St. Martin
Leave your winter coat behind and escape to St. Martin.
By Michelle Salater Photographs by Michelle Salater
Hiking down the narrow dirt path along the Caribbean Sea, I peer through a towering cactus patch and catch a glimpse of ST. MARTIN'S crimson cliffs. A sailboat glides along the hues of blue and disappears. I no longer hear reggae from the beach bar, only the waves smashing into the rocks below. White butterflies flutter in front of me as the path descends into a pasture of knee-high lime-green grass. Suddenly I'm overlooking swaying coconut palms on the white sand. Tossing my bag under the nearest palm, I dive into the crystal clear turquoise water.
Only accessible by foot, HAPPY BAY is one of St. Martin's most spectacular sights: an untouched, wild beach. The quintessential image of a Caribbean tropical paradise. Indeed, life on St. Martin/St. Maarten is as good as it gets. Located in the WESTERN ANTILLES, where the Caribbean meets the Atlantic, the "Friendly Island" is the smallest island in the world to have been partitioned between two nations. French St. Martin/Dutch St. Maarten has been peacefully shared for more than 350 years, and its double history makes the island an extraordinary place to visit.
St. Martin touts its relaxed, romantic, secluded atmosphere and world-renowned cuisine. In GRAND CASE, the gourmet capital of the Caribbean, dine beachside over candlelight or at an intimate bistro. This former fishing village boasts some of the finest French cuisine in the world, and the SOL E LUNA in MONT VERNON is regularly voted the most romantic restaurant on the island. The 300-plus restaurants on the island--more than 200 on the French side--will satisfy anyone's palate: French, Creole, Italian, Moroccan, Indonesian, Thai, Japanese, American.
More informal in atmosphere, St. Maarten hosts larger resorts, an 18-hole golf course, casinos and nightclubs. The capitol, PHILIPSBURG, is a busy cruise port and a shopper's dream. Frontstreet glitters, its jewelry stores packed with diamonds, precious stones and watches--and everything is tax-free. And shopping in St. Martin's capital, MARIGOT, is the next best thing to shopping in Paris. Designer boutiques abound in the Plaza Caraibes in front of the MARINA PORT LA ROYALE. The RUE DE LA REPUBLIQUE is home to couture houses, jewelers and art galleries.
In this temperate climate, every day is perfect for a trip to one of the island's 36-plus beaches--more than on any other island in the West Indian archipelago. BAIE ROUGE and CUPECOY BEACH are quiet and secluded; ORIENT BEACH and LITTLE BAY offer beach bars and water sports.
THE BEST WAY TO EXPERIENCE THE FRIENDLY ISLAND IS TO RENT A CAR. THERE ARE FEW ROADS, AND THEY'RE WELL MARKED. VISIT THE BUTTERFLY FARM, OLD FORTS, SALT PONDS AND STREAMS, THEN DRIVE 1,392 FEET UP PIC PARADIS AND GAZE OUT AT PARADISE.
