Shopping

One of the great attractions of the island is the duty-free shopping available on both sides of the island. You will find elegant boutiques with all the brand names at prices much lower than back home, elegant jewelry, tablecloths, crystal, Dutch Delft Blue, liquors, top-of-the-line electronics and in addition, wonderful island souvenirs. Most of the shops in Marigot are open Monday through Saturday from 10:00 AM-1:00 PM and re-open from 3:00 PM-7:00 PM. Sundays almost all shops are closed.

St. Martin is the place for dinning out in the Caribbean. Here you can choose from a overwhelming variety of of world-class restaurants, most of them managed by acclaimed International chefs, you will taste all kind of foods, from the very sophisticated to the local, with something for everyone and every budget.

Where to Stay

Find the perfect vacation getaway at St. Martin. You can opt for one of the all-inclusive hotels, charming small inns or simple guesthouses. Or you can stay in style in one of the many luxury resorts, villas and suites. Whatever you are looking for you will find it. St Martin has an abundance of vacation accommodation choices to suit individual tastes and budgets here you can see a list of most of them.

Activities

Recommendations for land lovers include a visit to the gourmet capital of the island--Grand Case, a luck of the draw at one of the Casinos, a night out at one of the many nightclubs or bars with live music, or a visit to one of the local fine arts gallery for a sampling of Caribbean Art.

Recent years have seen the growth of many sports on the island aimed at both fitness and fun. Golf, tennis, beach volleyball, mountain biking and even horseback riding is just a few of the adventure activities awaiting you in St.Martin.

The island offers an extensive range of water sports activities, including snorkeling, sailing, jet-skiing, water-skiing, kayaking, wind surfing, parasailing and deep-sea fishing. For the avid Scuba diver, an excursion to islands such as St. Barth?lemy, Saba, and Anguilla is a must.

Sailing & Yachting

St. Maarten - St. Martin has become a major yachting and marine center of the Caribbean. Many marinas, yacht charter companies, chandleries, shipyards, sail makers and more have well equipped businesses open year round.

Thanks to the free-port and duty-free status, food provisioning is less expensive here than on many other Caribbean Islands.

The Heineken Regatta: the most famous of many regattas organized on the Island throughout the year and recognized as one of the major Caribbean events.

Business & Finances

St.Maarten, St.Martin is the only island in the Antilles group apart from Curacao which has achieved success in developing an 'offshore financial services industry and offers highly inter- national banking, communication and professional services that are geared at promoting the island as an international business center.

Transportation

Rental cars are the primary mode of transportation for visitors staying on island. If any driving is expected off the major roads (such as to some of the more secluded beaches), a 4-wheel drive is recommended. Traffic on the island however has become a major problem, long traffic jams between Marigot, Philipsburg and the airport are common.

Buses connect the towns but don't serve the island's beaches. They run from about 6:00 in the morning to midnight and can be boarded at bus stops in towns or flagged down anywhere along the roads.

Entertainment

Most hotels and resorts offer some form of entertainment including local live bands and cultural performances. There are also quite a number of bars, nightclubs, casinos and restaurants all over the island that are fun spots at night. Casino Royale in Maho also offers a theater, with variety shows six nights a week in peak season everything from magic shows to circus acts. You'll also find top-notch entertainment at Coliseum Casino on Front Street and Tropical Casino in Cole Bay. Just pick the type of entertainment you are looking for to see a list of what's available.

Artists

The vibrancy and diversity of art in the Caribbean is astounding and St.Martin is an island with a deep heritage of fascinating and diverse cultures. It is home to a veritable colony of artists of different backgrounds and from many parts of the world.

Wedding & Honeymoon

Planning a Caribbean wedding or honeymoon? Check out St. Martins wedding resources, from wedding planers and dress shops to reception sites and photographers.

Beauty & Fitness

Whether you choose a Swedish massage a deep cleansing facial, or a hot stone massage with a spa manicure, the choice is yours. Find here a selection of St.Martin's beauty salons, health clubs & spas, hair dressers, nail studios, weight-loss centers and yoga studios:

Medical & Pharmaceutical

The established relation with Dutch St. Maarten, French St. Martin and other health care institutions in the region benefits the whole island.

Communication

Communications on St. Martin can be mildly difficult due to the dual autonomy of the small island. St. Martin and St. Maarten have different area codes and use different phone systems. St. Maarten uses the area code plus seven-digit system used in the United States. St. Martin uses a European area code plus six-digit format. Calling from one side to the other, as a result, is considered a long distance call. There are no pay phones on the French side, though calls can be made from public phones using a credit card.

St. Martin press has a few dailies that keep locals and tourists up-to-date with current events. The Dutch part of the St. Martin press consists of two local newspapers, the Daily Herald and Today. Later in the morning, the Miami Herald is available throughout the island in addition to St. Martin press releases. St. Martin press on the French side represents only one paper, This Week. If St. Martin press is not enough to keep your news demands met, the New York Times can be found at specialty newsstands.

Real Estate

St. Maarten Real Estate - Buyers Market

St. Maarten real estate investment opportunities have never been better. There are very few restrictions when investing. You do not need to become a resident to own real estate on the island.

Real estate transactions are always closed using the European system where the Civil Law Notary (appointed by the queen) is responsible, by law, to both parties and is obligated to do a proper title search to insure a clear title transfer. A personal attorney is not necessary. St. Maarten real estate closings are in English within the time frame set by the purchase agreement and closing costs are minimal.

It is hard to imagine a better place to make a real estate investment - but it is quite an endeavor to find your way trough all the red tape involved with the process. Do not despair; you can get professional help. The Island has numerous experienced real estate agencies.