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We have put together a few comments on St Martin's many beaches. Remember that beaches change gradually via erosion and replenishment and drastically via storms. The information is accurate having been updated for the 2008/9 season, but tings change, mon! The beaches on the east provide lots of morning sun while facing the shore and the beaches on the west will provide you with a glorious sunset into the water. Most beaches have some, if limited, amenities. There are also a number of all-inclusive resorts on the island to help you save on your vacation expenses. We have a separate section on snorkeling that has a fish identification quiz.
The map below has hot spots. Move the mouse to a beach name and click on it to get beach information and possibly some pictures. You can also try our beach finder. Tell us what would make your perfect day at the beach, and we will find the perfect beach. If you're going to the beach, get some reading material in out bookstore. There's plenty of mysteries, travel books, and a special section on the islands that includes fish identification books.
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Four rooms and a two suites in French Cul de Sac, a ten minute drive away from world famous Orient Beach in French St Martin and the culinary delights of Grand Case. The units are in a quiet residential area with sweeping views over Etang de Chevrise to Orient Bay. Best of all, you are on the grounds of Sol é Luna Restaurant, regularly voted the most romantic spot on the island. Visit our apartment website for more details. |
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Great Bay (Philipsburg) - You should go to Philipsburg for the shopping, casinos, and restaurants, but there is a beach and there are beach bars with plenty of facilities. After St Maarten dredged the harbor for the new cruise ship pier and terminal, much of the sand was used to replenish the beach. Thus, it is one of the longest and widest beaches on the island. Now that they have added a boardwalk and are even expanding it. The boardwalk is more of a great place to hang out and party than an idyllic tropical beach, but if that is what you want, check it out and look for great lunches at
Antoine Restaurant.
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Little Bay - Next door to Great Bay is Little Bay. The Divi Peninsula separates the two. The photo on the left was shot from the restaurant at the Belair Hotel and looks along the beach to the Divi Hotel in the distance. The photo on the right is looking straight out to sea with the America's Cup 12 meter boats in the foreground and Saba in the distance.
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Kimsha Beach - This is the far eastern end of Simpson Bay Beach, on the eastern end of the channel into the lagoon. Many of the boat trips start from this area, as it is outside the lagoon. There has been quite a bit of construction here, so access is limited, but there are beach bars. Greenhouse Restaurant has recently opened an outpost here. They are open from breakfast into the evening. On the left is a lovely sunset shot taken during the evening happy hour.
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Simpson Bay Beach - One of the longest and nicest beaches on the island. Lots of sand and small waves. Great views off to Saba and on good days, Statia, and on really clear days St Kitts and Nevis. There are a few beach bars. The Horny Toad Guesthouse and Azure Beach Studios are near the center of the beach. Turquoise Shell Inn is closer to the Dutch Bridge. The sunsets looking over Beacon Hill are fabulous.
The beach in the foreground
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Maho Bay - A little beach at the end of the runway next to big hotels. Somewhat smaller after Lenny. The Sunset Bar is there and has great sunset views, but watch out for low-flying aircraft.
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| Mullet Bay - This was crowded when the Mullet Resort was in operation, but now it is a very pretty beach with sunset views. It is usually calm on this side of the island. There are beach bars. It is the quintessential Caribbean beach with lots of white sand, palm trees along the fringe of the beach, and volcanic mountains in the distance.
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Cupecoy - Beautiful sandstone cliffs back up the beach, producing beautiful coves and caves, and as it faces SW, there are beautiful sunsets. Unfortunately Luis and Lenny and Omar in 2008 have made it smaller, but as always, it is coming back. The is the little cove just north of Ocean Club. The stairs have been rebuilt and Dany and Jean (on the right), are waiting for your arrival. Heading north, one reaches the monolith (which is not so monolithic anymore) and the remains of an old dock (left two photos). Further along is Shorepointe and very little beach. |
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The photo on the left is a bit deceiving as there is a lot of sand, but note that it is wet. The photo on the right was taken the next day as sand filled in the pools along the shore. It's still the same in 2007 (photos below on the left): a bit of sand is here, but big rollers move it around. New construction is certainly changing the look of the beach. | 
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There are photos on the construction feature and photos taken from a sailing trip on Capt Morgan. This is the NW end where there are beach boys with chairs and umbrellas and they do serve drinks and grill up a few things. In case you hadn't noticed, at the NW end of the beach, clothing is optional. Stay in Sapphire Beach Club, great deals are available directly from owners at Caribbean View Condo, unit 255. |
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These are from March of 2008 taken from the Celine as we sailed by during the regatta. They show the entire beach from the NW edge (top left) with the Cupecoy Yacht Club construction coming over from La Samanna on the left, Shore Pointe in the center, and the open area that was supposed to become The Villages at Cupecoy. This open area serves as the access to the NW end of the beach. The next shot (top right) shows Pharos on the other side of the road, behind more open area belonging to The Villages at Cupecoy, Ocean Club, and the towers of Sapphire Beach Club. There is still a private villa between Sapphire and Rainbow Beach. You can see a bit of the property in the top right photo and most of it on the left of the bottom right photo. The rest of that photo shows the still growing Rainbow Beach development with its circular staircase access to the beach.
On the bottom right is The Cliff (the tallest structure on the island) and Cupecoy Beach Club above the cliffs at the extreme SE end of Cupecoy.
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Bay Long - A long beach with the expensive La Samanna complex at one end (the white building at the far end of the beach) and limited access in the center to a rather rocky beach. Other than Samanna, which will not let you in, there is no service on the entire beach.
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Plum Bay (prunes in French) - A pretty beach, but rocky and a bit rough. Great sunsets because it faces west. No facilities at all.
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Bay Rouge - Bay Rouge is named for the pinkish cast of its sand. It's a pretty beach with the Falaise des Ouiseaux (Bird Cliffs) to the west and David's Grotto on the east. The photo on the left looks along the beach from the entrance next to the two beach bars over to the start of the cliffs. The other photo shows the rocks that start the formation that encloses the grotto. Below are photos from Feb 2006. It's still there and so are Gus's and Raymond's beach bars. |  |
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David's Grotto or Hole is this circular hole in the cliff on a point between Bay Rouge and Nettle Bay. It reaches down 30 feet to sea level and two other holes connect it to the sea.
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| Nettle Bay - Largely blocked off by hotels, but Ma Ti Beach Bar on the west and Layla's on the east provide parking, access, chairs, etc. This is the beach at Layla's.
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Friar's Bay - A small, rather pretty and very protected cove with two beach bars (Kali's Beach Bar and Friar's Bay Beach Bar) providing all the amenities, but a tough road.
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| Happy Bay - A short walk up and over a hill at the northern end of Friar's Bay brings you to Happy Bay, a very secluded beach with few amenities (Danny provides chairs, food, and drink), but a grandiose project on the books. And it is still on the books in 2011, as there has not much action on the French side. At present some people have been spotted working on their all-over sun tans. This photo was taken from Random Wind as we sailed by in Jan of 2005.
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