St. Maarten / St. Martin

St. Maarten flag    France flag

  This section reflects St. Maarten / St. Martin as it was during my six visits from 2005 through 2013.  This part-Dutch and part-French island at the top of the Leeward Islands was my Caribbean winter break destination during those years, and I was so impressed by its natural beauty and by the wide range of activities offered that I kept coming back.

Hurricane Irma in September 2017 devasted the island.  It was the the strongest storm on record in the open Atlantic, and the first Category 5 hurricane to strike the Leeward Islands.  Four people were killed, about 75 severely injured, power and communications were wiped out, and two-thirds of the buildings were left uninhabitable, including the airport terminal.  The recovery is now largely complete, but signs of the devastation are everywhere.

  Here are photos from my 2005-2013 visits, organized by location and activity.  For those of us lucky enough to have seen SXM before the storm these images can bring back memories.  For others these are a preview of what's to come.

The link to the Pictures File is below the Sample Images.  A Route Map and a Table of Contents are provided below that, both in on-screen and printable forms.

 

Quick Start: St-Maarten.pdf

 

Sample Images

Here are a few sample images from the picture files.  You can click or tap on these to see larger versions.

Simpson Bay Lagoon, St. Maarten

Simpson Bay Lagoon

Marigot, St. Martin

Marigot

Oyster Pond, St.Martin

Oyster Pond

Orient Beach, St.Martin

Orient Beach

Baie d'Embouchure, St. Martin

Baie d'Embouchure

Aboard Golden Eagle, St. Maarten

Aboard Golden Eagle

Aboard Lord Sheffield, St. Maarten

Aboard Lord Sheffield

12 Metre Challenge, St. Maarten

12 Metre Challenge

 

 

Link to Pictures File

 

You can access the PDF pictures file by clicking or tapping on the link below.

 

Maps

St. Maarten is located at the top of the chain of Leeward Islands in the north-eastern Caribbean.  A map of the island appears below the locator map.

A package of printable maps is available if you wish paper copies to follow along.  St. Maarten Maps includes the two maps shown below and a highways map.

Caribbean map

 

St. Maarten map

Table of Contents

The Contents table from the pictures file is reproduced below.  If you wish a paper copy to target your viewing, use St. Maarten Printable Contents .

St-Maarten.pdf  
Contents   2
Introduction  
Locator Map   3
St. Maarten Map   4
Introduction   5
Capitals  
Philipsburg   8
Marigot  20
West
Simpson Bay Lagoon    27
Port de Plaisance  30
Megayachts  44
East
Oyster Pond  50
Captain Oliver’s  54
Pelicans  64
Orient Bay  71
Orient Beach  75
Beach Activities  81
Baie d’Embouchure  92
   
   
   
Activities
Lord Sheffield  98
12 Metre Challenge     104
Golden Eagle 108
Lambada Anguilla 119
ATV Experience 122
Seaworld Explorer 124
Visits  
Butterfly Farm 127
St. Maarten Park 134
Mont Vernon 138
The Economy  
Industry 146
Development 152
Third World 163
Sunsets 179
End 188