How many days do you need in St. Maarten?

Four or five is comfortable — enough for both sides, a couple of proper beach days and two or three dinners without rushing. A week is pleasant rather than necessary. A single port day covers one thing well.

What is the number one thing to do?

Watch the aircraft come in over Maho Beach during the afternoon arrivals, and eat dinner in Grand Case. Those are the two things you cannot do anywhere else.

Is there much beyond beaches?

Honestly, not a great deal, and we would rather say so. This is an island for beaches, eating and the water. The historical sites are modest and the hiking is limited. That is not a criticism — it is what to expect.

Not necessarily. It depends where you stay and how much you want to move around. See our comparison of renting versus a driver.

Things to Do in St. Maarten

Thirty-seven square miles, two countries, and about six things genuinely worth building a day around.

The short list

If you do nothing else, do these.

The aircraft at Maho. Nowhere else in the world puts a runway threshold that close to a public beach. Go during the afternoon arrivals bank, roughly 12:30 to 3:30. See Maho Beach.

Dinner in Grand Case. The best eating in the eastern Caribbean by a defensible margin — a single narrow street of restaurants along a bay, with open-air barbecue lolos at one end. See Grand Case.

Both countries in a day. You can cross a national border with no formality whatsoever and eat entirely differently on the other side. It is genuinely unusual. See Dutch side or French side.

A proper beach day. Mullet Bay for the swim, Orient Bay for the beach clubs. See beach clubs.

A day trip by sea. Anguilla for the beaches, St. Barths for the harbour. Both are genuine day trips and both are better than any half-day tour on this island. See the Anguilla ferry and St. Barths.

By interest

Beaches — Mullet Bay for swimming, Orient Bay for clubs and facilities, Friar's Bay and Baie Rouge for quiet, Great Bay for convenience. See beaches near the cruise port.

Eating — Grand Case first, then Marigot harbour, then Simpson Bay. Philipsburg's boardwalk is fine rather than good. See restaurants.

Shopping — duty-free jewellery and electronics on Front Street in Philipsburg; French boutiques and the market in Marigot. Two different things. See a shopping day.

Nightlife — casinos in Maho and Philipsburg, bars in Simpson Bay and Maho. It goes late rather than being sophisticated. See nightlife.

Views — Fort Louis above Marigot, the ridge road across the middle of the island, and Cupecoy at sunset.

What is not worth it

We would rather tell you this than have you find out.

The historical sites are modest. Fort Amsterdam and Fort Louis are ruins with good views rather than places you spend an afternoon. Enjoy the view, do not plan a day around them.

The hiking is limited. There are walks, and the ridge has views, but nobody comes here for the trails and you would be disappointed if you did.

Some organised tours cover ground you could cover better yourself. The island is small enough that a car and a driver who knows it beats a fixed itinerary almost every time. See private island day.

Philipsburg on a four-ship day is not a pleasant place to walk around. Check what is in port.

How long you need

One port day — one thing, done properly. A beach, or Marigot and lunch. Not three.

Four or five days — both sides, two beach days, three dinners, and one day doing nothing. This is the right length.

A week or more — the same, unhurried, plus a day trip to Anguilla or St. Barths, which is what the extra days are best spent on.

Getting around

The island is 37 square miles and you can drive round it in two hours. Nothing is far, but the Simpson Bay bridge and cruise-day traffic mean journeys take longer than the map suggests.

Whether to rent a car or use a driver depends on your week rather than on principle. The honest comparison is on renting a car in St. Maarten.