Site français
Welcome!
Property Info
Floor Plans
Defiscalization
The Island
Contact CSV
Potpourri of Facts
• Sunbathers heading for the pretty beach at Maho Bay should know that they will be directly under the flight path of the island’s main airport. If you are prepared, the giant Air France and KLM 747s provide an amazing spectacle as they scream over the beach close enough for you to get a clear look at the pilots — the planes touch down just seconds later at Juliana Airport. Unprepared beachgoers caught snoozing may need an additional week on a very quiet beach to recuperate...
• Look for eurodollars when you are on St. Martin/St. Maarten. The currency will soon be used for all countries in the European Union (a result of their economic unification) but were put into circulation on the island a couple of years ago.
• Portions of the movie Speed II — which focuses on an ill-fated cruise ship — were filmed near Marigot, St. Martin and off the coast of the island.
• There are excellent tennis facilities on the Dutch side of the island.
• St. Martin/St. Maarten is the smallest land area in the world where sovereignty is divided between two countries.
• Although Dutch is the official language in St. Maarten, most people speak English very well (it’s also spoken extensively on Statia and Saba). On the other hand, French is very much the spoken language on St.
Martin.
• During low season (mid April to mid December), prices are 30%-50% lower.
Dos and Don’ts
• Do try the locally made ice cream, Etna, which is one of the best in the Caribbean.
• Don’t expect a relaxing stroll through town if you visit Philipsburg while cruise ships are in port. The city sits on a narrow strip of land and the influx of tourists from the large ships fill the city to the bursting point.
• Do be patient if you need to make a phone call while on the island: The procedure can be confusing and slow.
• Do try the tasty thin-crust pizza cooked in wood-burning ovens at the outdoor restaurants facing Marigot’s marina.
• Don’t be surprised by nudity on some beaches, especially in St. Martin. There is even a clothing-optional hotel (although on our last trip to Orient Beach, the gapers and oglers outnumbered the total tanners).
• Don’t go only for water activities and gambling — see some of the historical sites that make the islands unique.
• Do enjoy the absence of beach vendors, which can be a nuisance on other islands.
• Do rent a sailboat, sail to one of the isolated coves and have a picnic.
• Don’t travel between the two sides of St. Martin/St. Maarten during rush hour — this short jaunt can take more than an hour during the peak travel period.
• Don’t try to mail anything on the French side if you are using a Dutch stamp and vice versa.
Geostats
• Official Names: Saint Martin, Sint Maarten
• Visa Info: Passport needed by citizens of Australia, Canada and the U.K.; U.S. citizens need photo ID and proof of citizenship. All require onward ticket. Reconfirm with carrier before departure.
• Health Certificates: Yellow-fever certificate needed if coming from an infected area; contact health authorities for latest information.
• Capitals: Marigot (St. Martin), Philipsburg (St. Maarten)
• Population: St. Martin, 28,518; St. Maarten, 33,459;
• Size: St. Martin/St. Maarten, 37 sq mi/96 sq km;
• Languages: Official: French (St. Martin), Dutch (St. Maarten); in St. Maarten English is almost universally spoken, and many people in French St. Martin can speak some English.
• Climate: Tropical
• Economy: Agriculture, Tourism
• Government: St. Martin is a subprefecture of Guadeloupe, which is an Overseas Region of France. St. Maarten is an autonomous region of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
• Religions: Roman Catholic, Protestant.
• Currency: St. Martin: French franc (F). 100 centimes = 1 F.
St. Maarten: Netherlands
Antilles florin or guilder (NAG). 100 cents = 1 NAG.
Credit cards
and traveler’s checks accepted in urban and tourist areas. US Dollars can be used almost anywhere on the island, most establishments post prices in bothr dollars and the official local currency. If you don't see a price listed in dollars, just ask for a conversion.
• Time Zone: Atlantic; 4 hours behind Greenwich Mean Time.
• Telecommunications:Good. Country code for Dutch side is 599. Island code is 5. Country
code for the French side is 590. No city or island code needed.
• Electricity: St. Martin-220V; St. Maarten-110V; St. Eustatius-110/220V; Saba-110 V.
• Departure Tax: St. Martin/St. Maarten, US$10; St. Eustatius, US$10; Saba, US$5.