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	story and photos by FRANK GRECO St. Maarten is located in the eastern Caribbean (east of Puerto Rico and north of St. Kitts and Nevis) and is about 60 square kms. The island is governed by two nations, the Dutch on the southern half (Sint Maarten) and the French on the northern half (Saint Martin), but visitors know the island as St. Maarten. The border between north and south is virtually invisible. There is no customs office. Only flags mark the border. One of the most unique attractions is Maho Beach (Dutch side), not because of its white sandy beach or its inviting water, but because of the Princess Juliana International Airport. Due to the short runway, incoming air traffic has to touch down as close as possible to the beginning of the runway, resulting in low-flying aircraft over the heads of beach goers (this even includes the larger aircraft such as 747s). The thrilling approaches have made the airport one of the world’s favourite places for plane spotters. There is no other place in the world where you can see and experience the thrill of these airplanes flying so close overhead. Watching airplanes land over the beach is such a popular activity that daily arrival and departure timetables are displayed in most bars and restaurants and at some of them you can hear the communication between the pilots and the tower. A common site is people with a tropical drink in one hand and a camera in the other. A word of caution: As thrilling as this may sound, people standing on the beach have been blown into the water due to the force of the jet blast from aircraft taking off. Away from the airport, the Maho Bay section of St. Maarten has gained a reputation for being more refined. Casinos, nightclubs, and very chic boutiques selling high fashion clothing, perfumes and cosmetics are found here. In particular, the casinos stop all traffic by taking their show to the street to capture onlookers and get them inside to gamble. Philipsburg is the capital of the Dutch side and is the port of call for cruise ships. Located on the south coast, the city is a must stop for tourists. Once in a while, the largest ship in the world, Oasis of the Seas, docks here. Front street runs across the length of Philipsburg and is the main shopping district—lined with duty-free shops, casinos, restaurants and cafés offering everything from pizzas, burgers, local Caribbean fare to classic French and Dutch dishes. They all serve delicious frozen cocktail drinks including local guavaberry and other coladas. Narrow alleyways jutting in both directions lead to hidden courtyards filled with markets, colourful buildings and boutiques featuring native arts and crafts. Most shops do close for a few hours, however, between 12 noon and 2 p.m. every day. There are many tours offered by a variety of operators. My favourite is the catamaran sail to Anguilla—about a one-hour sail west of St. Maarten. I sailed on the Lambada, operated by Aqua Mania Adventures. The catamaran dropped anchor at one of Anguilla’s unspoiled, white sand beaches. All guests swam from the catamaran to the beach where we all basked in the sun for a while and then were treated to an awesome mahi mahi lunch. St. Maarten is known for its spectacular sunrises and sunsets. There is one unique complex, The Divi Little Bay Beach Resort, situated on a semi-private peninsula between Great Bay and Little Bay (next to Philipsburg). This resort boasts the perfect white sand beach, calm waters, a beautiful view of the cruise ships as they arrive in Great Bay and is where you can see an amazing sunrise in the morning and a dramatic sunset over the endless turquoise horizon from the resort’s beachfront every day. The island has 37 beaches. Umbrellas and chairs can be rented on all public beaches. The most interesting beach for taking a dip and people-watching (in my opinion) is found on the French side called Orient Beach (north-east coast). Clothing is optional on this beach and cameras are not welcome. It is the premier nude beach of the Caribbean where all inhibitions go away. I presume Orient Beach is the place where the phrase “see and be seen” originated. The French side (St. Martin) is more relaxed. It is much quieter, with high-end resorts aptly nicknamed “France in the tropics.” Marigot, located on the east coast, is the capital and offers the latest French fashions and bakeries filling the air with the smell of fresh croissants and pastries. There are small cafés, inviting bistros, open-air markets with crafts, shops and designer boutiques that line the waterfront along with the large yachts that fill the harbour (Marina Royale). This is the place to sit and have a great café au lait. To the north is Grand Case, once a fishing village, now considered to be the culinary capital of the Caribbean. This is where the island’s best restaurants are located, featuring world-class international dishes—especially French gourmet cuisine. It is an amazing experience to dine along the waterfront at any one of the fine restaurants and pass the time over a fabulous meal and a glass of French wine. Time does not move fast in Grand Case. Everything moves at a relaxed pace. St. Maarten is the smallest island in the world governed by two nations. This is the place to visit if you enjoy world-class gourmet food, true duty-free shopping, amazing beaches, lots of sun and a relaxed atmosphere. Thanks must go to Christopher Columbus who sighted the island on St. Maarten’s Day back in 1493. GL Frank Greco is a world traveler, producer and host of the television travel show The Travel Guy broadcast in more than 100 countries through The Travel Channel International, SUNTV and other networks.	ABOVE The capital city of Philipsburg is full of colourful shops, restaurants and markets ABOVE There's a runway where airplanes land right on the edge of the beach ABOVE There are cruises available on the island like The Lambada Catamaran that will provide a lunch, snorkel experience and beach stops ABOVE Fort St. Louis (named after King Louis XVI, who built it) overlooking the town of Marigot