When you enter the tiny island nation of St. Maarten, a sense of serenity blows over you like a cool breeze through an open window. St. Maarten is a French and Dutch territory in the Northeast Caribbean that doesn’t just inspire tranquility, it induces a sense of peacefulness.
The nation with the tropical temperatures lives up to its reputation as “The Friendly Island”. The natives’ warm greetings and sincere smiles disarm the estimated one million visitors that trek to this picturesque country with the mountainous terrain. Seventy-five thousand residents reside in this nation of dual nationality. St. Marteen is known for its fun shopping, festive nightlife, jewelry, nude beaches and exotic drinks.
As the smallest island nation to be split into two country territories, St. Maarten is 60 percent French [Saint-Martin] and 40 percent Dutch [Sint Maarten or St. Maarten]. Yet the dominant language is English and the largest demographic is black at an estimated 70 percent, although the island boasts five distinct languages and over 20 nationalities.
When the Tom Joyner Fantastic Voyage pulled up to the port at Phillipsburg, St. Maarten, we were on the Dutch side which greets all the tourists. The southern side, which is part of the Netherlands Antilles, has a reputation for its casinos, nightlife, jewelry, and exotic drinks made with the island’s native rum-based liquors.
The northern side of the island paradise is the French side, or Saint-Martin. It’s biggest claims to fame are the nude beaches, particularly the Orient, that hug gorgeous aquamarine waters and offer a spectacular panoramic view of the island that make you want to pitch a tent and hang for a few days. But Saint-Martin is also known for its clothes, shopping, outdoor markets and French and Indian Caribbean cuisine. Again, English is the most common tongue although the official language is French for Saint-Martin. Same goes for the Dutch side of Sint Maarten, so you will have little trouble navigating the country looking for restaurants and intellectual watering holes.
It is really interesting and sometimes disconcerting, to drive around the country. As a friend and I traveled deep into the country, we became very aware of the rarity of stop signs, traffic lights, street signs and markers that usually divide the road for American drivers. But since most are even-tempered here [which I’m sure the near-visible humidity has something to do with it], traffic flows with little interruption and no road rage. –terry shropshire
