One of many nice points of interest of a trip within the Caribbean is the possibility to do a little bit of island hopping. After all, so as to take action successfully, it’s a must to decide your targets and, importantly, an applicable leaping off spot. St. Thomas as a place to begin for the Virgin Island and St. Vincent for exploring the Grenadines spring to thoughts, however if you wish to do some island hoping that exposes you to some completely distinctive cultural experiences, then island hopping round St. Martin is your greatest wager.
To start with, whereas I’m utilizing the overall time period “St. Martin,” you’re really getting two separate nations on one island: the French St. Martin and the Dutch Sint Maarten. And from there you may simply attain three different islands – Anguilla, Saba, and St. Barth – every with its personal vastly totally different attraction. All are simply reachable, both for a day journey or an extended go to.
So, let’s bounce in and discover the principle spots to go island hopping round St. Martin.
See additionally: Island Hopping in the Caribbean
The place to go island hopping round St. Martin
You possibly can both base your self at St. Martin or begin off on the island and hop round.
Sint Maarten
Sint Maarten serves because the pure hub for the realm due to its fashionable worldwide airport. Princess Juliana Airport is nicely served by most US and Canadian airways, with common flights all year long. Its Dutch/French connection additionally ensures frequent service from Europe, primarily Amsterdam and Paris. So, it’s straightforward to get to and is extraordinarily consumer pleasant, with little or no tradition shock for first timers to the Caribbean.
The bigger resorts, some with casinos, are situated on the “Dutch facet” because the islanders seek advice from it. Most are situated straight on white sand seashores in energetic places like Simpson Bay, Cupecoy Seashore and the airport adjoining Maho Seashore, a favorite of the Instagram crowd.
Philipsburg, the capital, is by far the most important, busiest city within the area and is legendary for its duty-free purchasing, which has dramatically expanded in recent times as a result of multi-million-dollar growth of its cruise ship terminal. The draw back, in fact, is that it could possibly get fairly busy when just a few of the large ships are on the town.
However the bustle of Sint Maarten additionally means that there’s at all times a selection of issues to do. There are many actions, from a soothing seaside barbecue to serving to crew a former America’s Cup 12 metre yacht in a race across the island. This selection makes Sint Maarten a very good place for households. There’s additionally an lively nightlife, that means it may be little bit of a extra adult-oriented playground as nicely. If you get proper right down to it, Sint Maarten is a type of uncommon locations that may actually lay declare to being, “enjoyable for all ages.”
And, maybe most significantly, Sint Maarten is both a drive, a ferry experience or brief flight away from the opposite islands we’re specializing in.
St. Martin
Drive throughout the unmanned border (no passport required) and it doesn’t take lengthy to note the distinction. The panorama will get a bit greener and hillier, the event noticeably much less and the bustle of the Dutch facet begins to offer strategy to a extra laid-back, distinctly Gallic really feel.
St. Martin actually has its personal attraction. The seashores, although much less quite a few than these of its neighbour, are higher, and usually much less crowded. Orient Bay Seashore is maybe essentially the most spectacular, with Anse Marcel and the secluded and peaceable Baie Rouge additionally worthy of point out.
The small capital of Marigot is charming, although not totally recovered from the devastation of Hurricane Irma. There’s a little bit of a busier vibe than the remainder of St. Martin, an exquisite harbour and good small locations to seize a drink, espresso or sandwich. A short (uphill) stroll from the city will take you to the ruins of Fort Louis, in-built 1789 to defend the city in opposition to the British, Dutch, and marauding pirates. The spectacular views make it nicely definitely worth the hike.
St. Martin has its fair proportion of actions, although admittedly lower than the Dutch facet and of a much less adrenaline-pumping nature. There are some good climbing trails and sail/snorkel excursions, however the purpose most individuals come to St. Martin is to chill out. And to eat.
Surprisingly, particularly given its small dimension, St. Martin has constructed a repute because the gourmand capital of the Caribbean. There are wonderful eating places scattered all through the French facet, in locations like Marigot and Orient Seashore, however by far the capital of the island’s advantageous eating scene is Grand Case.
This small, picturesque beachfront city is house to some wonderful institutions that supply the most effective of French Creole cooking, with an emphasis on seafood. Some standouts embody Auberge Gourmande, Ocean 82 and Le Pressoir. And in the event you really feel you want a break from advantageous eating, you may strive certainly one of Grand Case’s lolos – energetic out of doors eating places specializing in native dishes centred across the barbecue.
Grand Case can also be a beautiful place for a seaside stroll, the place you may take within the view of our subsequent island-hopping vacation spot, Anguilla.
Anguilla
The space from St. Martin to Anguilla is lower than 30km. The primary route between the 2 islands is the 25-minute public ferry experience from Marigot, on the French facet, to Blowing Level in Anguilla. You may also take one of many shuttles that present speedboat service, nearly throughout from Princess Juliana Airport on the Dutch facet. Or you may catch a 10-minute flight between the islands, but it surely’s hardly definitely worth the effort or price. Nonetheless, you get there, you should definitely take your passport. Anguilla is a British territory.
In case you are in search of one phrase to explain Anguilla, that phrase is undoubtedly ‘seashores’. This lengthy, flat slim island (the title means ‘eel’) appears to encompass little greater than a string of seashores. In reality, there are over 30 of them dotted alongside its 60km of shoreline.
Anguilla seashores are merely idyllic: lengthy stretches of powdery, white sand set in opposition to calm, shallow turquoise seas. Excellent for sunbathing, swimming or simply strolling. Shoal Bay is usually ranked the highest seaside within the Caribbean and top-of-the-line on the planet. However there are a lot of extra that come near difficult for these honours, Meads Bay, Maundys Bay, Sandy Floor, and Rendezvous Bay amongst them.
