# Caribbean Vacations Forums > St. Maarten/St. Martin Travel Forum >  >  St. MartinWhat to DoOn This DividedCaribbean IslandBy DARREN EVERSONMarch 18, 2008; Page D6What to do: Rent a car. It's the easiest way to see the entirety of the 37-square mile island, and it's a win

## NYCFred

St. Martin
What to Do
On This Divided
Caribbean Island
By DARREN EVERSON
March 18, 2008; Page D6

What to do: Rent a car. It's the easiest way to see the entirety of the 37-square mile island, and it's a winding, hilly, worthy drive. Though the island is split roughly in half between French St. Martin in the north and Dutch St. Maarten in the south, traveling between the two is as easy as crossing state lines: There is no customs or physical border. Shoppers and foodies will prefer the French side, particularly the seaside town of Marigot; the Dutch end has a livelier nightlife, which includes numerous casinos. Beaches and snorkeling spots (and nude sunbathers) abound, including Ilet Pinel, a tiny island off the northeast coast that requires a five-minute boat ride to reach. Pic Paradis, a scenic hilltop near the island's center, is a popular hiking spot. Travelers also should consider taking a slightly longer ferry ride to one of the other nearby islands, including Saba, a hiking and scuba-diving destination, and Anguilla and St. Barthelemy, which offer more beaches.



Where to eat: Dining in French St. Martin feels like France, with the gourmet restaurants, the outdoor cafes and the leisurely waiter service. Unfortunately, it also costs like it: The euro can make dinner for two with a bottle of wine cost $130 pre-tip. There are several picturesque and romantic options, like La Vie en Rose (phone: 590-590-87-54-42), which has a view of Marigot's harbor and offers women a long-stem rose at meal's end. A row of restaurants overlook the ocean in the northern town of Grand Case, including Le Tastevin (phone: 590-590-87-55-45) and La California (phone: 590-590-87-55-57), but to get a table with a good view, you often need to call ahead. Also, it helps to pay attention to the sample menus posted outside. Several restaurants offer fixed-dollar exchanges -- look for "$1 =

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## andynap

That's about as utilitarian as it gets. Not very romantic.

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## JEK

> That's about as utilitarian as it gets. Not very romantic.



SXM, the epitaph.

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## Earl

Last May we visited Marigot while waiting for our plane to depart SXM...it was like a shanty town--boarded up shops, streets trashy, traffic horrible.  Guess everything has moved to the Dutch side...not my favorite place to visit.  Marigot use to be a great place to sit in the outdoor cafe's and people watch.  Oh well...

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## onebigdawg53

HI EARL

we visited Marigot from Anguilla in 1993 and it was still very nice, not much had changed from the last time I had been there in 1986.  We spent a couple of hours there in 2000 while waiting for the Voyager ferry and it was a mess, with a lot of seedy bars on the waterfront etc.  I can imagine what it's like now.

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## MIke R

thats sad....Marigot is where I stayed in 1980 when I was contracted to get a supply boat aground off a reef in St Martin and tow it back to St Croix....I loved Marigot.....as Earl described it had lots of great little cafes and bistros and shops....a real nice vib to it

and I'll bet many of them  laughed, shrugged it off, and said  wise prophetic things like "not here" "wont hapopen" "we are the exception" too when the concerned citizens were saying to be careful what you wished for

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## onebigdawg53

Hi Miker

When we were in Marigot in november 2000 waiting for Voyager, I was shocked at the changes.   There seemed to be a lot of immigrants from the Dominican Republic working at the shacks by the waterfront that were bars and fast food joints.  Most importantly, that waterfront area where the nice restaurants like the Vie en Rose and the cafes are located had lost their charm.   What a pity.

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