St Maarten Top Things To See & Do

• Enjoy the colonial atmosphere and duty-free shopping of St Maarten's principal town, Philipsburg, which is situated on a sand bar that separates Great Salt Pond, an étang or salt marsh, from the ocean. The entire town consists of two streets, Voorstraat (Front Street) and Achterstraat (Back Street), and several short, narrow alleys.

• Take a peek inside Philipsburg's nine shingled churches, and visit the Queen Wilhelmina Golden Jubilee Monument. Nearby is Fort Amsterdam, dating from the time of the earliest settlers.

• Travel inland to see the picturesque ruins of several plantation mansions, set in the wooded hills around Mount Flagstaff, and the Border Monument, celebrating 300 years of cooperation between the French and the Dutch.

• Tip-toe across the border (no passports are required) into French St Martin and visit the charming market town of Marigot. Small boats are available for various watersports and fishing.

• Go sailing: The island is one of the Caribbean's leading sailing venues, hosting the Heineken Regatta every year. Rent anything from motorboats and yachts to canoes, or charter day trips and ‘picnic sails' to secluded bays and nearby uninhabited islands.

• Arrange a deep sea fishing expedition, with half- and full-day charters available all year round. Bareboat charters are also available.

• Take advantage of excellent diving conditions, with coral reefs located close to the shore. One of the most popular dive sites is the wreck of HMS Proselyte, a British man-of-war which sank in 1801. There are also many good sites for snorkelling. Bodyboarding is popular.

• Get peddling: cycling and mountain biking can be pursued on the coastal road and along the trails around Paradise Peak. There are excellent views.

See Contact Addresses for further tourist information.