Quick Answer: The best beaches in St Maarten depend on what you want from the day. Mullet Bay is the best all-round beach on the Dutch side, Little Bay is the easiest for families and first-time snorkelers, and Maho is the one to visit for the aircraft. On the French side, Orient Bay has the most going on, Grand Case pairs calm water with the island’s best-known restaurant strip, and Pinel Island is the top short boat trip. The island is usually credited with 37 beaches across its Dutch and French sides, all within about an hour’s drive of each other, and there is no border check between them.
Table of Contents
- The best beaches at a glance
- Best beaches on the Dutch side
- Best beaches on the French side
- Which beach for which kind of day
- Practical tips: seasons, seaweed and safety
- Living near the beach: what buyers should know
- Frequently asked questions
- Which St Maarten beach should you choose?
The best beaches at a glance
| Beach | Side | Best for | Water |
| Mullet Bay | Dutch | All-round beach day, swimming, sunsets | Usually calm, some shore break when swell is up |
| Maho | Dutch | Watching aircraft land | Calm to choppy, small beach |
| Cupecoy | Dutch | Cliffs, coves and sunsets | Calm days only, sand comes and goes |
| Simpson Bay | Dutch | Long quiet walks | Calm |
| Kim Sha | Dutch | Beach bars and water sports | Calm |
| Great Bay | Dutch | Cruise visitors, boardwalk shopping | Calm |
| Little Bay | Dutch | Families, easy snorkeling | Sheltered |
| Indigo Bay | Dutch | A quiet cove near Philipsburg | Usually calm |
| Dawn Beach | Dutch | Sunrise, reef snorkeling | More surf, Atlantic-facing |
| Guana Bay | Dutch | Wild scenery, surf watching | Rough, not for casual swimming |
| Orient Bay | French | Beach clubs, water sports | Reef-protected, breezy |
| Grand Case | French | Lunch and a swim | Calm |
| Friar’s Bay | French | Families, relaxed lunch | Calm |
| Baie Rouge | French | Scenery, snorkeling | Calm to moderate |
| Baie Longue | French | Space and silence | Moderate |
| Pinel Island | French | A short boat trip, shallow water | Very calm |
Best beaches on the Dutch side
Mullet Bay
Mullet Bay is the beach most residents name first. It is a long, wide curve of white sand beside the golf course, with clear water, a couple of beach bars and enough room that it rarely feels full on a weekday. Weekends belong to local families. When a winter swell is running the shore break can be strong, so watch the water for a few minutes before you go in. Our Mullet Bay real estate guide explains why the streets behind it are among the most sought-after on the island.
Maho Beach
Maho is famous for one thing: aircraft crossing the sand a few metres overhead on their way into Princess Juliana International Airport. It is a small beach and it gets crowded around the big arrivals. Watch the landings from the sand or the bars, and stay away from the fence behind departing jets, a risk we cover in our St Maarten safety guide. The restaurants and nightlife of Maho are a two-minute walk away, with Beacon Hill just beyond the runway.
Cupecoy
Cupecoy is a string of small coves beneath golden sandstone cliffs at the western tip of the Dutch side. The sand shifts with the seasons, so a cove that is wide in June can be narrow in January. It faces west, which makes it one of the best sunset spots on the island, and one end has a long clothing-optional tradition. The condominium district of Cupecoy sits directly above it.
Simpson Bay and Kim Sha
Simpson Bay Beach is a long, pale crescent that stays surprisingly quiet because most of it is backed by homes and small guesthouses, not resorts. It is the beach for a morning walk. Kim Sha, at the eastern end near the bridge, is the lively part, with beach bars, loungers and water sports. Both are part of Simpson Bay, the island’s main dining and marina district, with Pelican Key on the headland beside it.
Great Bay
Great Bay is the beach in front of Philipsburg. A boardwalk runs its full length, lined with bars, restaurants and chair rentals, and the cruise pier is a short walk or water-taxi ride away. It is the natural choice if you have a few hours in port and want sand, a swim and shopping in one place.
Little Bay
Little Bay is a sheltered cove below the ruins of Fort Amsterdam, around the headland from Philipsburg. The water is calm, the entry is gentle and there is easy snorkeling along the rocks, which makes it the best Dutch-side beach for children and nervous swimmers. See our Little Bay page for the residential area on the hill behind it.
Indigo Bay
Indigo Bay sits between Philipsburg and Cole Bay, below one of the island’s best-known gated communities. It is a quiet beach with a single beach bar and good swimming on most days. Homes in Indigo Bay are a short walk from the sand.
Dawn Beach and Guana Bay
The east coast faces the Atlantic. Dawn Beach, next to Oyster Pond, is the place to watch the sun rise and has a reef close to shore that snorkels well on a calm day. Guana Bay is wilder: a broad, empty beach with heavy surf and views towards St Barths. Go for the scenery and the breeze. It is not a beach for casual swimming.
Best beaches on the French side
Orient Bay
Orient Bay is the largest and busiest beach on the French side: a long sweep of sand protected by an offshore reef, with beach clubs, restaurants and every kind of water sport. The trade wind keeps it cool and makes it popular with kitesurfers and windsurfers. The southern end is clothing-optional.
Grand Case
Grand Case is a calm, narrow beach running behind the village’s famous restaurant street. Swim in the morning, then eat at one of the open-air grills known as lolos or at one of the fine-dining rooms a few doors down. We cover the food scene in St Martin is paradise for food lovers.
