I think that people who have never been to the Caribbean often times think each of the various islands are pretty much the same. To some point, this can be true. They all have beautiful beaches. They all have palm trees with iguanas watching everything from the fronds. All of them are fantastic destinations during the cold and snowy winters in the United States during long winters. 

However, some of the islands can be incredibly different too. For instance, there is a huge difference between the arid climate of Aruba with its sparse vegetation and the lush rain forests and hilly terrain of Antigua.

What makes the Caribbean fun, is that most of the islands have unique characteristics which makes it intriguing to visit all of them.

For instance, when someone thinks of Jamaica, they may think of Dunn's River Falls and Jamican rum with plenty of places to party.

The Cayman Islands are known for their snorkeling and scuba diving destinations, as well as a sand bar in the middle of the sea where you can stand up and pet sting rays.

Curacao, for its own intrigue which can be read in one of my Deseret News articles from years ago. You can check it out here Celebrating in Curacao: A couple's anniversary trip to the Caribbean island - Deseret News

For this blog, I want to share some of the special attractions on the island of Saint Martin/Sint Maarten. (Saint Martin on the French side of the island and Sint Maarten on the Dutch side of the island)

First things first. Many people who have never been to the Caribbean, or to Saint Martin specifically, still have heard of the airport. Magazines, travel articles, newspapers have dozens of pictures of people who stand at the end of the runway, on a beach, while jetliners fly overhead within a stone's throw straight up. 

Let me testify it is really very exhilerating to experience it live and in person.

The beach is Maho Beach on the Dutch west side of the island and is only separated from the airport by a chain link fence and a few dozen feet from the runway. Because it attracts so many visitors, there are hotels and places to eat right in the immediate area.

Flying in over Maho Beach when Kim and I arrived on the island of Saint Martin. Top right of the picture is where we had lunch a couple of days later.

 

Kim and I really enjoyed eating at Sunset Beach and watching the craziness of people try to hang on to the fence while planes took off without tumbling over the rocks and into the water. We didn't try this ourselves, and signs recommended that it not be done, but still there were plenty of participants.

I mentioned jets taking off, but there were also lots of regional turboprop planes that were just as close to the ground, if not closer, as they went over Maho Beach.

Maho Beach, even without an airport attraction, is quite scenic and beautiful. We took a taxi to the beach from our hotel. On this journey, we saw several swamped or damaged boats from hurricane Irma in September of 2017. We visited in April of 2019.

As I mentioned earlier, the island is divided between Dutch Sint Maarten and French Saint Martin, with the airport being on the Dutch side. Both sides have their own flavor, but we stayed primarly on the southern Dutch side near Philipsburg on the Great Bay. We were lucky, our room was changed to an ocean view room (more expensive) because our original had not been cleaned properly.

Holland House Beach Hotel where we stayed. There is something to be said about having a beach front property.

View of the beach from our hotel room.

View of cruise ships from our hotel in Philipsburg.

Of course, the St. Maarten Hard Rock Cafe was in easy walking distance from our hotel.

One of the best things we have done in several locations around the world, is rent bicycles and ride around, either by ourselves, or in a tour group. In Sint Maarten, it was an organized group. We walked a short distance to the cruise terminals to catch our tour. I think what made the experience so special was a combination of the sights we visited as well as being caught in a downpour. The rain was actually quite invigorating and, since we were already sweaty from the humidity and exercise, quite refreshing.

Kim enjoying the rain, the sky, and the beautiful island of Sint Maarten.

Kim and I with our bicycle tour group after the downpour. This ride was only about a couple of miles but did consist of some hill.

Kim in downtown Philipsburg pointing out where we were on Sint Maarten.

   

See? I wasn't kidding about iguanas in trees.

I honestly never expected to see mountain goats near the cruise line terminal on our walk back to the hotel.

Marigot is the capital of the French side of Saint Martin. Even though the two countries share the island, the culture, architecture, and ambiance are completely different. I recommend if you want to see the French side, there is a bus people can catch that is much more economical than a taxi or some other means of transportation, and it's very reliable.

There may not be as much to see and do in Marigot, but it is very quant and colorful. On a hill overlooking the town is Fort Louis with spectacular views of the surrounding area.

Fort Louis, a short hike passed some beautiful homes

Kim looking out over the Caribbean Sea from Fort Louis in Marigot, Saint Martin.

Panaramic shot of Kim at Fort Louis overlooking Marigot, Saint Martin. What a naturally beautiful place that has only been enhanced with the quaint and colorful architecture. The north side of the island escaped much of the destruction from hurricane Igor.

If you have never been to the Caribbean, you should make it a point to go if possible. The water is so easy to swim in because of the salt content and much warmer than the Med. Once in the water, you just never want to get out.

Kim had never experienced the Caribbean Sea prior to our trip to Curacao. Now it is one of her favorite destinations which I will write about in future blog posts.