Wanderlust List: Caribbean - You say Saint Martin, I say Sint Maarten
November 06, 2015
Image Credit: Yiorgos Theo
As I was wandering the interwebs this afternoon, I came across an awesome deal for travel to St. Martin and was immediately drawn in. You see, Fall will be ending soon and winter is coming to the east coast of the United States. Summer and Spring are my favorite seasons, I don’t really do cold unless I have to. So, with winter on the way the call of the beach and more specifically the Caribbean is strong. So why not a visit to Sint Maarten? Keep reading and you’ll find out why you should visit this luxurious Caribbean island. You’ll also find out why my spelling of the island’s name is inconsistent.
Saint Martin is a small island in the Caribbean. What is interesting about this island is that it has a Dutch side and a French side. This is why you see the name of the island with different spellings. Did you know that “the island of Sint-Maarten-Saint Martin is the smallest landmass in the world to be shared by two different nations?” France and the Kingdom of the Netherlands share the island, which is less than 40 square miles. The French side of the island is actually part of Europe and the Dutch side, well, it is an independent nation within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Sint Maarten became an independent nation just five years ago on 10/10/10.
Today, I am adding Maho Beach (and a few other attractions) in Saint Martin to my travel bucket list. Maho Beach is a beautiful white sand beach on the Dutch side of the island and is unique. My research indicates that the beach is very close to the Princess Juliana airport (like just past the runway), which allows beachgoers awesome views of approaching and departing planes while they enjoy the sun and surf. So, if you love planes this is the destination for you.
The Butterfly Farm (La Ferme Des Papillons) – Watch the evolution of the butterfly! Maybe it’s the science nerd in me, but this sounds AWEsome! Yes, I was the girl picking up and examining caterpillars and then bringing them home and putting them in jars hoping they would metamorphose into butterflies. So this activity speaks to my inner child as well.
Also on my travel list while in St. Maarten is a visit to Simpson Bay Lagoon, which is the Caribbean’s largest lagoon. Blame it on Brooke Shields and the movie that made her famous.
I have only visited the island in transit to Guadeloupe, but during my travel visited both airports of the island. Yes, I said both! Although this dual-nation island is only 37 square miles, it has two airports: Princess Juliana International Airport and L'Espérance Airpost. After reading about this airline travel deal and all the things to do in St. Maarten, I am ready to go!
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