Things to Do in St. Maarten/St. Martin

St. Maarten/St. Martin is the smallest landmass in the world shared by two sovereign nations, and crossing between the Dutch and French sides - unmarked by any border checkpoint - is itself part of the fun. Start on the Dutch side in Philipsburg, where Front Street runs the length of Great Bay with duty-free jewelry shops, electronics stores, and souvenir vendors. The real draw here is the mile-long boardwalk that hugs the beach, lined with open-air bars and restaurants where you can swim between courses.

From Philipsburg, head west to Maho Beach, the most photographed patch of sand in the Caribbean: the runway of Princess Juliana International Airport ends just a few hundred feet from the shoreline, and arriving 747s pass so low overhead that you can read the registration numbers on the fuselage. The Sunset Beach Bar posts the daily flight schedule on a chalkboard so you can time your visit.

Cross the invisible border to the French side and the atmosphere shifts noticeably - boulangeries replace burger joints, and the pace slows. Marigot, the French capital, is a small waterfront town with a Wednesday and Saturday morning market along the harbor where vendors sell spices, tropical fruits, accras, and boudin créole. Climb to Fort Louis above Marigot for panoramic views of Marigot Bay and Anguilla to the north.

Orient Bay, often called the French Riviera of the Caribbean, is a long crescent of white sand lined with beach clubs - Kakao, Kontiki, and Bikini Beach each rent loungers and umbrellas and serve lunch and cocktails, with the far southern end being clothing-optional. For something more secluded, hike the 40-minute trail to Happy Bay, a hidden beach north of Friar's Bay that sees only a fraction of Orient Bay's traffic.

Loterie Farm, a former sugar plantation in the hills above Pic Paradis, has been reimagined as a nature reserve and day resort with zip lines through the forest canopy, a spring-fed pool, and an excellent restaurant called Hidden Forest Café that serves lunch under the mahogany trees. For island hopping, fast ferries from Marigot reach Anguilla in 20 minutes and St. Barts in 45, making either a feasible day trip.