St Maarten is the only place in the world where two nations share a small tropical island, and have done peaceably for centuries: the southern half Dutch, the northern half French, the border unmarked and open, crossed without a passport or so much as a sign in some places. The Dutch side, Sint Maarten, is the busy one, its capital Philipsburg strung along the curve of Great Bay with a boardwalk of bars and duty-free shops; the French side, Saint-Martin, is quieter and more Gallic, its capital Marigot given over to a morning market, a yacht harbour and cafes that take euros and serve croissants.
Ships dock at the A.C. Wathey pier at Point Blanche, a working cruise port that takes some of the largest ships afloat, with Philipsburg a short walk or water taxi around the bay. The island’s set pieces are spread across both nations: Maho Beach at the western end, where airliners drop startlingly low over the sand on their approach to the airport; the French market at Marigot; the old Dutch fort above Little Bay; and a ring of beaches, thirty or more, that are the island’s real currency. A day here is as much about choosing between the two countries as seeing any one thing.
This guide covers a St Maarten day ashore: the walk into Philipsburg and its boardwalk, the famous planes at Maho Beach and the safety around them, the crossing to the French side at Marigot, the island’s best beaches, and the practical detail of currency, taxis and how to take in two nations in a single call.
Port Overview
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Port Type | Alongside at the Dr. A.C. Wathey Cruise Facility at Point Blanche, two piers that between them take up to about six large ships at once. It is one of the busiest cruise ports in the Caribbean and berths the largest ships afloat. Not a tender port. |
| Distance to Town | Philipsburg and Great Bay are about 1 km from the pier, a flat 10 to 15 minute walk along the waterfront, or a short water taxi at US$5 one-way. |
| Currency | The Dutch side uses the Caribbean guilder, which replaced the old Netherlands Antillean guilder in 2025 and is pegged to the US dollar; in practice US dollars are accepted everywhere. The French side uses the euro. English is the everyday language across the island. |
| Language | English, with Dutch and French official on their respective sides |
| Best Known For | One island, two nations: the duty-free boardwalk of Dutch Philipsburg, the famous low-flying jets at Maho Beach, and the French cafes and market of Marigot across an open border. |
- A.C. Wathey Cruise Facility , The cruise piers at Point Blanche; walk or water taxi to Philipsburg
- Philipsburg & Front Street , The Dutch capital's duty-free boardwalk on Great Bay
- Great Bay Beach , The town beach running the length of the Philipsburg boardwalk
- Maho Beach , Where jets land low over the sand by Princess Juliana Airport
- Marigot , Capital of the French side, with a market, marina and euro cafes
- Fort Amsterdam , The oldest Dutch fort in the Caribbean, on the headland by Little Bay
- Pic Paradis , The island's highest point, with views over both nations
- Orient Bay , The long, lively French beach on the northeast coast
Dr. A.C. Wathey Cruise Facility, Point Blanche · View larger map
Getting From the Port to Town
Walking: The Best Option
Free, or US$5 by water taxi- Walk time: 10 to 15 minutes to Philipsburg
- The walk from the pier into Philipsburg is flat, safe and pleasant, about ten to fifteen minutes along the waterfront to the Boardwalk and Front Street. A water taxi runs the same route for US$5 one-way or US$7 for an all-day pass, dropping in the centre of Great Bay. The walk is often quicker than the water taxi when several ships are in and the queues build. Great Bay Beach runs the length of the boardwalk, so the town, the shops and a swim are all within easy reach on foot.
Local Bus
About US$2 by shared minibus- St Maarten's minibuses run set routes at low fixed fares, marked by their destination in the windscreen, and the Philipsburg to Maho and Marigot lines are genuinely useful for reaching the airport beach and the French capital on the cheap. They keep no fixed timetable and stop on request, which suits the unhurried but not the tightly scheduled. For a fuller island loop, or to combine several stops, a taxi or an organised tour is the surer choice on a cruise day.
Taxi
Fixed government zone rates in US dollars; agree the fare first- Taxis run to fixed government zone rates rather than a meter, quoted in US dollars and usually priced for the first two passengers with a supplement for more. A driver will run a small group to Maho Beach, across the border to Marigot and up to a viewpoint for a set price, which is the flexible way to see both sides of the island in a day. Confirm the fare and the currency before setting off, as extra passengers, luggage and evening runs carry surcharges.
Top Excursions
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The best excursions in St Maarten fill up ahead of peak sailings. Compare options and book before you leave port.
Things to Do in St Maarten
A St Maarten day is shaped by the fact that there are two islands to choose from in one. The simplest call stays on the Dutch side, a walk into Philipsburg for the boardwalk and the town beach, perhaps with a taxi out to Maho to watch the planes. The fuller day crosses the open border to the French side, taking in the market at Marigot and a beach or two, and returns having sampled both nations. The island is small, and a taxi or tour can string several of its set pieces together in a single call.
