Princess Juliana Airport, located on the island of Saint Martin. Maho Beach and airplanes overhead. Saint Martin Island Sint Maarten Caribbean Sea runway

- Saint Martin Island is an island in the Caribbean Sea, south Puerto Rico in the northern part of the ridge of small islands separating the Caribbean Sea from the Atlantic Ocean.
If you look at the map, the location of the islands of the Caribbean chain resembles a drawn bow aiming an arrow at the African continent.

Island Saint Martin It is interesting in that it was divided between France and Holland back in 1648, and this treaty of peaceful division is the oldest treaty of its kind and is still in force.

The northern part of the island is an overseas territory of France and is called accordingly Saint Martin
The southern part of the island is a self-governing state with significant autonomy, part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands and is called Sint Maarten.

The island is small: its area is 83 sq km. The capital of the southern, Dutch part of the island is Philipsburg is a major port where cruise ships call every day, bringing thousands of tourists traveling around the Caribbean islands.

And so that tourists do not have to go far, all conditions have been created for them in Philipsburg itself: many restaurants, souvenir shops and alcohol stores at duty-free prices, a casino and, of course, many brothels.

Another difference between this part of the island: the American dollar is in use here and most tourists from North America: USA and Canada.
The population of this part of the island speaks English and 99% of them are blacks (immigrants from Africa, brought here during the slave trade).

French part of Saint Martin

The capital of the northern (larger) part of the island speaks French and is an overseas territory of France.
Capital - city Marigot(Marigot).
Time difference from Moscow to Saint Martin minus 8 hours

Mobile Internet 3G with a travel SIM card does not work in Saint Martin, although cellular there is: its own network on the Dutch side and a French network on the northern part of the island. Free wi-fi in cafes on the beach and carelessly password-protected Internet in cities help out.

How to get to Saint Martin from Europe

Saint Martin how to get there

You can get to the island from Europe by purchasing tickets from Paris by Air France or Air Caraibes.
KLM flies from Amsterdam.
Both the French and the Dutch fly into the same airport - it is common in Saint Martin.

It so happened that I posted the news on the forum: I took advantage of this idea and bought two tickets from Paris to Saint-Martin for 621 euros by the company Air Caraibes.

After that, all that remained was to find inexpensive tickets from Moscow to Paris (as you understand, this was not difficult using the service on the forum) and do it - a visa is issued in the same way as a regular French Schengen.

French Overseas Territory Visa

Print out a form from the website of the France visa center in Moscow, take a photograph on a gray background, attach copies of tickets to Saint-Martin, a hotel reservation in Saint-Martin, a certificate from work indicating the salary and stamp, or a bank account statement for the last couple of months, so that The embassy realized that you are not a loser.

The visa is processed within 3 working days.
For those who have a Schengen multi-visa -
So: we have tickets, we have a visa, we have a hotel reservation for the first 2 days. Let's fly!

Air Caraibes review

Beaches in Saint Martin

I wrote about beaches in a separate article called.

Princess Juliana Airport in the Dutch part of the island of St. Maarten is one of the largest air hubs in the Caribbean region. It is among the ten most dangerous airports in the world. In the seventeenth century, the conquistadors laid siege for a long time, but were never able to take possession of the island, which was divided between the Netherlands and France according to the oldest treaty of 1648. By the way, the agreement still has de jure force. In 1942, an airfield was hastily built here, which is now an international airport. Named after the Queen of the Netherlands, who visited here as Crown Princess in 1944, a year after the airport opened.

The runway is only 2,180 meters long - barely enough to large airliners. For heavy aircraft, such as a Boeing 747 or Airbus A340, this is not enough - but there are no other options for landing here. The pilots bring the plane to land directly above famous beach Maho Beach. That's why this place is so popular among plainspotters. Maho Beach is the perfect place to see low-flying planes in detail. It’s hard to believe the authenticity of the pictures: giant airliners fly at an altitude of 10-20 meters above the vacationers. Despite the unusual take-off and landing conditions, not a single accident was recorded here.

Saint Martin Island is the smallest piece of land in the world with dual citizenship. The northern part is regulated by the French government, while the southern side is part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. English language in use on both sides, Dutch is official language on the southern side, and French, respectively, on the northern half of the island. The island has two capitals - Marigot and Philipsburg. When they say Saint Martin, they mean the French part of the island, and Saint Martin (or Sint Maarten) means the Dutch part. There is also an airport on the French side of the island near Marigot, called Aéroport de Grand Case.

Terminal

The new four-story building offers all the services you need on the road. Air-conditioned premises, shops, pharmacies, ATMs, taxi and information counters. Wi-Fi is everywhere in the terminal.

