warmer months.