The great sights here are scenery and spectacle rather than history: the planes at Maho, the beaches at Orient Bay and Mullet Bay, the view from Pic Paradis, the harbour at Marigot. Philipsburg itself is a shopping and boardwalk town more than a place of monuments. Most passengers settle on a shape that mixes a beach with one distinctive thing, the planes or the French side, and leaves the rest for another visit.
- Maho Beach and the planes. Maho Beach is the island’s signature spectacle, a small strip of sand at the very end of the airport runway where arriving jets pass low enough overhead to raise a gasp from the crowd. It is about twenty-five to thirty-five minutes west of the port by taxi or minibus, and the bar behind the beach posts the day’s arrivals so you can time a big landing. The spectacle is the landings; the departures are the danger, as the jet blast can throw a person across the sand, so the beach is enjoyed with a healthy respect for the runway fence.
- Philipsburg and the Boardwalk. The Dutch capital lines the curve of Great Bay, its two long streets, Front Street and Back Street, given over to duty-free shops, and its seafront Boardwalk to bars and restaurants looking out over the beach. It is a ten to fifteen minute walk or a short water taxi from the pier, flat and easy, and the town beach runs its whole length, so shopping, lunch and a swim are all within a few steps of one another. It is the natural focus of a Dutch-side day and the easiest thing to reach on foot.
- Marigot and the French side. Across the open, unmarked border, about half an hour northwest, Marigot is the capital of French Saint-Martin and a wholly different mood: a waterfront market of spices and pareos under the ruined Fort Louis, a marina of yachts, and cafes that price in euros and serve French food. The crossing needs no passport, and an island tour or a taxi will fold it into the day. For passengers who like the idea of two countries in one call, the French side is the reason to leave the Dutch half behind for an hour or two.
- Orient Bay and the beaches. St Maarten counts more than thirty beaches, and choosing between them is much of the pleasure. On the French side, Orient Bay is the liveliest, a long arc of sand with beach clubs and watersports sometimes called the St Tropez of the Caribbean; on the Dutch side, Mullet Bay is the local favourite for soft sand and clear water, and Great Bay is the convenient one in town. Each is a taxi ride from the port, and a beach of one sort or another is how most passengers spend the better part of a St Maarten day.
- Pic Paradis and the island views. The green ridge that runs down the middle of the island rises to Pic Paradis, its highest point at some 424 metres, reached by a road and a short walk to a lookout that takes in both nations, the surrounding bays and the scatter of neighbouring islands on a clear day. It is a quieter, greener counterpoint to the beaches and the boardwalk, usually taken in as part of an island tour, and the best single vantage point over the curious two-country geography of the place.
- Fort Amsterdam and Little Bay. On a headland between Great Bay and Little Bay stand the low ruins of Fort Amsterdam, built by the Dutch in 1631 and the oldest Dutch fort in the Caribbean, with cannon still looking out to sea and wide views back over Philipsburg. It is a short taxi and a walk from the town, quiet and rarely crowded, and pairs a little of the island’s history with a good vantage over the bay. A gentle option for passengers who have seen the beaches and want something on foot.
Maho Beach sits at the end of the runway at Princess Juliana Airport, and arriving jets pass just overhead, low enough to feel, in one of the island’s signature sights. The danger is not the landings but the departures: the jet blast from a large aircraft taking off can knock a grown adult off their feet and hurl them across the sand, and a tourist clinging to the airport fence was killed by it in 2017. Watch the landings, enjoy the spectacle, and stay well clear of the fence and the beach directly behind the runway when aircraft are departing.
Eating Near the Cruise Port
- Dock Port
- 10 to 15 min to town
- USD accepted; euro French side
What to eat in St Maarten
Johnny cakes are the island staple: fried rounds of dough, crisp outside and soft in the middle, served alongside saltfish or stewed meat. Conch and dumplings is the traditional plate to look for, conch simmered slowly with dumplings that soak up the gravy. Callaloo soup, leafy greens with okra and coconut milk, turns up on most local menus. The island has two sides and two cuisines, so French cooking is only a short drive north.
What to drink
Guavaberry is the national liqueur and it isn’t guava. The berries grow wild in the hills inland, and the liqueur made from them is aromatic and faintly spiced, sold along Front Street in Philipsburg. Rum punch is everywhere else. Beer is imported rather than local.
Where to find it
It’s about ten to fifteen minutes from the berth into Philipsburg, or a short water taxi if you’d rather not walk it. Front Street is the shopping run and Back Street behind it is where the everyday food is cheaper. The beach bars along Great Bay sit between the two.
Good for a short port call
Philipsburg does everything you need within a few streets. Save the French side and Grand Case for a longer call, because that’s a drive each way.
Getting Around
The Dutch and French sides make an easy pairing on a cruise call. Philipsburg, on the Dutch side, is the shopping and boardwalk town, a walk from the pier; Marigot, the French capital, is about half an hour northwest, quieter and more European, with a morning market under the old fort and cafes that price in euros. A taxi or island tour can take in both, crossing the open, unmarked border on the way, and the contrast between the two nations is one of the more interesting things the island offers.
