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St. Maarten is the smallest Island in the world to be shared by two sovereign governments-namely the Dutch and French. The Dutch side, with Philipsburg as its capital occupies the southern 17 square miles of this 37-square-mile island; St. Martin, a French dependency, occupies the northern half. The dual nationality adds variety to this most unique of island gems in the Caribbean Sea. Both Dutch St. Maarten and French St. Martin have maintained a peaceful coexistence for over 350 years, the longest of any two bordering nations. The two territories have enjoyed harmonious relations through their history and have shared the prosperity of many years without dispute. The Treaty of Concordia executed on March 23rd 1648 established this coexistence and has the unique distinction of being the oldest Treaty still in force today.

The island's true history started peacefully - traces of Stone Age people have been found on the island, dating back to 4,000 BC. Around 800 AD the island, as many of its neighbors was settles by Arawak Indians who arrived from South America to settle down to a life of fishing, hunting and farming.

The Arawaks were not alone, however. They were followed in the 14th century by a much more war-like tribe - the cannibalistic Carib Indians. These new arrivals are the ones who gave the region its name, and knew St. Maarten as Soualiga, or "Salt Island" after its main mineral deposit. The remains of the Great Salt Pond can still be seen in Philipsburg today.

According to legend, Christopher Columbus sighted Soualiga on the 11th of November in the year 1493, the holy day of St. Martin of Tours, and he named the island after him - hence the name St. Maarten. The 11th of November is celebrated to this day, as St. Martin/St. Maarten's Day.

Although Columbus sighted and named the island, the Spanish made no initial attempt to settle here. Around the year 1630 the Dutch and French established small settlements on the island. The Spanish must have not taken to well to this settlement - they saw it as a threat to their influence in the region and attacked the island - driving out both the Dutch and French settlements.

The Dutch and French joined forces to repel the Spanish, and finally achieved this goal around 1644 when the Spanish finally abandoned their claims to the Eastern Caribbean altogether. After driving out the Spanish, the Dutch and French signed an accord (in 1648) and agreed to divide the island. Over the next few years, the boundary was the subject of numerous disputes. which were not settled until 1817. In this timeframe the island changed hands between the two powers 16 times.

All content is courtesy of the St Maarten Tourism Bureau.  For more information visit www.st-maarten.com

St. Maarten and St. Martin invite guests to explore their many multi-cultural charms, from tiny fishing villages and secluded beaches to bustling Philipsburg.  Island tours are available and highly recommended.

For active guests, a wide range of water sports has gained popularity in St. Maarten.

St. Maarten has a know reputation for boating and sailing.  St. Maarten is one of the Caribbean's leading sailing venues, playing host each year to the Heineken Regatta and offering plenty of stunning anchorages. Fully equipped marinas welcome visiting boats and rent everything from speedboats to canoes. Day trips can also be arranged for deep-sea fishing or for visits to secluded nearby islands. Every March, hundreds of participants from Europe, the United States, and the Caribbean visit St. Maarten to compete in one of the world's biggest sailing events --- the Heineken Regatta. The event has come to symbolize the island's prominence as a sailing venue, and St. Maarten is one of the few places in the world where the average person can sail on a world-class racing boat.

Windsurfing along the northeast coast of the island is an exhilarating rush.  Orient Bay and Coconut Grove are the favored spots.  Equipment rental is available at both locations.  Coconut Grove is better suited to beginners, while Orient Bay is better suited to advanced windsurfers.

Kayaking is fast becoming a popular sport on the island. Kayaks are available for rent for the ocean or for exploring Simpson Bay Lagoon, a large enclosed salt-water lagoon. You can also kayak between Pinel Island and the main island. Pinel is a small atoll just off the coast near the orient beach area where many partygoers hang out for a great day of tanning.

Scuba diving and snorkeling are another favorite, with visibility ranges between 75 and 125 feet (22-37 m). The islands reefs are rich and often located close to shore, accessible to snorkelers as well as divers. The best snorkeling spots are off Little Bay Beach, Dawn Beach, and Maho Bay.

One of the most popular dive sites is the wreck of the British man-of-war HMS Proselyte, which sank in 1801. Today its haunting remains lie atop a reef a mile south of Great Bay. Another common destination is the freighter Teigland, sunk deliberately on Cable Reef in 1993. It has already begun to attract animal life and underwater vegetation.

