The St. Maarten cruise port of Philipsburg is one of the best places to visit for any southern Caribbean cruise.
This small island in the Netherland Antilles is divided into two -- one an overseas territory of the Netherlands and the other a territory of France. The Dutch half is called Sint Maarten and the French half is named Saint Martin.
Philipsburg is the capital of the Dutch side, while the quaint town of Marigot is capital of the French side. Most cruises to the island dock at Philipsburg.
Philipsburg St. Maarten Tour
Visitors who disembark from the cruise ship will walk off the dock and find a nice beach on the left with plenty of space for sunning and swimming, along with beach chairs and umbrellas for rent.
The beach is part of the Great Bay waterfront and lines the Philipsburg Boardwalk, which has numerous restaurants and shops for anyone spending time on the beach who also wants a break now and then.
It gets even better walking one block into town.
The main attraction within Philipsburg itself is Front Street, which is one of the nicest shopping districts among the major Caribbean destinations. Front Street is long, clean, attractive and filled with many shops and restaurants.
The quality of the shops and restaurants ranges from low-end to the usual mid-range quality found in most Caribbean tourism areas. Most of the restaurants have outdoor seating, and prices are reasonable.
Getting Around
One of the biggest negatives of the island -- and there are few of them -- is the traffic.
The entire island has a limited number of narrow roads, few road signs and a great many cars, buses and taxis. The buses are mainly used by locals getting to and from work.
Taxis are regulated by the government and use a zone system for setting rates. Search online for the St. Maarten Taxi Association to find the rate schedule.
St. Maarten Attractions
Cruise visitors who want to see more of the island than just Philipsburg usually have three main choices:
Orient Beach, the largest and most famous on the island. It is located on the French side, so clothing is optional.Marigot, capital of the French side. It is smaller than Philipsburg and appealing for its French cafes and marketplace.The resort area Simpson Bay, mainly for the higher quality restaurants.Getting from the St. Maarten cruise port at Philipsburg to the rest of the island is worth the effort if traffic is good and visitors can get back to the ship in time.
Click St. Maarten cruise port for more tips about the area, what to do and what to see.
Go to St. Maarten vacations for attractions, weather, car rentals and more.
Scott Bateman is a professional journalist who publishes a guide to best Caribbean vacations.
No comments:
Post a Comment