Essential Travel Tips
The Dutch side runs on the US dollar in practice, even though its official currency is now the Caribbean guilder, which replaced the old Netherlands Antillean guilder in 2025. Prices in Philipsburg are usually quoted in dollars and cards are widely taken. The French side is different: Marigot prices in euros, and while dollars are often accepted there, the rate is rarely in your favour. For a day that stays on the Dutch side, US dollars are all you need; for the French side, a few euros help.
The Caribbean cruise season runs from December to April, the island’s drier and more reliable half, when the winter fleets are in the region. The wetter months from June to November bring the Atlantic hurricane season and thinner schedules; Hurricane Irma struck the island hard in September 2017, though it has long since rebuilt and 2025 was its busiest cruise year since before the pandemic. A winter day on St Maarten is warm, bright and cooled by the trade winds.
Wathey Pier at Point Blanche takes some of the largest ships afloat, which means the route round the bay into Philipsburg can be busy in both directions. Many first-timers take the water taxi one way and walk the other, which is the sensible compromise. Keep the packing list to beach essentials, because this is a swimming call.
The case for a shore excursion on St Maarten comes down to two things: crossing to the French side, or getting out to Maho to watch the aircraft come in low over the sand. Philipsburg’s boardwalk and Great Bay are a walk from the ship, and Mullet Bay is a short taxi.
US dollars are accepted on both sides of the island, so your spending money needs no forward planning for a single day ashore. Front Street duty-free is the draw for some; a beach chair and a long lunch is better value for most.
On a ship this size the walk ashore is quick and the return is where the queue forms, so leave it a margin. If you are still choosing a cabin, the shaded side earns its money on a run of days like this one.
Frequently Asked Questions
Ships berth alongside at the Dr. A.C. Wathey Cruise Facility at Point Blanche, a large, busy port with two piers that take up to about six ships at once, including the largest afloat. It is not a tender port. Philipsburg and Great Bay are about a kilometre away, a flat ten to fifteen minute walk along the waterfront, or a short water taxi at US$5 one-way. Maho Beach and the French side lie further out and need transport.
Maho Beach is at the western end of the island, about twenty-five to thirty-five minutes from the port. A taxi runs there on a fixed zone fare, and the Philipsburg to Maho minibus does the same trip far more cheaply for the unhurried. The beach sits at the end of the airport runway, where arriving jets pass low overhead. Enjoy the landings, but stay well clear of the fence during departures, as the jet blast is genuinely dangerous.
Yes, easily. Marigot, the French capital, is about half an hour northwest of Philipsburg, and the border between the Dutch and French sides is open and unmarked, crossed without a passport. A taxi or an island tour will include it, and the two capitals make a natural pairing: Dutch Philipsburg for the boardwalk and shops, French Marigot for the market, the marina and the cafes. Allow for the travel time each way so you are back aboard in good time.
On the Dutch side, US dollars in practice: prices in Philipsburg are usually quoted in dollars and cards are widely accepted, even though the official currency is now the Caribbean guilder. On the French side at Marigot the currency is the euro, and while dollars are sometimes taken there, the rate is rarely good. For a day on the Dutch side, dollars are all you need; if you plan to cross to the French side, a few euros are useful.
The landings are the spectacle and are safe to watch from the beach; the departures are the hazard. The jet blast from a large aircraft taking off can knock a person off their feet and throw them across the sand or against the runway fence, and a visitor was killed this way in 2017. Keep well back from the fence and away from the beach directly behind the runway whenever aircraft are departing, and treat the warning signs seriously rather than as part of the fun.
Philipsburg is a shopping and boardwalk town on the curve of Great Bay. Front Street is lined with duty-free shops, the seafront Boardwalk with bars and restaurants, and the town beach runs the whole length, so browsing, lunch and a swim sit within a few steps of each other. It is a walk or a short water taxi from the pier. It is more a place to stroll, shop and sit by the water than a town of monuments, and it makes an easy, self-contained Dutch-side day.
British and most Western passport holders do not need a visa for a short stay on either side of the island, though a valid passport is required. Cruise passengers ashore for the day are admitted as visitors, with the ship handling the formalities, and the open border means the French side needs no separate check. Requirements can change, so travellers of other nationalities should confirm their own position before sailing.
The Caribbean cruise season runs from December to April, the drier and more reliable half of the year, when the winter fleets are in the region. The wetter months from June to November bring the Atlantic hurricane season and thinner schedules. A winter day on St Maarten is warm and bright, cooled by the trade winds, and the calmest time for the beaches and the boat trips that are much of the island’s appeal.
Ready to Explore St Maarten?
St Maarten offers something no other port on the route can: two countries in a single day, crossed on an open border without a passport. The Dutch side gives the easy pleasures of Philipsburg, its boardwalk and its town beach a short walk from the ship, along with the famous spectacle of the planes at Maho; the French side adds the market, the marina and the euro-priced cafes of Marigot. Around them lie thirty-odd beaches to choose from and a green ridge with views over both nations. A beach, a distinctive sight and a taste of the other country is the shape most passengers settle into, and on this curious shared island it makes for a varied and memorable call.
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