You can land a plane at this unusual airport in the popular game - Microsoft flight simulator Flight Simulator X. In the full version of the program, this mission is called “Caribbean Landing”.

How to get there

Rent a car. Here are the following car rental companies:

Adventure Car Rental American Car Rentals
Avis car rental Best Deal car rental
Hertz Car Rental Lucky Car Rental
Paradise Island Car rental Safari car rental
Sidro United Sunshine Car Rental
Thrifty Car Rental

You can ask the price and immediately book a car of any class on official websites.

Taxis drive tirelessly all over the island. Moving from the airport to the nearest city of Philipsburg will cost about $30.

Airport shuttles operate throughout the island. They don't have numbers; the route is written on the bus itself. The island is small, any transport moves freely throughout the entire territory.

There are also hotel shuttles. Many hotels on the coast have their own shuttle service.

It is not for nothing that the island has the unspoken status of being unique. Firstly, the territory of Saint Martin is peacefully divided between two states. Secondly, it is the smallest land on which two countries coexist on the planet. Thirdly, one of the most unusual airports the world is located right here. There are fifths, sevenths, tenths...

Saint Martin on the map

Saint Martin Island on the world map or detailed map The islands can be viewed using the navigation buttons (+/-). Caribbean islands on the map

Since the island belongs territorially to two European powers, it has two names: the French say Saint-Martin (emphasis on the last syllable), while the Dutch call it Sint Maarten. Accordingly, and administrative centers also two: Marigot (French) and Philipsburg (Dutch).

City of Marigot

An extraordinary island is located in the north of the archipelago Eastern Islands West Indies. total area 87 km², with the possessions of the Netherlands making up a smaller part - 34 km². On French soil (53 km²) there is highest point islands (424 meters) – Mount Paradise Peak. The coast of this political and geographical miracle is washed by the Caribbean Sea.

City of Philipsburg

Holidays in Saint Martin

Southern Drive, solar energy, luxury holiday– this is Saint Martin. The entire range of traditional beach pastimes for which the Caribbean is famous is available on the island in full, so the facts will be more informative:

right above Maho beach, giant Boeings take off/land incredibly low;
the best beaches are Mullet Bay, Orient Beach and the same extreme Maho;
duty-free shopping and the Dute Free zone, beloved by millions of tourists, will provide an exciting shopping experience with purchases at reasonable prices;
the euro, the guilder, and the dollar are on equal footing;
the most popular bar is Sunset bar & Grill on Maho;
Marina Simpson Bay is the most comfortable for living: the beach is minutes away, developed infrastructure, many cafes and restaurants with first-class cuisine and live music;
You can get to any point in Saint Martin by minibus or rented car.

Tourists, despite two Euro-hosts, move freely throughout the island, freely crossing the conventional border-post. The only thing is that you need to decide in advance on which side to spend the night - it depends on which country will provide a visa. And further. On a nudist beach it’s easy to stumble upon a cooing gay couple, so homophobic travelers should avoid such places.

Princess Juliana Airport on the island of Saint Martin

Nature of Saint Martin

The exotic charm of the Caribbean nature is fully revealed in Saint Martin, although the soil here is not very fertile. The territory is the rounded peak of a now inactive volcano. The entire perimeter of the island is surrounded by a scattering of picturesque coral plantations, which are easily accessible by swimming. The richness of the underwater kingdom will provide exciting diving and productive fishing (white and blue marlin, barracuda, wahoo, less often sea urchin, etc.).

Land-based chic is as good as underwater chic. On the miniature land there are palm trees, cacti, lush thickets of forests, and iridescent fields of cotton, vegetables, and reeds. Flower lovers are in ecstasy from the variety of buds, their aromas, shades, and sizes. The fauna is many times poorer than the flora and is represented mainly by feral livestock, birds and lizards.

The magnificent Saint Martin can be discovered every day, but never fully understood - the compact Caribbean island is so diverse. Ecotourists will certainly appreciate strolls through the Botanical Gardens and Zoo, located on the Netherlands side. Also popular in the Dutch part of the island are excursions to nine churches, inspection of colonial-era buildings, the Monument to Her Majesty Wilhelmina, Forts Amsterdam and Willem, the Sint Maarten Museum, Dawn Beach, Cole Bay Hill Tower, Watney Square.

And the French possessions will not disappoint tourists eager for impressions, especially lovers nightlife- This real paradise casinos, restaurants-bars, discos, beach parties, original music. The day can be devoted to visiting the elegant French buildings on the Rue de la République, going up to the ancient fortress of Saint-Louis, exploring the unique exhibitions at the Museum of Culture and History of Saint-Martin and the Loulou Gallery, taking pictures against the backdrop of the original building in which the Rue de la Court is located Liberte. Then run through the Marigot market, go to the Creole village of Colombier, take a tasting tour of the gastronomic capital of Grand Case, and relax your soul at the charming Butterfly Farm.