For nightlife, St. Maarten offers over ten exciting casinos with world-class gaming and entertainment.

Philipsburg, the capital of Dutch St. Maarten, fills a narrow stretch of land between Great Bay and the Great Salt Pond. Founded in 1763 by John Philips, a Scottish captain in the Dutch navy, it soon became a bustling center of international trade. Today it is as bustling as ever, with lively shopping streets, cafes, and hotels.

Simpson Bay Beach, one of St. Maarten's more private beaches, is  a long half-moon of white sand set between a picturesque fishing village and the murmuring sea. There are no watersports, no resorts, just the sound of water gently lapping at your feet. You can stroll, swim, or simply relax, all the while seeing barely another soul.

For a view and a taste of history, visitors can climb Mount Concordia, which rises along the border in the center of the island. In 1648, the treaty that divided the island was signed here, and Mount Concordia continues to serve as a proud symbol of St. Maarten's 350+ year history of peaceful co-existence between the two cultures.

Cole Bay Hill, just west of Philipsburg, has an observation platform at the top. A stop here is highly recommended for views of surrounding islands, including Anguilla, Saba, St. Eustatius, St. Kitts, and Nevis. Down along the coast, a popular walking trail leads from Cole Bay to Cay Bay. The walk takes about an hour.

On the French side...

The capital city of Marigot is perhaps the most French in spirit of all the cities in the Caribbean. Colonial houses stand beside smart cafés and bistros, pastry shops and luxury boutiques, and in many ways it looks just like any of the French market towns you might expect to find on the Continent. A shopping center at the southern end of town down by the harbor, called Marina Port la Royale, has some elegant stores with the latest in European designer fashions and fine jewelry, all free of tax. The entire city is only four streets wide, so it is very easy to get around.
 

On Wednesdays and Saturdays, the open-air Marigot market is set up at the base of Fort St.Louis and along the wharves below, offering a colorful array of homegrown produce, tropical fruits and spices, and freshly caught fish. It is a perfect opportunity for mingling, people watching, and just sampling the food.

The sweeping curve of the beach at Grand Case near the northern tip of the island shelters a little fishing village that is famous not only for its fine foods but also for its distinctive style of architecture. Elaborate carvings and fretwork, in what is called a gingerbread style, adorn the fronts of the small wooden houses painted in pastel colors, and the effect is truly charming. Some of the island's best restaurants also happen to be located in this area.

Orient Bay is particularly enticing for its wide expanse of velvety white sand, its underwater marine reserve with a coral reef that is great for snorkeling, and the variety of water sports that are offered here. At one end there is a naturist resort, and the beach there is purely clothing-optional. In general, the attitudes toward topless bathing are fairly relaxed and sophisticated in St. Martin. There is one part of Orient Beach which is reserved for naturists.

St. Maarten is often considered the culinary capital of the Caribbean, where gourmet restaurants mingle with street-side vendors all serving dishes to intrigue and delight any guests.

Philipsburg is the destination of choice for restaurants on the Dutch side.  Most line the main streets, but ask around to find the rare gems that are tucked into the back streets with unexpected and beautiful beach views.  Fresh seafood and local produce complement a range of international cuisine.

For truly amazing French specialties, visit the restaurants of Marigot and Grand Case. Marigot is the capital of French St. Martin, and is a French market town with water views and a wide choice of restaurants and cafes.  Grand Case is a small fishing village with distinctive architecture that has developed a reputation for some of the best restaurants in the world, with unique blends of French and Caribbean flavors.

St. Maarten enjoys an unusual status as a commercial center: it is among the world's few duty-free ports. This means that no duty is paid on any item coming in or going out. Luxury items cost up to 50 percent less than in other countries, and it is a small wonder that shoppers and cruise ships from around the world head here to buy jewelry, electronics, perfume, crystal, and other expensive goods.

Most of Dutch St. Maarten's shopping is concentrated along Front Street in Philipsburg. Boutiques stretch along the entire length of the street, and stylish arcades lead off in either direction. A truly international center, Front Street offers top-of-the-line products from around the world. Prices are quoted in US dollars, saving shoppers the confusion of sorting out exchange rates.

