Best Traditional Saint Martin Maarten Smallest Land Mass Two Nations 87 km² French Saint-Martin North Dutch Sint Maarten South 1648 Concordia Treaty Maho Beach Princess Juliana Airport SXM Plane Spotting Boeing 747 Touchdown Philipsburg Capital Sint Maarten Marigot Capital Saint-Martin Orient Bay Naturist Beach 2 km Pic Paradis 424 m Highest Loterie Farm and Saint Martin Heritage Tour Destinations

Best Traditional Saint Martin Maarten Smallest Land Mass Two Nations 87 km² French Saint-Martin North Dutch Sint Maarten South 1648 Concordia Treaty Maho Beach Princess Juliana Airport SXM Plane Spotting Boeing 747 Touchdown Philipsburg Capital Sint Maarten Marigot Capital Saint-Martin Orient Bay Naturist Beach 2 km Pic Paradis 424 m Highest Loterie Farm and Saint Martin Heritage Tour Destinations

Browse more guides: Saint Martin/maarten travel | North America destinations

Best Traditional Saint Martin Maarten 87 km² Two Nations 1648 Concordia Maho 747 Philipsburg Marigot Orient 2 km Pic Paradis 424 m Loterie and Saint Martin Heritage Tour Destinations

TL;DR

Saint Martin / Sint Maarten - smallest land mass in the world shared by two nations + 87 km² + ~80,000 population total - preserves the most-significant Maho, Philipsburg, Marigot, Orient, and Pic Paradis heritage and the renowned plane-spotting beach. Major destinations: Smallest land mass in the world shared by two sovereign nations 87 km² and French Saint-Martin north 53 km² and Dutch Sint Maarten south 34 km² + 1648 Treaty of Concordia divided according legend two men walked from one end other Frenchman won as he drank wine vs gin sleeping, Maho Beach, Princess Juliana International Airport SXM, and plane spotting Boeing 747 touchdown over heads and Sunset Bar & Grill, jet blast warning fence, and renowned photograph, Philipsburg capital Dutch Sint Maarten, Front Street boardwalk, and Great Bay 1 km and cruise hub up to 7 ships and Sint Maarten Museum, Marigot capital French Saint-Martin, Caribbean French village atmosphere, Marina Royale, Tuesday Wednesday Saturday market, and Fort Louis 1789 ruins, Orient Bay naturist 2 km partial, Coco Beach, Le Galion Beach, and Pic Paradis 424 m highest, Loterie Farm canopy zip-lines, and various Saint Martin cultural-tourism. Plan a 5-7 day Saint Martin trip.

Background

Saint Martin / Sint Maarten (~87 km², ~80,000 population). Smallest land mass in the world shared by two sovereign nations. French Saint-Martin (53 km² - French overseas collectivity since 2007 - ~32,000 population). Dutch Sint Maarten (34 km² - constituent country within Kingdom of the Netherlands since October 10 2010 - ~42,000 population). Treaty of Concordia 1648 (divided island according to legend two men walked from one end to other Frenchman drank wine and Dutchman drank gin - Dutchman fell asleep so Frenchman won more). Saint Martin / Sint Maarten has 0 UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Maho Beach (Princess Juliana International Airport SXM - plane spotting Boeing 747 touchdown over heads - Sunset Bar & Grill). Philipsburg (capital Dutch - Front Street boardwalk - Great Bay 1 km - cruise hub up to 7 ships). Marigot (capital French - Marina Royale - Fort Louis 1789 ruins). Orient Bay (naturist 2 km partial - Coco Beach - Le Galion). Pic Paradis (424 m highest). Loterie Farm (canopy zip-lines). Smallest land mass + 1648 + Concordia preserves division. Maho + 747 preserves Maho. Philipsburg, Marigot preserves capitals. Orient, and Pic Paradis 424 m, Loterie, and various Saint Martin cultural-tourism preserves rest. French, Dutch, English, Papiamento, and Saint Martin Creole-significant in tourism.