Saint Martin is the most unusual island in the Caribbean, there seems to be too much unique in this island, let’s start in order.

1. The island belongs to two countries at once, Northern part- France, southern - the Netherlands. But there are no borders on the island, there is only a symbolic pillar with which tourists take pictures. The French call the island "Saint Martin", the Dutch "Sint Maarten", sometimes we call it the island of Saint Martin. To get to the island you need a special visa, which can be obtained through visa centers two countries, you need to apply for a visa for the country where you will spend the most nights. The list of documents is no different from a regular Schengen visa, only the application form itself is slightly different.

2. Prostitution is legalized in Saint Martin, most of the brothels are located in Philipsburg, which is the capital of the southern part, it has a large port where huge ships with tourists dock almost every day. Drugs are illegal, unlike in the Netherlands. The saleswoman in the supermarket was glad that we were from Russia, she said there are few Russians here, but there is one girl who works as a masseuse in the next building. I'm afraid to imagine what kind of massage she gives :)

3. The most unique airport in the world is also located here; we admit that many come to Saint Martin just because of it. Runway strip Princess Juliana International Airport is famous for the fact that it starts from Maho Beach, so planes land directly above the heads of tourists. Standing above a huge KLM Boeing is an extreme pleasure. The second entertainment is standing at the fence when planes take off, the main thing is to hold on tight :) I wrote about it earlier

4. Nice beaches. Everyone will really enjoy swimming on the island; the water is clear azure and there are no waves. I recommend Maho Beach with planes (in the season when there are no rocks) and the neighboring Mullet Bay Beach. In the French part nice beach is Orient Beach.

5. The entire island is a duty-free and Dute Free zone. Despite the fact that all the goods are imported (they only produce sauces), thanks to tax breaks, there are excellent supermarkets with decent names at reasonable prices. American beer, Brazilian couscous, Belgian ice cream, Canadian maple syrup and more. Prices for liter bottles of rum start at $6. We brought home something that is difficult to find in Perm, real Canadian maple syrup and so on. And what kind of Jamaican beer is there, because the island was an English colony, they brew incomparable ales!!!

6. Currency. The uniqueness is that on the island official currency on the Dutch side - guilders, but prices are also indicated in dollars, because most tourists are Americans. In the northern part, prices are indicated in euros, but you can also pay in dollars, and at the rate of 1 dollar = 1 euro :) Guilder exchange rate = 1.8 dollars. It is most profitable to travel to Saint Martin with American dollars.

7. Sunset bar & Grill. Returning to the topic of airplanes, the best way to see them is from a cafe on Maho Beach. Here good kitchen, and sometimes real Caribbean parties with live music. It’s fun when the next ship disembarks; absolutely all the tourists rush to this popular establishment. By the way, topless girls are serviced for free, topless boys are not serviced at all :)

8. Judging by the reviews, there are quite a lot of gay couples on the island of Saint Martin, who are guarded by a big black guy. They prefer secluded beaches, so be careful with your choice of swimming :)

Tips for those who want to visit the island of St. Maarten

How to get there?
The easiest way to fly with one connection from Russia via Paris or Amsterdam with KLM or AirFrance. The cost of tickets will be from 40 thousand rubles. round trip, sometimes it is a little cheaper to fly with American airlines, but it is only suitable for those who have an open American visa, since there is no transit in the USA.

How to get to Saint Martin island cheaply? Catch shares of aircaraibes airline http://www.aircaraibes.com/, they fly from Paris. The cost of a round-trip flight according to the promotion can be 400 euros round-trip. The minimum price for a flight from European cities with connections in Paris and Amsterdam with KLM or AirFrance is from 600 euros. For those traveling to the USA, I recommend cruises from Miami to Caribbean Islands or direct flights (from Miami round-trip from $350, flight 3 hours).

Where to live?
The best area to live is Marina Simpson Bay. Firstly, close to the airport and Maho beaches with Mullet Bay. Secondly, good infrastructure. These are all steak and prime rib restaurants with live music. Good value hotel - around 100 dollars, the usual cost is 130-150 dollars per night. It is worth understanding that hotels usually do not include breakfast; the service is weaker than hotels in the Dominican Republic. Good hotel Sonesta Maho Beach overlooking Maho Beach and The Villas at Simpson Bay Resort& Marina. You can search for villas and apartments on the websites Abritel.fr and HomeAway.com homelidays Airbnb.com

View from our room window

The hotel is good, but those who are used to being licked, showing shows, animation, preparing food on an all-inclusive basis, making swans out of towels, etc. will be very disappointed. The rooms are luxurious, but there is no service.

