Check Availability

Best Rate Guaranteed

Book Form

FAQ

Entry

Please take note that as of January 1, 2007 all US Citizens will need a passport to enter St. Maarten/St. Martin. Up until then a certified copy of your birth certificate with photo id is accepted.

History

St. Maarten/St. Martin was discovered by Christopher Columbus in 1493 on the feast day of St. Martin of Tours. Since then, this 37 square mile island, has been in the possession of the Spanish, Dutch, French and English. However, on March 23, 1648, a treaty was concluded atop Mount Concordia delineating the boundaries of the island whereby the Dutch received 16 square miles and the French 21 square miles. It is now the smallest island in the world to be divided between two sovereign powers. Dutch St. Maarten is part of the Dutch Caribbean, a self-governing Dutch nation, comprising of five islands, Bonaire and Curaçao to the North of Venezuela, and Saba, St. Eustatius, and St. Maarten in the northeastern Caribbean.

Time Zone

4 hrs from Universal time: + 1 hr from Eastern Time in the Winter, same time in the Summer, or 5 hrs from Paris time (- 6 hrs in the Summer).

Languages

Official languages are Dutch and French, but English is widely spoken. Spanish, Italian, German and many more languages can be heard as well as two dialects, Papiamento on the Dutch Side and French Creole on the French Side. Over 100 nationalities reside on the island.

Currencies

Official currencies are the Antillean Guilder on the Dutch Side and the Euro on the French Side. The Antillean Guilder floats with the US dollar. $1 = 1.78 Antillean Guilders. Prices are commonly posted in U.S. Dollars which are accepted everywhere. Non-resident personal checks are generally not accepted, however travelers checks and most major credit cards are .

Airports

Princess Juliana Airport, on the Dutch side, is the international airport that is linked to most Caribbean islands, as well as Europe and North and South America.

Infos: +1 721-599-545-4211 and +1 721-599-545-4224.

L’Esperance-Grand Case Airport, on the French side, is a regional airport for inter-island transfers to the surrounding French speaking islands.

Driving

Vehicles are left hand drives and traffic is on the right with international signs. Local buses run until midnight between different locations. Taxis can be acquired anytime at the airport, in the capitals, and at the hotels. There are fixed taxi fares which increase after 10:30 p.m.  All major car rentals are on the island, and there is unlimited mileage. It is advisable to take car insurance. Roads are winding and narrow.

Electricity

110 Volt, 50 Hz

Courier Services

Main Post offices, DHL, FEDERAL EXPRESS, UPS, LIAT Quickpak