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On Location: Insider’s St. Martin/Sint Maarten
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While on assignment on this Dutch-French island, our editor gets to see the place through a local’s lens
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BY CLARK MITCHELL
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| Orient Beach, one of the best on the French side of the island; an iridescent Blue Morpho at the Butterfly Farm. |
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I’d seen Sint Maarten before. Anyone flying to a number of Leeward Islands in the Caribbean has landed here to catch a connecting flight to somewhere remoter and less built-up—at least, that’s what I thought. From the plane window, Sint Maarten appeared to be full of high-rise resorts and choked with gambling tourists. I’d always thought of it as a place you pass through, not a destination in itself. Boy, was I wrong.
COMING UP ROSIE
I jumped at the chance to report this story for Endless Vacation® magazine, partly because my old friend Rosie has been going to the island (which is home to the Dutch Sint Maarten and the French St. Martin) for years. To get the inside scoop, I planned my reporting around a few days when she’d be there.
I knew Rosie had friends on the island, but I had no idea how much the locals embrace regular visitors like her. The chocolate shop in Philipsburg whipped out what she wanted (a box of nougat-filled chocolates) as soon as we walked in. The staff at the pearl shop down the street waved to her as we strolled by. I was having trouble making a Saturday night dinner reservation at Le Ti Provençal, in Grand Case, until I told them it was for Rosie. “Oh, Rosie! Of course. What time?”
Over the next few days, I wasn’t just a journalist on assignment, I was a friend of a very good friend to what seemed like everyone on the island. I was seeing the real deal, the insider’s version of Sint Maarten and St. Martin. Below are some tucked-away treasures that you should include on your trip there.
ISLAND PICKS
The Butterfly Farm, near Galion Beach, is a great stop for kids, or for the kid in all of us (thebutterflyfarm.com). Inside the mesh enclosure you’ll see hundreds of butterflies from all over the world, and afterward you can hit the tranquil beach just around the bend. Note: The potholes on the way here are so deep they make the island’s other roads feel like putting greens.
OK, I really shouldn’t be telling you about this, but it’s my job to pass on the best-kept secrets, right? Happy Bay Beach, hidden on the western coast between Grand Case and Marigot, is a local favorite, reachable only by foot. To get there, go to the north end of Friar’s Bay and follow the path over the ridge to this tropical stretch of sand.
If you’re feeling super-Gallic one day, grab your beret and Gauloises and head to La Belle Epoque, in Marigot (Marina Port La Royal; 590-590-87-87-70; lunch for two, $45*), for a lunch of soupe de poissons (fish soup) or beef carpaccio with the crispiest pommes frites around. If you want ketchup, you’ll have to ask for it—that’s how French this place is.
At Johnny B Under the Tree, a roadside grill on the Dutch side (15 Miracle Dr., Cole Bay; 011-599-557-5576; dinner for two, $35), order a frosty Carib beer and feast on sticky pork ribs and char-grilled spiny lobster tails on tables set under genip trees. The food might take a while, but shouldn’t you be on island time by now?
*Prices are given in U.S. dollars. Meal prices do not include drinks, tax or tip.
NOTE: Information may have changed since publication. Please confirm key details before planning your trip.
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Published: April 5, 2011
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Photos: João Canziani(2)
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