What currency should I take with me?
It is most profitable to take American dollars with you. Large sums of money are not accepted in minibuses; it is best to take more small banknotes.
How to get around the island?

The whole island gets around in minibuses, you just have to raise your hand. The cost of travel from Simpson Bay to the airport is 1.5-2 dollars, to Maho beach 2 dollars, to Mullet Bay beach 2.5-3 dollars, the same amount for travel to Philipsburg. In fact, small Saint Martin can be easily traveled around on these minibuses. From the airport you can take a taxi, a specially trained person at the exit will sort tourists according to their place of residence, the cost is 10-15 dollars maximum. There are a lot of rental companies, you can rent a Ford Mustang, a lot of beautiful American cars.

Is it safe on the island?
As with everything in the Caribbean, you have to be careful. There is a story on the Internet about how people were robbed right near the beach by stealing a rental car. It should be remembered that the local population is poor with all the ensuing consequences. At the same time, you shouldn’t see everyone as an enemy; local residents are extremely positive and welcoming.

On the streets of Philipsburg

Beaches
The best beaches are located in the Dutch part of the island, for example, Mullet Bay. It is easy to find; if you are coming from the airport towards Maho, you should follow main road along the golf courses, then after the barrier the next turn towards the sea. Many minibuses go to this beach, if it is indicated on the sign, you can name it, and they will tell you when to get off.
The best beach is also called Maho beach; swimming under the planes is original. The main thing is that this does not happen during the off-season (for example, October-November), when instead of sand there are huge boulders on the beach. There are always a lot of people on Orient Beach, here active entertainment(water skiing, etc.), and on weekends there are parties in numerous restaurants. Not far from this beach is the small island of Pinel. Small boats can be used to cross

To find your beach, it’s best to take a car and drive around them all :) The cost of sun loungers on the beaches of St. Maarten ranges from 8 to 15 dollars.

What else can you see in St. Maarten? In the French capital, in the city of Marigot, there is a market where you can buy spices and vanilla. And also have breakfast with croissants in French cafes

The only thing that is produced locally is hot sauces; everything else is imported. Seafood included. The cost of dinner is at European prices. For those who want to save money, it’s better to take rooms with a kitchen or apartments; supermarkets have excellent products, you won’t go to waste :)

We met the cheerful bartender Roger Lutz. who lives for two things: travel and cocktails. His dream is to open his own bartending school on the island. He thinks that the locals make crap cocktails (and that's true), his cocktails are incomparable. He lived for several years in countries such as South Africa, Iceland, Australia, and Japan. Like all Germans, he loves football, he supports Hamburg St. Pauli, this is a very interesting club, which is also supported by all antisocial sections of society (LGBTQ, hippies, punks, etc.), and he told how, standing on the fan stand, you can get drunk from smells of marijuana :) A cheerful guy who taught us how to make a real pina colada, we brought all the ingredients from the island, then every day we pampered ourselves at home with a wonderful cocktail. By the way, he told us that Bacardi is a garbage dump, any cheapest rum is better than Bacardi

Locals swear by lobster; the cost of dinner is quite at European prices.

Sunsets

Cruise ship in the distance

“A post from the past”: Maho Beach on the island of San Maarten is famous for the fact that many people go there not for swimming, but to see planes land. Photographer Thomas Prior went to the Caribbean and tried to convey the chaos happening on this beach, located in close proximity to the international airport. It is difficult to believe the authenticity of the photographs of giant airliners flying at an altitude of 10-20 meters above sunbathing tourists, however, they are real.

(Total 13 photos)

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1) international Airport Princess Juliana serves Sint Martin, the Dutch part of the island of St. Maarten. It is the second busiest airport in the Eastern Caribbean. Therefore, beachgoers on Maho Beach have a hard time.

2) The beach is easy ideal place for a detailed look at low-flying aircraft, although this causes some inconvenience when swimming and sunbathing.

3) Shooting under such conditions is more than difficult, and the sand that rises like a cloud during landing is not the best “companion” for optics.

4) Despite the difficult conditions of takeoff and landing, not a single accident has been recorded so far.

5) Some beachgoers deliberately tickle their nerves by standing under the “belly” of landing airliners.

6) This is dangerous: the jet from the engine can injure or even kill. A poster at the entrance warns about this.

7) Airliners and small planes, when landing, fly so low that it seems they are about to hit, if not vacationers, then umbrellas or the roof of one of the local bars.

8) Maho Beach is so popular among airplane enthusiasts that local bars display schedules for airport flights. And one of them even has a speaker that broadcasts conversations between pilots and dispatchers.