travel42 Port Guide: St Maarten

travel42 Professional Cruise Port of Call Review

St. Maarten, the Dutch side of the island, is still somewhat more developed for tourism than the French side, with large hotels, villas, condos, resorts, time-share developments, casinos and an amazing variety of nightlife. Its capital, Philipsburg, is a favorite destination of cruise ships and plays host to thousands of tourists when ships are in port.

The French and Dutch sides of the island, although culturally distinct, have a shared history dating back to the early 17th century. Early se...