Saint Martin (French Side) and Sint Maarten (Dutch Side) share a Caribbean island full of beautiful, diverse beaches.

Here are the top beaches you must see on both sides:

Orient Beach

Located on the French side of the island, this is one of the most beautiful beaches I’ve been to. Soft, white sandy beaches surrounded by lush hills and miles of water.

The food huts serve fresh fish that you can watch them go out and catch the day of.

Maho Beach:

While this is not the most relaxing beach, this is a great spot for two reasons. The first being that it’s located in front of the landing strip at Sint Maarten airport. Planes of all sizes come in directly above the beach every few minutes.

The second being the natural wave pool. Ever spend time in the wave pools at water parks? Well this is like that, but better. The wind from the planes creates small, constant waves - just wading in the area, moving along with the waves is so much fun, and safe for all ages.

Great Bay

This beach, located along the Philipsburg Boardwalk, is a short boat ride from the cruise port (you can even see the ships in the background.) It has tons of restaurants and shops - both touristy and non-touristy. We stopped at Lizzy’s Beach Bar for drinks and seafood. This beach was busier than others, but it’s beautiful, calm and full of life - not to mention convenient if you’ve come on a cruise.