And, as you’d anticipate from a Caribbean Island with so many nice seashores, Anguilla is legendary for its legendary seaside bars. No island, no matter dimension, often options so many names on revealed lists of the Prime Ten Seashore Bars. It’s actually a seaside bar-hopper’s paradise, with locations like Gwen’s Reggae Grill (Shoal Bay) and Elvis’ (Sandy Floor), in addition to the Sunshine Shack and Dune Preserve (Rendezvous Bay).
The islands seashores are additionally house to a few of the area’s most spectacular resorts. Right here you can see the Four Seasons Anguilla, the Malliouhana, Zemi Beach Resort and the enduring Belmond Cap Juluca. Their presence has additionally critically elevated the island’s eating scene in recent times.
What Anguilla doesn’t have is a wide range of actions (past crusing and snorkelling), a vibrant nightlife, duty-free purchasing of any sort, or a lot of a selection of funds lodging. And there isn’t actually a city to discover. However, imagine me, with these seashores, it’s straightforward to overlook about all that.
Saba
At a distance of 50km from St. Martin, the island of Saba is the furthest flung of our island-hopping targets. Additionally it is one of the crucial uncommon, unspoilt, and surprisingly charming islands not solely within the area, however all through all the Caribbean.
Saba shouldn’t be for the informal traveler, or these in search of the stereotypical island paradise. To start with, it’s not precisely the best island to get to. Most guests arrive by the quick ferry from Sint Maarten, an usually bumpy 90-minute experience. Or you may fly there. The flight takes a mere quarter-hour, however you’re then confronted with touchdown on a tiny airport seemingly carved out of the hillside and that includes the smallest industrial runway on the planet. And don’t anticipate palm lined white sand seashores. At a compact 13 sq. kilometres, Saba is basically a volcano elevating steeply from the ocean.
However those that do courageous the journey will uncover an virtually mystical panorama of winding roads, quaint pink and white wood cottages, and pleasant down-to-earth individuals – an embodiment of the previous Caribbean as many think about it. The island is basically an eco-paradise, above and under the waterline, with difficult rain forest hikes and world-renowned dive websites. Those that handle the hike up the aptly named Mt. Surroundings will likely be rewarded with breathtaking views throughout the Caribbean to St Martin, St Barths, and past.
Lodging and eating are usually quaint and comfy quite than luxurious, with lower than 100 rooms in complete unfold amongst a handful of small accommodations, visitor homes and cottages. Queen’s Garden Resort and Juliana’s are essentially the most notable accommodations on the island, each tucked into the hillside amongst wealthy foliage.
The tempo on Saba is sluggish and aside from exploring the tiny quaint villages of The Backside and Windward facet, there isn’t a lot to do besides benefit from the island’s pure magnificence – the explanation Saba proudly promotes itself because the “Unspoiled Queen of the Caribbean”.
St. Barth
If Saba is sleepy, St. Barth is buzzing. In reality, the 2 islands couldn’t be extra totally different. St. Barth is nearer to St. Martin and far simpler to get to. Quick, fashionable ferries service the island from three totally different places in St. Martin, with the shortest journey taking 45 minutes. As well as, there are frequent flights (quarter-hour in period) from Princess Juliana and Grand Case airports.
St. Barth is a taking place place, albeit a quite dear one. Before everything, St. Barth is a distinctly French island. However not within the Creole French fashion of Martinique or Guadeloupe. St. Barth is nearer to the French Riviera transplanted within the Caribbean.
The capital of Gustavia is famous for the multi-million-dollar yachts within the harbour and the stylish eating places and high-end designer outlets (don’t anticipate any duty-free bargains) lining its primary avenue, together with a Dolce & Gabbana Martini bar. And in the event you want a break, the beautiful Shell Seashore is inside strolling distance of the downtown.
If Gustavia doesn’t excite you, a 10-minute taxi experience will take you to the island’s different scorching spot, St-Jean Seashore. This magnificent stretch of gleaming sand is anchored at one finish by the fabled Eden Rock resort and the famend Nikki Seashore restaurant, and on the different by St. Barth’s extremely Instagrammable small airport. The scene at St-Jean Seashore, and different elements of the island, by no means actually stops.
Nonetheless, when you get past the glitz and glamour, you’ll discover that St. Barth is a remarkably stunning little island. It’s excellent for renting a automobile and exploring the plush, hilly terrain. You’ll discover plenty of different enticing, extra secluded, seashores like Grand Saline, Anse du Gouverneur, and Colombier Seashore, in addition to some low key however surprisingly luxurious, accommodations.
In brief, St. Barth is usually a blast, particularly in the event you don’t thoughts the sometimes-scary costs.
Issues to contemplate when island hopping round St. Martin
- Entry: Every of those locations could be comparatively simply accessed by ferry or aircraft from St. Martin, with the longest journey being the 90-minute quick ferry to Saba. All could be finished in a day, nevertheless, as a consequence of its geography, Saba is best served by an in a single day keep in certainly one of its quaint little accommodations or visitor homes. And, in fact, all lend themselves to longer stays.
- Foreign money: You possibly can freely use US {dollars} in Anguilla, Saba, and Sint Maarten (although the official foreign money within the latter nation is the Antillean Guilder). In St. Martin and St. Barth, nevertheless, Euros are the foreign money of document. You could get away with US {dollars} (particularly in St, Martin), however it should seemingly be frowned upon.
