By John Roberts
Ahhh, splendid St. Maarten/St. Martin. We have been several times to this wonderfully scenic island in the Caribbean, shared by two countries, the Netherlands (St. Maarten) and France (St. Martin), and Colleen says it's a place she could see retiring to.
The 37-square-mile island is riddled with gorgeous beaches and yacht-filled waters. The island was first claimed by Columbus for Spain in 1493 but largely ignored by Europeans who turned their eyes toward the conquest of Mexico and South America. The Dutch arrived in the 1620s and found a commercial bounty in the island’s salt ponds. Later, the island also was claimed by France, and a series of skirmishes were fought before the nations agreed to a treaty in 1648 that split the island between the countries.
Now, visitors can easily travel back and forth from the Dutch and French sides to experience the distinct cultural flair of each. Here are other things to try when you head to St. Maarten/St. Martin.
Ahhh, splendid St. Maarten/St. Martin. We have been several times to this wonderfully scenic island in the Caribbean, shared by two countries, the Netherlands (St. Maarten) and France (St. Martin), and Colleen says it's a place she could see retiring to.
The 37-square-mile island is riddled with gorgeous beaches and yacht-filled waters. The island was first claimed by Columbus for Spain in 1493 but largely ignored by Europeans who turned their eyes toward the conquest of Mexico and South America. The Dutch arrived in the 1620s and found a commercial bounty in the island’s salt ponds. Later, the island also was claimed by France, and a series of skirmishes were fought before the nations agreed to a treaty in 1648 that split the island between the countries.
Now, visitors can easily travel back and forth from the Dutch and French sides to experience the distinct cultural flair of each. Here are other things to try when you head to St. Maarten/St. Martin.
Swim with the fishes. Snorkeling is a great choice, of course, as well as swimming with sea turtles. And we've done both in St. Maarten. But we had a very unique experience on our first stop when Colleen was able to jump in amid a feeding frenzy of friendly palometa fish. Special thanks to Captain Bob for a wonderful excursion that included this stop.
Speed boat ride. What a great way to see all around the island, under the bridges, around the bays and harbors, past the yachts and wrecked boats still floating unclaimed since Hurricane Luis in 1995, which destroyed the residences of about 60 percent of the island's inhabitants. We enjoyed our boat ride, though I recommend a very resilient spine if you sit up front, to go snorkeling, swimming and stop off at a beach for lunch.
Barbecue ribs. While obviously a seafood haven (it's the Caribbean!), St. Maarten owns passion for tasty barbecue, too. Nearly all the toes-in-the-sand restaurants and bars that can be spotted all over the island feature a nice rack of ribs or chicken on their menus. I went for ribs at least twice during my visits.
Flavor to savor. Presidente is prevalent throughout the Caribbean and just might be CMac's favorite "I'm damn hot and thirsty. I just need a cold, easy-drinking beer!" beer. It's a classic pilsner in the ubiquitous green bottle that we enjoy on hot beach days after a swim in the salty waters. Presidente is brewed in the Dominican Republic and available in the United States.
Thanks for reading, and always travel happy.
JR
Thanks for reading, and always travel happy.
JR
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