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Entertainment
There are numerous Casinos on the Dutch side is you want to try your luck with gambling, but none on the French. There are several discos and nightclubs on the island. In Marigot you will find Pasha and Club One, which do not get going until after 11:00pm. In Philipsburg there is the Grind Beach Club and in Simpson Bay there is Footsteps. Again, these do not even open until 10:00 pm. The Boat House has live music on Friday nights and there is a band several nights a week at Surf Club South on the road between Orient and Grand Case. This place is great on any Sunday afternoon. It’s a very casual local place with American Food. The Greenhouse Cafe in Philipsburg and Indiana Beach in Simpson Bay have DJ music and dancing on Tuesdays and Thursdays respectively. The Sunset Beach Bar in Maho has live music every Sunday evening.
The most popular dance place for tourists is Cheri's Cafe at Maho. There is a band every night with music until midnight.
There are a number of nearby islands that can easily be visited in a day. You can go on your own or join a group tour, either option is very reasonably priced. Most people take a boat or ferry, however it is possible to fly. Here are some recommended day trips that can easily be accomplished:
Anguilla - A British island about four or five miles off the French side. The island itself is in square miles the same size as St. Martin. It's topography is very different. There are no mountains or hills for that matter. It is much dryer than St Martin. But it does have some of the most beautiful beaches in all of the Caribbean.
There is no shopping and few good restaurants, but if you like beaches and snorkeling it is well worth the trip. I recommend you call the office and we will arrange for our friend Wendell Conner to meet you at the ferry give a tour and a day at the beach. He will pick you up and get you back to the ferry. You can take a ferry from the harbor in Marigot to Anguilla, the easiest island to visit, for $12 each way.St. Barths - Lies 15 miles southeast of St. Martin. The island in many ways looks like a small St. Martin. It is very hilly and developed. St Barths isn't Caribbean in style. It very much resembles the south of France. In recent years it has become a favorite with the "jet-set". This has caused prices to go up. It is one of the most expensive islands in the Caribbean. There are several boats that make day trips.
If you go, I recommend you have lunch at the Eden Roc on St. Jean Beach. It is expensive but the food, the view and the service make it a truly wonderful experience. If you only have a few hours take taxi otherwise rent a car. Gustavia the capital is perhaps the most beautiful little harbor in the Caribbean.
Saba - is a hopefully extinct volcano of just 5 square miles that climbs out of the water to a height of 3,000 feet. There are no beaches. But it does have charming small villages with names like Hell's Gate and Bottom. The scenery is breathtaking. The road around the island was only finished in the 1950's. Before that all goods were carried up to the villages on donkeys or the backs of the men. If you would like to see the undeveloped Caribbean than Saba is a good bet. There are several boats that make day trips.
Tintimarre and Pinel Island - These small islands are off the coast of Anse Marcel on the French side. They are part of French St. Martin. Pinel is the closest and has a few beach bars and restaurants. It gets very crowded in high season on the weekends. Tintimarre or Flat Island is completely uninhabited and great for a quiet day at the beach or even camping overnight. Remember to bring your own drinks and food though. Day trips to Tintimarre on an old-time sailing ship are available which included food, beverage, music and dancing and cost $70.00/person. You can take a water taxi from the dock in French Cul de Sac (down the road behind Surf Club South) to either Pinel or Tintimarre for $5.00/person and $10.00/person roundtrip respectively.
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