SAINT MARTIN OR SINT MAARTEN?  You be the judge!

Adapted from Blue Dot Voyages, by SV PILAR

Which side of St. Martin is the best?  You be the judge.  Wondering why this country is spelled two ways? Well, it’s because one side of this island is French (Saint Martin), and one is Dutch (Sint Maarten). And they are very different. We share our experiences here for you to decide.

Saint Martin

When we arrived after our sail from Charleston SC, since it was later at night, we dropped anchor in Marigot Bay on the French side for the night, checked in the next morning, and dropped off our guests so they could get some R&R at the nearest 5 Star Marriott.  New in 2026, check-in must be done at a port office.  You can refill their specific form online, https://clairance.portdemarigot.com/, but do not use SailClear, or the French check-in site from Martinique and Guadeloupe.

Then we sailed on to Grand Case for the weekend.  Grand Case was a wonderful stop.  Plenty of restaurants and shops to visit, and a beautiful beach to explore, and decent snorkeling for reef fish.

Simpson Bay, Sint Maarten

Monday, we sailed down to Simpson Bay Marina, where we had a slip reserved in order to get our sail and sail bag fixed.  Excellent marina, and since we were early in the season, it was just us and about 10 other boats.  We knew we would be there for a week, so we also arranged for some spa services for PILAR.  She was polished, waxed, stainless shined, caulk replaced and some minor gel coast repairs done.

Check-in was right at the office by the bridge (watch out for dinghy damage due to the wake of boats transiting through the channel).

There were a few things worth mentioning about Simpson Bay Marina.  We also had access to the pools and pool bars, even in their sister SuperYacht Marina Isle de Sol.  They had plenty of social events and this was a wonderful respite while our boat was being worked on.  Everything a yacht needs was easily accessible - as anyone knows who takes their boat into Simpson Bay.  Truly everything.  And of course, Lagoonie’s restaurant was a favorite.

We also took some time to hike up to Fort St Louis for the beautiful views, and hiked a 2.5 mile trail with a 1000 ft elevation gain, called St Peter’s Hill.  

Once our repairs were complete, we were ready to leave, so we headed to Bobby’s Marina in Phillipsburg for fuel, and sailed on to Anguilla.

However, that was not all.  After visiting Anguilla, St Barths, St Kitts, Nevis and Statia, we returned to St Martin so we would have better wind at a better point of sail for St Croix.  We met up with friends for dinner at The Greenhouse in Phillipsburg, and spent a few days enjoying the very long Simpson Bay beach walks.  Our new favorite spot was a new Italian restaurant called Portofina, right by the marina.  They even featured PILAR in their marketing photos!

In short:

The benefits of Sint Maarten, the dutch side include boat repairs, restaurants, provisions, yacht services, a yacht club and a casino.

The benefits of St. Martin, the French side, include beautiful bays and beaches, restaurants, and a peaceful atmosphere.

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