Information on St Maarten
The eastern Caribbean island of St Martin or St Maarten offers a unique cultural experience as it is divided between the two sovereign states of France and the Netherlands, with an unprotected border cutting through the centre of the island meaning that by day visitors can sunbathe in the Dutch St Maarten and on an evening they can choose French cuisine in the French St Martin. The French and the Dutch have shared this Caribbean gem peacefully for more than 350 years ever since, as legend has it, a gin-drinking Dutchman and wine-imbibing Frenchman walked around the island to see how much territory they could claim for their country in a day. The Frenchman gained two-thirds of the island, but the Dutch maintain their representative claimed the prize part of the property.
The southern Dutch region of the island has a capital city called Philipsburg, which is home to a duty free shoppers paradise that drawn thousands of tourists to it. Dutch St Maarten arguably has the best (certainly the most developed and crowded) beach resorts, clustered along the southwest coast near the island's international airport. French St Martin is more scenic and less developed, but no less popular as a holiday destination.
The dining opportunities in the culturally diverse St Martin and St Maarten have endowed the island with the title of the gourmet capital of the Caribbean and the islands flamboyant nightlife centres around the thirty five beautiful beaches the island boasts. The small island's main attractions are shopping, relaxing on the crowded beach or dipping in the clear turquoise waters; there is little of historic, cultural or architectural interest or natural attractions beyond the sand and sea.
