Attractions

Lottery Farm - A late 1700s sugar estate and later a dairy farm
Parrot Jungle - Cupecoy. This rookery has 80 adult birds, representing 40 different species
Butterfly Farm
Pic Paradis
Historical buildings
French Quarter
St Barthelemy
Anguilla
Tintanarre
Saba
Colombier
Eden Park
Orient Beach
Philipsburg



There are a large number of art galleries on the island. Many of these are in Marigot, the French capital, with Camaïeu and Galerie Valentin among the best known. The Poisson d'Or restaurant in Marigot also displays and sells work by local artists.

In Phillipsburg there is a small museum on the history of Sint Maarten and depicts the islands rich and unique historical, natural and geological heritage.



The capital city of Marigot is perhaps the most French in spirit of all the cities in the Caribbean. Colonial houses stand beside smart cafés and bistros, pastry shops and luxury boutiques.

In many ways it looks just like any of the French market towns you might expect to find on the Continent. A shopping center at the southern end of town down by the harbor, called Marina Port la Royale, has some elegant stores with the latest in European designer fashions and fine jewelry, all free of tax.

Marigot Market

On Wednesdays and Saturdays, an open-air market is set up at the base of Fort St.Louis and along the wharves below, offering a colorful array of homegrown produce, tropical fruits and spices, and freshly caught fish. It is a perfect opportunity for mingling, people watching, and just sampling the food.



Overlooking Marigot Bay sits the imposing figure of Fort St. Louis, the largest historical monument in St.Martin.

Named for the famous crusading king of France, it was originally built in 1767 to protect the settlement at Marigot from foreign invaders. The plans were sent over directly from Versailles at the order of the ill-fated French king, Louis XVI.

Following the events of 1789, the fort was temporarily occupied by the Dutch to prevent the further spread of revolutionary democracy which had reached the island from Guadeloupe. Now, it no longer serves its former purpose, but the steep climb up to the summit provides a panoramic view of the island and the sea surrounding it, and the effort is well rewarded.



The sweeping curve of the beach at Grand Case near the northern tip of the island shelters a little fishing village that is famous not only for its fine foods but also for its distinctive style of architecture.

Elaborate carvings and fretwork, in what is called a gingerbread style, adorn the fronts of the small wooden houses painted in pastel colors, and the effect is truly charming. On the French half of the island, Grand Case is known as the Restaurant Capital of the Caribbean, and lovely beaches such as Baie Longue beckon.












Shore Excursion

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