Fine Dining on St. Martin
When the sun goes down, visitors to St. Maarten/St. Martin their attention away from water to food. Some say the island has the best food in the Caribbean. It certainly offers excellent food and a wide variety. It's nearly impossible not to find a restaurant that meets your tastes, style, and budget. Marigot boasts numerous top-quality dining spots offering French dishes and other international cuisine. Grand Case, however, is a food lover's paradise. Restaurants stand side by side offering a variety of cuisines. For a truly memorable culinary experience, start with appetizers in one place, go on for dinner in another, then choose a third for dessert. While the French side of the island is better known for its cuisine, there is good food on the Dutch side as well. Front Street offers a wide variety of restaurants ranging from French and Italian to Indonesian and West Indian. The most authentic West Indian food is found in the LoLos, small restaurants found all over the island.

Island Beaches
Like links of a necklace, 37 beaches, one for every square mile of the country, surround the island. Some are crowded and filled with activities; others are tranquil and often nearly deserted. On the Dutch side the dress code is to stay covered. On the French side, however, topless sunning and swimming are common. Changing facilities, restaurants, bars, and water sports equipment vendors are available at many but not all beaches. Check with a local resident or your hotel before setting out. On the Dutch side, Guana Bay is popular with surfboarders, but can be dangerous to all but the strongest swimmers. Little Bay beach is a good spot for snorkeling. So are the shallow waters off Maho Beach, which is especially good for children who love to see and hear the low-flying planes heading in and out of the airport. Simpson Bay Beach offers good swimming and a secluded setting. Cupecoy beach is beautiful, but very secluded. It's not the place for solo swimmers or families. On the French side, the beach at Grand Case offers calm waters and excellent French restaurants. Coconut Grove is a good spot for children and snorkelers. The French side's most famous beach is at Orient Bay. It provides an assortment of hotels and restaurants, water sports, and clothing and jewelry vendors. While there are many families on this beach, be advised that is there is no real dress code here. Going topless is common on the entire beach. The section directly in front of Club Orient Resort is a nudist beach.

Island Casinos
After dinner, visitors can try their luck at one of the island's nine casinos. All are on the Dutch side and open from noon until 2am. European in style, they are more subdued and less glitzy than U.S. casinos.

Island Hopping
If your visit to St. Maarten/St. Martin lasts more than just a few days, you may want to take a day trip to one of the neighboring islands of Saba, St. Eustatius (Statia), or St. Barts. Air service from Queen Juliana airport to Saba and Statia is regular and relatively inexpensive. You can go out in the morning and come back in the afternoon. There also are regularly scheduled flights from St. Martin to St. Barts, though a more scenic route is by boat from either side of St. Martin. On Saba, enjoy walking through the villages with their shops and restaurants. Visit the galleries for some local and regional art. Saba also is a mecca for scuba divers. Plan to stay overnight if you want to dive, though, as flying within 24 hours of diving is not recommended. Statia boasts the second oldest synagogue in the Western Hemisphere and a Dutch Reformed Church built in 1755. It also has a museum worth exploring. On both Saba and Statia, hikers can get as much or a s little exercise as they want. St. Barts offers beaches, sightseeing, exquisite dining - reputed to be the Caribbean's best - and first-class shopping.

Island Water sports
Where there's water, there are water sports; St. Martin is no exception. The island has numerous good spots for diving and snorkeling. There's also water-skiing, jet-skiing, windsurfing, and sailing. Fishermen can try their rods in the deep sea. Adventurers can parasail. Opportunities to participate in any and all of these activities can be arranged through hotels or right on many of the beaches. Charters and instruction are widely available.

Land-based Sports
Recent years have seen the growth of many land activities on the island. Tennis is available at many of the larger hotels. Golfers can play 18 holes on the course at Mullet Bay Resort. There also are opportunities for horseback riding and off-road mountain biking with experienced guides. Hikers have many trails to choose from, while those who enjoy some history with their walk can make the climbs to Fort Willem just west of downtown Philipsburg, and Fort St. Louis, which overlooks Marigot Bay. Fort Amsterdam built on a peninsula between Great Bay and Little Bay also is worth a visit, especially for the stunning view of Philipsburg. The truly daring can arrange to sky dive in tandem with an experienced sky diver.

Outdoor Family Fun
St. Maarten/St. Martin is a child-friendly island. Especially in the summer, many Americans and Europeans visit as families. Beaches and hotel swimming pools are the most popular activities for most children. For a little variety, though, take them to the island's zoo. On Pondfill Road on the Dutch side, the St. Maarten Zoological and Botanical Garden features animals, birds, and plants native to the region. Eden Park on the French side is another good place to let youngsters walk off a little energy and learn about the island's natural beauty. The Butterfly Farm is a must-see whether traveling with children or not. Run by two delightful and imaginative Englishmen, it's a photographer's paradise and a good learning experience. It's on the French side near Orient Beach. Once guests have paid their initial admission, they can return as many times as they like during their stay.

Shopping the Isle
Some of the best shopping in the Caribbean is found on both the Dutch and the French sides of the island. Perfumes, jewelry, electronics, cigars, fine wines and spirits, and other goods from around the world flow into the completely duty-free port. Prices are good here, perhaps the best in the Caribbean. Not everything is a bargain, though. The smartest shoppers on the island arrive with an idea of what things cost back home. Front Street, the main thoroughfare in Philipsburg, is lined with shops and generally crowded with bargain hunters, especially from the cruise ships that dock nearly every day. To avoid some of the congestion, shop early in the day. Most businesses are open every day, except Christmas and Good Friday, from 9am until 6pm. For a break from shopping, visit the St. Maarten Heritage Foundation for a taste of history from the time of the Arawak Indians to the present. Another good place to stop is L'Escargot at 84 Front St. This charming bistro is a culinary and visual delight. Before or after dining, spend a little time examining the colorful murals and paintings that cover the exterior walls. Shopping is less hectic in the luxury boutiques along the main streets of Marigot and at Marina Port la Royale, a shopping center at the southern end of town. You can take a museum break in Marigot, too. The Museum of Marigot recounts the history of the island since the First Native Americans arrived. It's closed from 1pm to 3pm, during which time you can visit one of Marigot's bistros or restaurants. For a different kind of shopping in Marigot, spend a Wednesday or Saturday morning in Market Square at the old marina. There, vendors from St. Martin and nearby islands sell fruits and vegetables, fish, spices, flowers, and arts and crafts.

St. Maarten 12-Meter Challenge
A highlight of an island visit for many visitors is the opportunity to try their hand at the St. Maarten 12-Meter Challenge. Fifteen paying sailors per boat work side by side with three professionals to race time and other boats. The shortened 12-meter race uses boats that have actually sailed in the America's Cup Races. The cost is about $65 to $70 per person. Make arrangements through hotels or cruise ships or by calling +599 011-5995-20045.