| >Travel Infos >Restaurants >Activities >Beaches >Festivals >Tourism Board |
part, which is named St. Martin. There isn´t any real border
and the difference between both islands can not be seen easi-
ly. The biggest difference might be the tourist infrastructure,
which is less developed on the French side. St. Martin is not
as highly populated and built-up as St. Maarten.
The capital city is Marigot which looks more like a village,
than a real city. There are only a few streets and worth visiting
is the Boulevard de France, where many restaurants and
bars are located. The Marina Port la Royale is very romantic
with plenty of restaurants to choose from, set around the ma-
rina. The old Fort Louis, which you can reach easily on foot,
is worth a visit, as well as the new shopping mall West In-
dies.
The French part has the best beaches of the island, like the
beautiful Baie de Plume (Plum Bay) or the lovely Baie Long-
ue (Long Bay).
Most hotels are located at the Baie Nettlé, a 5 minute drive
south of Marigot. If you go further north you come to Grand-
Case which is known as the "restaurant capital" of the island.
The restaurants vary in type and price and some are well-
known throughout the Caribbean! The beach is good, but not
as spectacular as others. On Grand-Case you will also find
some smaller and privately run hotels with lots of charm.
Close by lies the small Anse Marcel and on the east coast
you will find the much visited and popular Orient Bay. The
newly built "French village" is really attractive and has many
bars, restaurants and supermarkets as well as hotels right
on the beach. The Casinos on both sides of the island are po-
pular and you should visit at least one.
A-Z Caribbean
Islands