Charming Saint‑Martin

Story & Photography | Renée S. Suen

From breathtaking views spied from its lush hilltops, to the cerulean waters lapping its shores, the “Friendly Island” of Saint‑Martin/Sint Maarten offers travellers a scenic and charming escape to island life. Sharing its border with The Netherlands’ Sint Maarten, French Saint‑Martin is teeming with options that would please any gourmand, plus lush tropical forests and rocky mountains to delight hikers and light adventurers.

MARIGOT
Experience a tropical climate that’s cooled by trade winds while touring the island. Head to Fort Louis for a birds-eye view of Marigot, its capital. The 18th-century stone fort was initially constructed to defend the French side from attacks, but on a clear day, it now offers unobstructed views across Marigot Bay to the neighbouring island of Anguilla.

From this vantage point, you can admire Marigot’s preserved architecture, featuring traditional 19th-century housing facades splashed in vibrant colours—many with street-facing balconies lined with gingerbread trims and finely crafted railings. Spot colonial monuments and cobbled streets, and admire the coastal scenery, plus a waterfront that you can visit for flavourful local fare and to shop at the Marigot outdoor market.

The vibrant frescoes dominate sides of buildings around the island—including the art-filled grounds of family-owned Hommage Hotel & Residences—that art lovers can enjoy on socially-distanced walking tours.

SUN, SAND AND SEA
Surrounded by both the Atlantic and the Caribbean Sea, the small 90-square-kilometre island is a beach-lover’s paradise. With 37 golden sand beaches wrapped around its perimeter, the biodiverse Caribbean waters surrounding Saint‑Martin are an aquaphile’s dream come true. You can scuba dive to spot shipwrecks, snorkel through reefs, or swim with sea turtles around Tintamarre. This secluded and uninhabited island four kilometres offshore is known for being a prime spot to snorkel, with rugged red cliffs for hiking. It can be comfortably reached in style by boat with CaptainJo Boat Charter.

A boat tour can also take you to Creole Rock, located just off the coast of Grand Case. The waters around the small, rocky islet are home to an expansive reef; the shallow waters and soft sand make it a beginner-friendly dive spot that doesn’t require air tanks and is filled with angelfish, trumpet fish and sea urchins.

Or visit a beach, like popular Orient Beach on the northeastern coast that’s known for its crystal blue waters and fine white sand. Stop for a bite at Le String Beach, then enjoy a rum punch on one of the lounge chairs in front of the casual
beach bar. Those who are more liberal can head to the southernmost part of the beach where clothing is optional at Club Orient.

Maho Beach is best known for being just at the end of the Princess Julianna airport runway and offers many the opportunity to see planes landing or taking off metres above them. For a less crowded option head to Mullet Bay, near 18 hole Mullet Bay golf course, which is a popular spot for surfing and other water sports given its slightly rougher waves.

Family-friendly options include the beautiful Friar’s Bay Beach on the northwestern side of the island that has soft sand and calmer waves. Protected from the winds and waves of the ocean, Grand Case Beach has some of the island’s calmest waters and is home to many gourmet restaurants and beachfront bars.

SHOPPING
Given its strong ties to France, Saint-Martin is a haven for shoppers who can purchase French goods without having to worry about VAT or customs taxes. (It’s the Caribbean’s only tax-free island.) Head to the colourful streets of Marigot to browse through the racks of French-inspired boutiques and shopping arcades. There’s West Indies Mall along historic Rue de la République (Marigot’s main street), Rue du Général de Gaulle and Rue la Liberté to stock up on Louis Vuitton bags and Cartier accessories.

For beauty products, find French perfumes and cosmetics at Lipstick, or create your own fragrance to commemorate your Caribbean adventure at Tijon Parfumerie in Grand Case. The latter follows the practices of perfumeries in Grasse, France—complete with an on-site lab that provides guests with an immersive experience that starts from nosing fragrances to blending and naming their own perfume.

Imbibers can find fine French wines even at grocers in Marigot. However, for the truly special ones, head to specialty wine importer and distributor Le goût du vin. Serving oenophiles since 1988, its knowledgeable staff can assist you with your purchases, from vineyards in Champagne to Châteauneuf-du-Pape, and wrap them safely for your trip home.

HIDDEN TREASURES: COLOMBIER AND LOTERIE FARM
Head to the mountainous centre of the island for a couple of hidden treasures. There are the sprawling green pastures surrounding the Creole village Colombier and Pic Paradis, the highest point on the island. The former is abundant in local flora that’s vastly different than the rest of the island and home to Guavaberry House, producer of guavaberry liqueur. It’s a drink made by macerating wild guavaberries in aged oak rum and cane sugar. Traditionally consumed at Christmas and made in homes, the now commercialized garnet liquor takes on the ripe black berries’ woody, spicy and bitter notes.

On the hillside of Pic Paradis, there’s Loterie Farm. The former sugar plantation is a serene private nature reserve and eco-tourism experience, where adventure seekers can climb and ‘Flyzone’ zipline over the lush 60-hectare property’s mango and mahogany treetop canopy. Hikers will find the vertical scramble up to the peak’s observation points an intermediate to hard challenge that’s worth the effort.

You can wine and dine at the lounge or relax in day beds by the Jungle Pool. Framed by tropical foliage, the latter is a spectacular spring-fed lagoon swimming pool that’s surrounded by cabanas. Each reservation comes with a bottle of champagne, white or rose wine that can be paired with substantial appetizer platters brimming with ribs, chicken nems (spring rolls), beef samosas, accras (salt fish fritters) and crab and spinach fondue.

