Why Saint Martin for a Honeymoon
The French side offers a rare combination in the Caribbean: easy access from the US and a genuinely European feel. You land at a well-connected airport a few minutes away, yet breakfast is a pain au chocolat and dinner is a long, wine-friendly affair at a table by the sand.
The beaches are the other draw. Orient Bay is a long crescent lined with beach clubs. Baie Rouge and Baie Longue on the west coast are quieter, with reddish sand and clear swimming water. Little islets like Pinel and Tintamarre are a short boat ride offshore.
It also makes a good launching pad. Ferries reach Anguilla in under half an hour. St. Barts is a day trip by boat. Couples can sample three very different islands without packing up more than once. Hurricane Irma badly damaged the island in 2017, but the main hotels, restaurants and beach clubs have long since rebuilt.
Best Time to Visit
December through April is the classic season, with dry, breezy weather and daytime highs in the low to mid 80s Fahrenheit. It is also the priciest stretch and the busiest around Christmas, New Year and the February holidays. Book well ahead for those weeks.
May and June are excellent value. The sea is calm and warm, rates drop and restaurants are still open. Showers are short when they come.
Hurricane season runs June through November, with the peak risk from August into early October. Many restaurants and some hotels on the French side close for several weeks in September and part of October, so a honeymoon then can feel quiet in a good and a bad way. Mosquitoes are busiest after the summer rains and can carry dengue, so pack repellent; if you're pregnant or hoping to be soon, check CDC travel health notices for Saint Martin.
Carnival takes over the island before Lent. The French side celebrates Bastille Day on July 14 and Schoelcher Day on July 21. Grand Case has traditionally held a weekly street party on Tuesday evenings during the winter season.
Where to Go
Grand Case is the place to stay if food matters to you. Its single seafront street packs dozens of restaurants, from white-tablecloth French to the smoky barbecue lolos near the pier. Our Grand Case guide covers it in depth.
Orient Bay, on the northeast coast, is the liveliest beach on the French side, with water sports, beach clubs and calm reef-protected water at its northern end. The southern end has long been clothing-optional. From nearby Cul-de-Sac, small ferries shuttle to Pinel Island, a car-free islet with two beach restaurants.
On the west coast, Baie Longue is a long, quiet beach backed by villas and Belmond La Samanna, the island's best known luxury resort. Baie Rouge and Baie aux Prunes are good for snorkeling and sunsets.
Marigot, the capital, has a waterfront market, a marina and the ruins of Fort Louis above town. Inland, the hills around Pic Paradis offer forest trails and Loterie Farm's zip lines and pool.
Sample 10-Day Itinerary
Days 1 to 4: Grand Case. Settle in, swim off the town beach and work through the dinner list. Take a morning kayak or snorkel trip to Creole Rock just offshore. Wander the Marigot market on a Wednesday or Saturday morning, then climb to Fort Louis for the view.
Days 5 to 7: Orient Bay or Baie Longue. Choose Orient Bay for beach clubs and energy, or the west coast for quiet and sunsets. Spend a day on Pinel Island, hike the trails near Pic Paradis and book a catamaran to Tintamarre for snorkeling with turtles.
Day 8: Day trip to Anguilla by ferry or private boat for its white sand and beach lunch spots. Bring passports.
Days 9 and 10: Cross to the Dutch side for an evening in Simpson Bay or a sunset drink at Maho Beach, where planes land just overhead. Fly home from SXM with time for a last swim.
Budget and Costs
The French side is expensive by Caribbean standards, though less so than St. Barts. These are rough figures and swing widely with the season.
Small guesthouses and apartments start around $150 to $250 a night in high season. Boutique hotels in Grand Case and Orient Bay often fall between $300 and $600. Luxury resorts and private villas on the west coast can reach $1,000 a night and well beyond.
Dinner for two at a good Grand Case restaurant with wine commonly runs $150 to $300. A lolo lunch of ribs, grilled fish and sides can cost a fraction of that. Beach club loungers usually cost extra unless you order lunch.
A rental car typically runs $40 to $80 a day. Catamaran day sails and snorkel trips often cost around $100 to $150 per person. Prices are posted in euros, but many businesses accept dollars and some offer a favorable rate for cash.
Getting There and Around
Almost everyone flies into Princess Juliana International Airport (SXM) on the Dutch side. It has nonstop flights from several East Coast cities and Florida, usually around three and a half to four hours from New York and two and a half from Miami. Grand Case-Espérance Airport (SFG) on the French side handles small regional flights to Guadeloupe, Martinique and St. Barts.
From SXM, Grand Case is about 25 to 40 minutes by car, depending on traffic near Simpson Bay and the Sandy Ground bridge. The border is open with no checks.
Renting a car is the easiest way to explore. Driving is on the right. Roads get congested at rush hour on the Dutch side. Taxis are plentiful but pricey for longer trips.
Ferries run from Marigot to Anguilla's Blowing Point. Boats to St. Barts leave from both Marigot and Philipsburg. Pinel Island boats depart from Cul-de-Sac throughout the day.
Culture and Etiquette
French manners apply. Say bonjour when you walk into a shop or restaurant and bonsoir after dark. A small greeting goes a long way, even if the conversation immediately switches to English.
Meals are not rushed. Servers rarely bring the check until you ask for it. Lingering is normal. A service charge is often included in French side bills, so check before tipping. Leaving a little extra for good service is appreciated.
Topless sunbathing is common and unremarkable on French beaches. Outside the beach, cover up; swimwear in shops and on Marigot's streets is frowned upon.
The island's culture mixes French, Caribbean and Dutch roots with a strong English-speaking Creole identity. Locals tend to call the whole island SXM or simply St. Martin. Treat the two sides as one community: many families live on one side and work on the other.
Quick tips
- Rent a car at SXM; the border is just a sign
- Carry some cash dollars for Grand Case lolos
- Expect many restaurants to close in September