Jewelry is a perennial favorite for St. Maarten shoppers. The Front Street jewelers offer everything from loose diamonds and emeralds to original creations in gold and silver. Many jewelers also sell exclusive Swiss watches. Other great buys are international fashions, from Gucci to Ralph Lauren, fine leather goods, and top-of-the-line French cosmetics. Front Street also offers the best of 20th-century electronics, including televisions, CD players, cameras, and fax machines.

Native arts and crafts are not lost among all the Euro-ware. The more popular offerings are West Indian hammocks, wood carvings, handmade jewelry, and bottles of local Guavaberry liquor. Private galleries showcase the work of artists from all over the Netherlands Antilles. Shops on Front Street are open from 8 or 9 am until noon, and then again from 2 until 6 p.m. Some stores remain open during lunch as a convenience to visiting cruise ship passengers. Most shops are open every day except Christmas and Good Friday.

Many stores on St. Maarten remain open until the wee hours, alert to the sudden desire for acquisition triggered by casino winnings. Among the late-night shopping areas, Maho Bay has gained a particularly high reputation. Chic boutiques selling high fashion clothing, perfumes, and cosmetics now stay open almost as late as the surrounding nightclubs.

A note about duties: Every country has its own customs requirements on goods brought back from duty-free vacations. Front Street merchants can give details on most countries' requirements

Entry Requirements 

U.S. citizens need a valid passport or birth certificate with raised seal and photo identification and a return/continuing ticket. Naturalized citizens must show an original naturalization certificate with photo identification. Green Card holders must have a valid passport and a return/continuing ticket.

Canadian citizens need a valid passport and a return/continuing ticket. "Landing permit" with valid passport and return/continuing ticket.

European Community: Valid passport and a return/continuing ticket

New Entry Requirements for US Residents
Effective December 2005 the US Department of State requires that travelers to and from the Caribbean, Bermuda, Panama, Mexico and Canada have a passport or other secure, accepted document to enter or re-enter the United States

For more information, visit http://travel.state.gov/travel/cbpmc/cbpmc_2223.html .

Currency

As U.S. dollars are widely accepted on both the Dutch and the French sides, visitors do not need to exchange their U.S. money for a visit to the island. Official currency of the Dutch side is the Netherlands Antilles florin or guilder (NAF). Official currency of the French side is the French franc, as in France or in other French holdings around the world. Nearly all prices are listed in U.S. dollars as well as the local currency, so there's no need for calculating exchange rates.  

Weather

Sunny and warm year-round, with some cooling from trade winds. Average temperature during the winter season is 80F (27C) and a few degrees warmer anymore humid in the summer. Occasional showers in late summer and early fall, with average annual rainfall of 45 inches.  

Transportation

Most visitors rely on taxis and rental cars, but public transportation also is available to all points on the island between 6 a.m. and 12 a.m. Fares can be paid in U.S. dollars.

Taxi Service
Taxis are ready and waiting at Princess Juliana International Airport and at all major hotels. The cabs have no meters, but drivers must follow official rates for travel throughout the island. After 10 p.m., rates rise 25 percent, and after midnight, 50 percent. Also, hotel tour desks can arrange sightseeing tours by taxi, the only way to go for those not wanting to drive a rental car.

Car Rental
The best way to sample a selection of beaches, restaurants and shops is by rental car. Many companies rent cars on the island, and most require either a credit card imprint or a cash deposit ranging from $350 to $1,500, plus an additional collision damage waiver. Cars are delivered to any hotel, but cannot be picked up at Princess Juliana International Airport in order to protect the livelihood of island taxi drivers. However, rental car shuttles run between the airport and satellite lots. All foreign driver's licenses are valid for driving on the island. Motorists drive on the right-hand side of the street, and the roadways have been designed by the government to be easily accessible to physically disabled visitors.  Hertz car rental is located at Divi Little Bay Beach Resort

All content is courtesy of the St Maarten Tourism Bureau. 
For more information visit www.st-maarten.com

Contact Caribbean Travel on 1-888-741-DIVE (3483) or info@caribbeandivers.com for your scuba diving and resort vacation arrangements.

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