St Martin's Best Beaches

2007-09-27T06:51:00.000-07:00

The hotly debated topic of which beach to spend your days on in St Martin is one that can be argued endlessly. People's opinions on beaches are sacred as if they are defending their own child.

A recent poll on www.stmartinblue.com found the following breakdown of visitor recommendations for St Martin Beaches:

43% Orient Beach
20% Mullet Bay Beach
10% Cupecoy Beach
10% Dawn Beach
8% Baie Rouge
5% Pinel Island
4% Other

Our recommendations would be as follows:
First time visitor: Orient Beach
Watersports: Orient Beach
Pristine beach: Mullet Bay Beach
Longest beach: Baie Rouge
Family friendly: Le Gallion, Mullet Bay Beach, Happy Bay, Grand Case, Anse Marcel, Pinel Island
Naturists: Orient Beach at eastern tip. The western tip of Cupecoy is now under heavy construction.
Local favorites: Plum Bay and Baie Rouge
Ohh my god, is that a plane coming right at me: Maho beach
Snorkeling: Dawn Beach and Friars Bay
Most Scenic: The sunsets and sandstone cliffs of Cupecoy
Most amenities: Orient Beach
Kitesurfing: Le Gallion
Beachside lobster feast: Pinel Island
Day Excursions: Tintamarre, Prickly Pear and White Shoal Beach on Anguilla

On a personal level, St Martin Blue recommends Baie Rouge, Pinel Island and Mullet Bay Beach

For St Martin info, start here:
http://www.stmartinblue.com/stmaartenstmartininfo.html

St Martin Beach Bars

2007-09-27T06:20:00.000-07:00

Living the hedonistic lifestyle has very few principles. 1- Find the best beach 2- Apply sunscreen (ohh... Don't forget to turn over) 3- Sunbathe 4- Lounge in the turquoise waters. Repeat steps 2 through 4 until decompressed.

Eventually, with all that effort you will get hungry. Fortunately, all you have to do is brave the hot sands to indulge on a simple epicurean delight. Here are a few recommendations:

1. Mullet Bay Beach- Rosies Shack- excellent ribs and jambalaya. The shack is truly a shack with a makeshift blue tarp and weathered hand painted signs. Don't be fooled. It offers an great reprieve from the Caribbean sun. Drink a Carib and enjoy your ribs.

2. Baie Rouge Beach- Chez Raymonds- The grilled fish (Mahi-Mahi) sandwich is sublime. The service can be painstakingly slow but the food and view are well worth it.

3. Orient Beach- Kontiki et al- The beach bars on Orient beach are lined up like a runway. They offer refreshing salads and paninis. The beach bars specialize in leaded frozen drinks that will take the edge off. Don't worry guys... it's okay to go for the Strawberry daiquris and pina colodas... no is watching... just don't let anyone photograph you drinking one. Bribery has no bounds.

4. Maho- Sunset Beach Bar. A well known tourist trap, the bar offers good hamburgers and steak sandwiches at premium prices. The bar offers an exceptional vantage point for sunsets and plane arrivals. It's a good place for first timers but can be too busy to fully enjoy. If you have the chance, make sure to check out Percy Rankin's reggae band. They usually play in the late afternoon on Fridays. Check your local listings.

5. On the road to the beaches- If you are switching beaches mid day, try to sample Johnny Under the Tree barbeque off the main road in Cole Bay. A near unanimous recommendation from St Martin vacationers

Good luck and good eats!

St Martin Beach Guide
http://www.stmartinblue.com/stmaartenstmartininfo/stmartinbeachguide.html