If you are planning to have a trip to the Caribbean islands and curious about the fine and wonderful beaches there or perhaps intrigued of the Majo Beach where planes fly low as an attraction, then inquire for the Saint Martin Island or collectively known as St Martin / St Maarten of the Caribbean. Confusing? Maybe yes but this is one thing travelers may take into consideration.
St-Martin / St Maarten is an 87 km2 island that can be found northeast of the Caribbean Sea shared by the governments of France and the Netherlands since the 1600’s. The two parts of the island are St Maarten in the Dutch South and the Collectivity of St Martin in the French north where, like the weather in other Caribbean islands, patterns vary but is basically consistent in its year-round beauty. Temperatures are almost always moderate with very little seasonal variation.
This island was originally named as “Isla de San Martin” by Christopher Columbus in honor of the Catholic saint, Martin of Tours.
These countries, although both sharing the beauty of the St Martin Island, possess different distinguishing features and have managed to retain much of their distinctiveness of their own national cultures.
The French side tends to pay more attention to its comfort and elegance like the way they do it at home in Europe. There are more private resorts, eyebrow-raising nude beaches, wide variety of luxurious hotels that provide splendid accommodations, and dining places which offer more than the finest French restaurant experience in the whole of the Caribbean, not to mention, the bistros, pastry shops and small cafes at almost every corner would really make feel that you are in France but somewhere else really.
The shopping spree activities here are more active due to the influence of French fashion, more shops, more boutiques and more activities for the shopaholics. Though busy and pretty expensive to be called, the ambience here because of the place itself maintains the relaxing and still enchanting atmosphere.
On the other hand, St. Martin's Dutch side is known for its festive nightlife, jewelry and jewelry shops, exotic drinks made with native rum-based guava-berry liquors, plentiful casinos and beaches with out of the world attractions. St Maarten all has a super busy cruise port and very active commercial district that has long been a center that never sleeps for income-generating trade and tourism. It is said that this southern part of the island is more developed, easygoing and very Dutch in flavor because of the country’s continuous attachment with their peers in the Netherlands.
Between the two different roots of St. Martin and St. Maarten, tourists will all truly enjoy and be able to find just about every kind of activity that fits their preference of a perfect holiday getaway in the sun, available in French and in Dutch. You choose.
Flickr photo by gobucks2
