Life is a BEACH in St. Martin

St. Martin is just a stunning island in the Caribbean. It is actually split into two countries, the French-owned St. Martin (yes, they can even vote in the French election) and the Dutch side of Saint Maarten . We only stayed on the French side in Grand Case and only traveled through the Dutch side, but from pure observation, the Dutch section seemed a little more garish, with big billboards and casinos, far more touristy than the more subtle and laid-back French side.

You can cross between these two borders; in fact, I don’t remember there being a border at all, but you certainly know when you change from French to Dutch just by looking around. We stayed in the small town of Grand Case and loved it there. The restaurants vary from barbeque shacks in the street (Lolas) to four-star French cuisine, and everyone was so friendly and happy that we were there.

Our accommodation (see separate entry) was top-notch, and the beaches are just beautiful. The town itself was close together, with dirt roads that could be a little scary at night with local cars flying around.

The capitol of the French side, Marigot, is easily reached by the local bone-shaker bus. It’s a lively city with a wider choice of restaurants, markets, and shops. Also, for history buffs, there’s Fort Louis with a great view of the city from atop the battalions. There are no casinos at all on the French side; for those, you need to go to the Dutch quarter, especially Philipsburg, the capitol.

There are plenty of boat trips to the nearby islands of St. Bart’s, Saba, or Anguillam as well as smaller "deserted islands" (see activities). Not to be missed is the infamous Orient Beach. A clothing-optional section in the north end drifts into the local beach bars for some eye-opening sights. Really, though, this beach has some of the prettiest white sand on the island and the water is a stunning turquoise.

Quick Tips:

• Even if you are a food connoisseur, tear yourself away from the fine French restaurants and try Local Lola’s. Delicious.
• Do at least one boat trip. I highly recommend the Scooby Doo Catamaran to Prickly pear or the ferry to Anguilla.
• Venture off the main street in Grand Case and see how and where the locals live.
• If you go to Anguilla, make sure you get the driving license to drive there. It’s temporary, costs just , and all you have to do is sign some paper!
• Oh, and remember to drive on the left in Anguilla - it’s English.
• Enjoy the island rum. It’s homemade and strong.
• Relax and enjoy. Parts of the island might look a little scary but are really not.

Best Way To Get Around:

If you stay in Grand Case, it’s small enough that you can walk anywhere. We stayed at the farthest end possible, and it was still a very easy walk. Having said this, do be careful at night, when the locals parade in their cars, driving along the dirt road at breakneck speeds.

The local buses are fun and an adventure. They shake, rattle, and roll their way between all the main towns. They are frequent and cheap, but not in the best shape, so if one breaks down, don’t be too bothered, as another will be along soon enough.

Ferries leave from the port at Marigot, but organized trip are often from the local beaches. The ferry from Marigot to Anguilla was just each and took roughly 20 minutes.

Once in Anguilla, though, it is best to rent a car. You can drive the whole island very easily in a day, including plenty of stops to eat and swim. This island is so friendly and safe that we didn’t even bother locking the car half the time.

We booked this hotel as a package in Dallas. At the time, the anti-French feelings were going on, so we got it much cheaper than the advertised price. We booked out flight and hotel in Dallas.

It wasn't an all-inclusive, but you might be able to book it as that. We just got the breakfast, which suits us better. We had just heard how great all the restaurants were in Grand Case, and so we wanted the chance to experience them ourselves.

The Grand Case Beach Club was great. The staff was very outgoing and friendly; in fact, many an evening they would just hand us bottles of homemade rum if we were hanging out at the bar and never charge us. They were quite proud of the local liquor!! Our room was on the lower floor, with a lantern-lit patio and sliding door into the gardens, TV, telephone, fridge, safe, oven, big bathroom, huge bedroom, and pretty Caribbean decor. There was a pool and lit tennis courts. The property was gated, but you didn't feel like it needed to be, as everywhere felt very safe.

The bar/breakfast room was open air and on the rocks between two very pretty beaches, and we enjoyed this every morning, along with the four local kittens for company. There were hammocks in the gardens under the shade of the trees that made for a very relaxing afternoon. Some trips were organized by the hotel, but we only did one to Prickly Pear, and for the rest of our adventures, we went into Marigot by bus and took the ferries or buses to save money.

For more info on the hotel, click here.

We ate at this little French restaurant and had a great experience. Le Cottage is just along the main street in Grand Case. The staff were all very chatty and full of stories and tips for things to do. The owner, Bruno, came to our table all through the evening just to make conversation and even wanted us to send him the photos we took. All in all, it was a very personable experience , not to mention how great the food was. The cuisine was definitely French with a variety of sweetbreads, veal, frog legs, snails, etc. It was not cheap, but for the standard of food, we found it very reasonable. If you are not a fan of the French food, don't be put off, as there was lots of pasta and fresh seafood available too. I had the snails which were a great texture and in a garlic sauce. You can sit out on the sidewalk, but it's a bit close to the dirt road. So you are more likely to get dust in your food as the local boy racers head through. Still, it’s good to people watch, as this is the main street in Grand Case. However, inside was really pretty with candles and flowers on each table and a Caribbean decor.

