From the Ship
Cruise Port to Marigot
Thirty minutes, and it is worth going on a market morning and much less so on a quiet afternoon.
Why Marigot rather than Philipsburg
Because they are not the same kind of town, and Philipsburg is the one you can already walk to.
Marigot is the capital of the French side. Boutiques, a waterfront market, the ruins of Fort Louis on the hill above, and food that is meaningfully better than what you will find near the terminal. It is quieter, smaller and more pleasant to wander.
Philipsburg is duty-free shopping and a beach boardwalk, twenty-five minutes' walk or a short water taxi from your ship. It is fine, and it is free to get to.
If you are going to spend thirty minutes each way in a car, Marigot is what you are going for.
Market days matter
This is the thing that decides whether the trip is worth it.
The waterfront market is substantially bigger on its main mornings — produce, spices, crafts, fabric — and on those days it is genuinely one of the better things to do from the port. On a quiet afternoon it is a few stalls and you will wonder why you drove.
Ask us before you book. We know which day you are in on, and we will tell you honestly if this is not the right one for it.
Fort Louis
Above the town, reached by a set of steps from behind the market. Ruined, free, and the view over Marigot bay, the lagoon and across to Anguilla is the best in the town.
It is a proper climb in the heat and the steps are uneven. Worth it if the weather is reasonable and you are up for twenty minutes of effort; skip it if it is thirty degrees and you are wearing sandals.
The bridge
The road to Marigot runs along the lagoon and the Simpson Bay bridge sits on it. When the bridge is open the road stops entirely, and that is fifteen or twenty minutes.
We plan around the published openings. It is the single biggest variable on this route and the reason a thirty-minute drive occasionally takes fifty.
Combining it
The best two-stop day from the port is Marigot in the morning and Grand Case for lunch, twenty minutes further on. Comfortable on a nine-hour call and it shows you the French side properly.
Back on board
Guaranteed, planned backwards from your all-aboard, with the bridge accounted for rather than hoped about.
What it costs
The official tariff from the cruise port to Marigot is €30 for one or two passengers, then €12 per person for three to five and €11 each above that — in euros, as a French-side journey.
For four people that is €48 each way. See the full rates.
Questions people actually ask
How far is Marigot from the cruise port?
About 30 minutes across to the French side, along the southern shore of the Simpson Bay lagoon. The bridge can add fifteen or twenty minutes if it is open.
When is the Marigot market?
The waterfront market is much bigger on set mornings than the rest of the week. On those days it is one of the best things to do from the port; on a quiet afternoon it is a handful of stalls and the trip is harder to justify.
Do they take dollars in Marigot?
Almost everywhere, though the official currency is the euro and you will occasionally get a slightly better price paying in euros. Cards are widely taken.
Is Marigot better than Philipsburg?
Different, and better for some things. Marigot is French, quieter, with proper food and boutiques rather than duty-free. Philipsburg has the duty-free jewellery and electronics and is a walk from the ship. If you want both, do Marigot in the morning.
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Checked and updated 4 September 2026.