Friar’s Bay and Happy Bay
Friar’s Bay is a small, sheltered bay with two relaxed beach restaurants and shallow water that suits families. A footpath over the headland leads in about fifteen minutes to Happy Bay, which has no road access and far fewer people.
Baie Rouge, Baie Longue and Plum Bay
These three beaches line the villa district of Terres Basses. Baie Rouge has reddish sand and good snorkeling around the rocks at its eastern end. Baie Longue is the longest and quietest, with almost nothing on it but sand. Plum Bay is the most secluded of the three and sometimes has surf.
Pinel Island
Pinel is a small island a few minutes by ferry from Cul-de-Sac. The water on the landward side is shallow, clear and almost always calm, and there are beach restaurants with loungers in the sea. It lies inside the French nature reserve. It is one of several easy outings we list in our guide to day trips from Sint Maarten.
Which beach for which kind of day
- Families with young children:Little Bay, Friar’s Bay, Pinel Island and the Kim Sha end of Simpson Bay.
- Snorkeling from the shore:Little Bay, the rocks at Mullet Bay, Baie Rouge, and Dawn Beach when the sea is flat.
- Sunsets:Cupecoy, Mullet Bay and Maho all face west.
- Sunrise:Dawn Beach and Guana Bay.
- A few hours off a cruise ship:Great Bay is closest. Maho and Mullet Bay are a taxi ride away and can be combined.
- Beach clubs and lunch:Orient Bay, Grand Case and Kim Sha.
- Peace and space:Baie Longue, Happy Bay, Simpson Bay and Indigo Bay.
For ideas beyond the sand, see our list of things to do on Sint Maarten, and use the map of SXM areas to plan a route.
Practical tips: seasons, seaweed and safety
- Beach weather is reliable all year. December to April is drier and busier, and winter swells from the north can stir up west- and north-facing beaches for a few days at a time. Our month-by-month weather guide has the detail.
- Floating seaweed arrives in some years, mostly in the warmer months and mostly on Atlantic-facing beaches such as Orient Bay, Dawn Beach and Guana Bay. If the east coast is affected, the Caribbean-side beaches are usually clear.
- Most beaches have none and there is no flag system. Choose the calm coast if you are not a strong swimmer.
- Take only what you are happy to leave on a towel, and leave nothing in the car.
- Beaches on both sides are open to the public, including those in front of hotels and gated communities. Parking is free at most of them.
- Getting around.There is no border control between the two sides. A rental car is the easiest way to see more than one beach in a day.
Living near the beach: what buyers should know
Many visitors start thinking about a home here after a week of choosing between these beaches. A few points are worth knowing early.
- Beachfront is scarce and priced accordingly.Homes directly on the sand are a small share of the market. Many buyers get more space and a better view one or two streets back or on the hillside, a trade-off we set out in beachfront vs hillside.
- The beach shapes the rental market.Short-term guests book by beach. Our guide to the best neighborhoods for vacation rental income shows which areas benefit most.
- Salt air has a cost.Homes close to the sea need more maintenance and careful insurance. See the cost of owning property in Sint Maarten.
- The two sides work differently.Buying near Orient Bay or Baie Longue means French law and euros. Buying near Mullet Bay or Simpson Bay means Dutch-side rules. Our Dutch side vs French side comparison explains both.
If you would like to try an area before you buy, our vacation rentals are a simple way to spend a week living beside a particular beach.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most beautiful beach in St Maarten?
Most residents would say Mullet Bay on the Dutch side, for its width, white sand and clear water. On the French side, Baie Longue and Pinel Island are the usual answers.
Which side of St Maarten has better beaches, Dutch or French?
Neither side wins outright. The Dutch side has the most convenient beaches, close to the airport, the cruise port and the main restaurant areas. The French side has more undeveloped and secluded beaches. You can visit both in a day.
What is the best beach in St Maarten near the cruise port?
Great Bay Beach in Philipsburg is the closest, a short walk or water-taxi ride from the pier. Little Bay is a few minutes further by taxi and is quieter, with better snorkeling.
Which St Maarten beach has the planes?
Maho Beach, at the end of the runway of Princess Juliana International Airport on the Dutch side.
Are the beaches in St Maarten free?
Yes. Beaches on both sides of the island are public. You pay only for extras such as loungers, umbrellas, food and the ferry to Pinel Island.
Are there clothing-optional beaches in St Maarten?
The southern end of Orient Bay on the French side is the best known. Part of Cupecoy on the Dutch side is also traditionally clothing-optional.
Is it safe to swim at St Maarten beaches?
Generally yes on the Caribbean side, where the water is usually calm. Atlantic-facing beaches such as Guana Bay and Dawn Beach have stronger surf and currents. Most beaches have no lifeguards.
How many beaches does St Maarten have?
The island is usually credited with 37 beaches, counting both the Dutch and French sides.
Which St Maarten beach should you choose?
If you have one day, go to Mullet Bay and stop at Maho on the way back. With two, add Grand Case for lunch and either Orient Bay or Pinel Island. With a week, work your way round the coast and you will soon have a favourite, which is how many of our clients first decided where on the island they wanted to live.
To see what is available near any of these beaches, browse our neighborhood pages or contact our team for a local view.
Related reading: Things to Do on Sint Maarten · St Maarten Weather by Month · Is St Maarten Safe? · Beachfront vs Hillside · Day Trips from Sint Maarten