Grand Case is known for its fine-dining restaurants. Now, this experience is from the other end of the price scale BUT equally as good. The Lola's are BBQ joints set up along the main street. They tend to be owned and run by big Caribbean mommas. The meat is cooked on huge grills and served with mounds of homemade side dishes, such as potato salad, corn, and beans. These were some of our favourite places to eat, and the food was consistently good. My husband liked the ribs, and they would pile it on the plate til he could hardly carry it. There was also chicken or fish and was seasoned with a spicy Caribbean sauce. Every type of person would eat here, from the locals coming home from work to the tourists with little kids. It was loud and chaotic, colourful, and fun. The food cheap, cheap, cheap... just a few dollars for a plate bigger than your head.

This little beach restaurant is a cross between a beach bar and a local BBQ.
What is so different about Pedro's is that it is situated on the southern end of Orient Beach, directly next door to the nudist beach. There was a clear sign in the bar asking patrons to "cover up," but at least whilst we were there, this didn't always happen. It was interesting for sure, though a little off-putting to be tucking into your BBQ sausage whilst seeing lots of BBQ sausages walking round, if you know what I mean!! The food varied from homemade BBQ meat, conch... to all the usual hot dogs, burgers, and fries. At Pedros you can only eat outside but it’s covered with an awning for the frequent afternoon showers. The main cooking is done inside a little hut if you order the burgers, fries or hot dogs. I would recommend the more traditional ribs or chicken, which is BBQed by a skinny kid on a huge grill along the side of the bar. It was cheap and cheerful, though more an experience to tell your friends about than great dining.

This was an organized day trip to Prickly Pear Island. I booked it through the Hotel reception, though they are popular everywhere. The Catamaran, The ScoobiDoo, came to get me from my hotel beach, and as my husband had decided to not do this trip, I was alone. They were such a great crew that made an extra effort to make me comfortable. The waters were very smooth during the journey, and being a catamaran, I just laid out on the tarp deck and enjoyed the sail… and open bar!!! The trip itself was about $60, though it would be more at busier times I was informed. Their website puts the price at $90, so you might want to ask around and see if you can get a better deal if it’s off-season. Check HERE for more info on the ScoobiDoo excursions and price information.

Once at Prickly Pear, which is actually off the Anguilla coast, the catamaran stopped and we all waded onto the beach. It was stunning, with the palest of white sand I have ever seen and the prettiest turquoise waters. There was a beach bar at one end where we had our included barbeque lunch. The rest of the time was just for you to enjoy this island. Snorkeling equipment was provided, or you could just laze around. I had taken a book to rest between the snorkeling. I also walked all along the beach and around the corners where there were no people at all. It really felt like a deserted island. I had read negative reports on this trip, that the "deserted island" can be anything but when the hoards of day trippers arrive, but there was just our boat there the whole morning. One other trip did pull up a little ways from the beach, but they stayed on their boat or just snorkeled off the side, so they didn’t even join us.

It was the quintessential Caribbean island feel. I didn’t want to leave at all, but it’s a good thing I did, because the sun had already fried me to a crisp!!!

There are various excursions and trips to the nearby island of Anguilla no matter where you are staying. However, we did this ourselves and it worked out great.

We took the local bone-shaker bus from Grand Case into Marigot, and then caught a ferry across to Anguilla. This ferry only takes 15 to 20 minutes and is just $8 each. From here you have to go through a customs of sorts, as Anguilla is British owned, so don’t forget your passport. Once out of here, there are a couple of car lots that are rental places. You need to fill out a driving license form for the temporary Anguilla license. It’s basically just a case of signing your name and paying $10, nothing any more complicated than that!!!

Then, remembering to drive on the left, we were off. You can easily cover the whole island in a day, including the beach, eating lunch, taking photos stops, etc. The interior of this island seems starkly poor, with goats and cattle just wandering the streets and people living in cinder block homes with missing roofs. The frequency hurricanes hit this little island is alarming, and most locals cannot afford to repair their homes, so much work is left undone for years on end, giving the island a rundown feel. Despite the poor look of the towns, we felt so safe everywhere we went. People left their doors open and no one bothered to lock their cars. The locals were very friendly and loved to talk! My favouite beaches were Shoal Bay, which was just a wide expanse of white sand, and also Meads Bay.

The whole reason for wanting to see Anguilla was a book I read by the Blanchards called "A Trip to the Beach," which was a tale of them selling their home in Maine and chasing their dream by opening a restaurant on Anguilla. The restaurant is on Meads Bay, but it is only open for dinner, meaning we would miss the last ferry back. A recommendation would be to stay one night on this island and experience the Blanchard’s. For us, that will have to wait until the next time.

No matter where you stay on St Martin, you can easily reach Marigot, which is the capital of the French side. Staying in Grand Case, we just stood on the main street and flagged down the first minibus to come by. They all tend to stop in Marigot, even if they are going elsewhere first.

The ride through the hills was beautiful, though very bumpy, in a bus with no A/C and broken seats, windows, etc. But the driver was energetic and talkative, and most of the people riding the bus were locals. Once in Marigot, it’s easy to find your way around, as the city is very small, just four or five streets wide. Marigot has a very French feel to it with harbor-side cafés, designer clothing shops, and, on Wednesdays and Saturday, a bustling market selling everything from brightly colored clothing to fresh herbs and fish. The market is along the harbor side and below the fort. Fort Louis is a steep climb, but well worth the view at the top… looking down onto Marigot town and the ocean and having being built is 1787, it is the place to go for any of you history buffs out there. One word of warning…just watch out along the market area for the timeshare hawks, who will approach you and want to whisk you away for a full afternoon of timeshare "fun and frolics."

Marigot’s Harbor is also where you will find many of the boat trips, as well as the local ferries to Anguilla, various small islands, St Barts, etc.