CULINARY CAPITAL OF THE CARIBBEAN
Home to more than 100 different nationalities and cultures, Saint‑Martin has a sophisticated gastronomic scene. Touted as the “Culinary Capital of the Caribbean”, the island boasts more than 350 restaurants that serve dozens of different types of cuisines, although it leans decidedly to French flavours.

Head to the picturesque village of Grand Case, Saint‑Martin’s main gastronomic strip. Here, you can admire the former fishing town’s wattle and traditional wood or reinforced concrete buildings, which have been transformed into restaurants serving everything from Italian to Indian.

Recalling a beautifully restored Créole cottage home, L’Auberge Gourmande focuses on French cuisine with Caribbean influences. Savour favourites like lobster bisque and escargot, along with lush plates of rum-flambéed roasted duck breast, or a shrimp and sea scallops vol au vent—all available with expertly paired wines.

For an idyllic experience under the stars, La Cigale offers guests an unparalleled al fresco experience. Located directly on Laguna Beach, the elegant palm groveshielded bistro overlooks Nettle Bay Lagoon. Recognized with two toques by French restaurant guide Gault & Millau, the family-owned restaurant specializes in classic French cuisine that’s accompanied by one of the island’s richest wine lists, featuring Châteaux Petrus, d’Yquem, Haut-Brion, Romanée Conti and Lafite.

Few things can match the moonlight glow over a whole Dover sole that’s been roasted in a butter and garlic sauce and filleted tableside, with a buttery soft and mineral-rich premier cru white from Burgundy.

A haven for meat lovers, Orient Bay Village’s L’Atelier Bar à Viande & Poisson offers discerning palates a nightly chalkboard of daily meat offerings, including Japanese Wagyu Kagoshima, Tomahawk Premium USA Prime from Creekstone Farms and the restaurant’s signature Churrasco Entrana steak.

Fresh catch of the day features yellowfin tuna, mahi-mahi, lobster and fresh local fish served whole or prepared as ceviche, carpaccio or in a homemade soup that’s elevated with an order of Iberico Belotta ham and Brillat-Savarin cheese sandwiching a layer of truffles.

Those looking for less fussy options can visit Marigot’s Lolos Square, a collection of casual Lolo (low cost, local) beachside eateries. Try a local breakfast platter at Hot Spot by Bush Tea Sxm, where chef Ren piles on saltfish and your choice of eggs with bacon, fried plantains and Johnny cakes. Served baked like a biscuit, or gloriously fried and shielded by a crisp golden crust, they can be enjoyed hot or cold with breakfast condiments or stuffed. Idle longer to sip on barman Darrel Brooks Amaretto Cherry Sour, which won best cocktail at the 2021 Saint‑Martin’s Gastronomy Festival.

Continue wandering around Marigot and explore its many pastry shops that brim with artisan baguettes and flaky croissants, including Salon de Thé and its award-winning viennoiseries—specifically the golden galettes and Chausson aux pommes.

For an offshore experience that’s worth the trek, head to Pinel Island for a seafood-filled lunch at Karibuni. Named the best beach bar by Caribbean Journal, the day’s catch might include grilled wahoo (tunalike tropical mackerel) or spotted trunkfish—a reef fish that’s covered in hexagonal tile-like scales, which may be stuffed with mahi mahi to bulk up the scant crab-like flesh. It’s accessible via a 10-minute ferry ride that leaves every half hour from Cul-de-Sac, a town on the north shore. Make it a day’s excursion by renting a beach chair and umbrella, and swim in its crystal blue waters.

For a gastronomic experience, there’s La Villa Hibiscus. Drive up the steep, winding road through lush foliage and singing frogs to the gourmet restaurant. Perched on Pic Paradis, the Grand Prize winner of the Gastronomy Festival offers panoramic views of Saint-Martin and a choice of three different menus: a chef signature five-course Discovery, a seasonal six-course Gourmet and an eight-course Prestige that incorporates the finest produce.

It’s here that Belgian-born chef Bastian Schenk, and his charming wife/restaurant host Sabine, welcome guests to the family home that’s been converted into their own gourmet restaurant and guest house. Schenk’s refined menu is filled with Caribbean- and French-inspired dishes that incorporate exceptional seasonal products flown in from France.

Wahoo, for example, is smoked and marinated in olive oil. The delicious morsels are served with spheres of fennel cream and Madagascar vanilla bean-studded lemon jelly on a pool of dill milk. In addition to a roulade of Dover sole, there’s confit Bresse chicken thigh that’s served with salsify and tucked under a thick shower of truffles. Make sure to save space for final courses, like pecan nuts served in various forms over grilled oats ice cream and blanketed by transparent ribbons of Nashi pear.

HOW TO GET THERE 
Air service is available from major U.S. and Canadian cities to Princess Juliana International Airport. WestJet flies three times a week directly from Toronto Pearson International.

WHERE TO STAY
There are many luxury hotels, resorts and boutique properties available for short to longer stays. For a home-away-from-home that looks over Terres Basses, Azur Dream Villas offers guests contemporary comfort surrounded by private gardens. Outfitted with king beds and ensuite bathrooms, the seven-bedroom, 5,400-square-foot villa can accommodate up to 14 guests, with some bedrooms opening up to the expansive pool terrace or onto private balconies. In addition to a wooden sun deck and four-poster sun beds surrounding a large pool, there’s a wrap-around outdoor lounge with an open bar that blends into the indoor kitchen and TV lounge. There’s a free-standing gazebo gym that’s furnished with modern exercise gear and opens up to panoramic views.

CURRENCY
The euro is the official currency in Saint‑Martin, while the U.S. dollar is accepted in Dutch Sint Maarten.