Major Saint Martin / Sint Maarten characteristics:

  • Smallest two-nation island - 87 km² + 1648
  • Maho Beach - 747 plane spotting
  • Philipsburg and Marigot - Dutch and French capitals
  • Orient Bay - naturist 2 km
  • Pic Paradis - 424 m highest

Tier 1 - five destinations to anchor a trip

1. Maho Beach and Princess Juliana 747 Plane Spotting

Maho Beach: Maho Beach, Princess Juliana International Airport SXM, and plane spotting Boeing 747 touchdown over heads and Sunset Bar & Grill, jet blast warning fence, renowned photograph, and landings 11 AM-2 PM peak. Half-day. Beach free.

Mid-range budget €200-600 per day in Saint Martin / Sint Maarten.

2. Philipsburg Dutch Capital, Front Street, and Cruise Hub

Philipsburg: Philipsburg capital Dutch Sint Maarten, Front Street boardwalk, and Great Bay 1 km and cruise hub up to 7 ships, Sint Maarten Museum, Old Street, and Courthouse 1793 + Wathey Square. Half-day. Sint Maarten Museum USD 5.

3. Marigot French Capital, Marina, and Fort Louis 1789

Marigot: Marigot capital French Saint-Martin, Caribbean French village, Marina Royale, Tuesday Wednesday Saturday market, and Fort Louis 1789 ruins and Fort Saint-Louis. Half-day. Fort Louis free.

4. Orient Bay Naturist, Coco Beach, and Le Galion

Orient Bay: Orient Bay naturist 2 km partial, Coco Beach, Le Galion family-friendly, Bikini Beach, Kontiki, Club Orient nudist, and post-Hurricane Irma 2017 rebuilt. 1-day visit. Beach free.

5. Pic Paradis 424 m, Loterie, and various Saint Martin

Pic Paradis: Pic Paradis 424 m highest, Loterie Farm canopy zip-lines Tarzan, Mullet Bay, Kim Sha Beach, Cupecoy Beach, Friars Bay, Long Bay, Anse Marcel, and Grand Case "Gourmet Capital of the Caribbean" + Tintamarre Island and Pinel Island day-trip. 2-day exploration. Loterie Farm USD 60; Pic Paradis hike free.

Tier 2 - for longer trips

  • Combined SXM area arc: Saint Martin, Anguilla, Saint Barths, St Eustatius, and Saba
  • Combined French Caribbean arc: Saint Martin, Guadeloupe, and Martinique
  • Various academic two-nations, Concordia, and plane-spotting programs

Cost comparison

Destination Daily budget (mid-range) Site entry Cultural-tourism quality Overall value
Maho Beach €200-600 free premier Outstanding
Philipsburg €200-600 USD 5 premier Outstanding
Marigot €200-600 free premier Outstanding
Orient Bay €200-600 free premier Outstanding
Pic Paradis and Loterie €200-600 USD 60 premier Outstanding

Object prices: Saint Martin moderate-expensive - meals USD 25-100, hotels USD 200-1,500.

How to plan it

Fly Princess Juliana International (SXM) + rental car easily crosses border.

Time around December-April dry; June-November hurricane (Irma September 2017 devastating).

French, Dutch, English, and Papiamento-significant in tourism.

Carry euro French, Caribbean guilder ANG Dutch, USD widely, and cards.

FAQ

Is Saint Martin safe for travelers?

Yes - among Caribbean's safer tourist zones; post-Irma recovery.

When is the best time to visit?

December-April.

Are these traditions changing?

Heritage continuation strong; two-nations harmony.

Should I drink the tap water?

Bottled water recommended.

Putting it together - three recommended trips

The Saint Martin classic - fly SXM (5 nights - Maho Beach, Philipsburg, Marigot, Orient Bay, Pic Paradis Loterie, and Grand Case dining), home. Six days. Expect $2,000-$5,500 per person excluding international flights.

The Saint Martin deep-dive - Saint Martin 7 + day-trips Pinel Tintamarre Anguilla. Seven days. Expect $3,000-$7,500 per person excluding flights.

The SXM area arc - Saint Martin 4 + Saint Barths 2 + Anguilla 2. Eight days. Expect $5,000-$15,000 per person excluding flights.

Related guides on this site

External references

Last updated 2026-05-09. Verify before travel.

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