Things to do in Saint Martin (French part)

Saint Martin's most famous stretch of sand, Orient Bay is a wide crescent of white beach lined with restaurants, bars, and watersports operators.

Grand Case is the culinary capital of the Caribbean, and its beachside open-air barbecue shacks called lolos serve charcoal-grilled lobster, chicken, and ribs at a fraction of restaurant prices.

At 424 metres, Pic Paradis is the highest point on the island.

Built in 1789 under King Louis XVI to defend Marigot's harbour, Fort Louis sits on a hill overlooking the town, marina, and Simpson Bay Lagoon.

Loterie Farm is a 135-acre private nature reserve on the slopes below Pic Paradis with rope bridges, zip-lines, and an elevated treetop course.

This flat, scrubby island about 1.5 km off the northeast coast has no residents, no buildings, and no facilities — just turquoise shallows, an airstrip ruin from its mid-century owner, and nesting seabirds.

A five-minute boat ride from the Cul-de-Sac dock drops you on this tiny island with two beach bars, calm shallow water, and a short nature trail to a wild Atlantic-facing cove.

Held every Wednesday and Saturday morning along the harbourfront near the West Indies Mall, this bustling open-air market sells tropical fruit, spices, handmade crafts, and fresh-caught fish.

Reached only by a 10-minute footpath from the end of Friar's Bay, Happy Bay is a pristine curve of white sand backed by sea grapes with no permanent structures.

Friar's Bay (Anse des Pères) is a sheltered northwestern beach with gentle surf, two beach bars, and rental kayaks.

Named for the reddish hue of its cliff faces at sunset, Baie Rouge is a long stretch of soft sand in the upscale Terres Basses peninsula.

Tucked into a cove at the head of a narrow inlet on the north coast, Anse Marcel has calm, warm water shielded from Atlantic swells by surrounding hills.

Galion's shallow reef runs close to shore and is protected from heavy surf by the offshore barrier of Tintamarre island.

This open-air reconstruction of a 19th-century village uses period-style thatched huts and garden plots to tell the story of enslaved people and early free communities on Saint Martin.

This working marina lined with pastel-painted colonial buildings houses seafood restaurants, boutiques, and small galleries.

As the sun drops behind the hills to the west, Grand Case's north-facing bay glows amber and rose.

After dark, Grand Case's main road transforms from a quiet dining village into a lively scene with rum bars, live Caribbean bands, and impromptu street dancing.

At this boutique perfumery in Grand Case, a guided workshop lets you blend essential oils from over 300 base notes to design a personalised scent.

Launch from Marigot or Nettle Bay and paddle the calm, shallow lagoon waters past mangroves, anchored sailboats, and bird rookeries.

Consistent trade winds and a wide-open beach make Orient Bay the premier kite-surfing spot on Saint Martin.

This rugged footpath runs from the French Quarter area across the island's central ridge to the Dutch side, passing through dry forest, over rocky outcrops, and past viewpoints showing both coasts at once.

Marigot's boulangeries and pâtisseries bake croissants, pain au chocolat, and fruit tarts to the same standard as a Parisian arrondissement.

Marigot's main commercial street and the adjacent West Indies Mall offer duty-free prices on French luxury goods, Caribbean rum, jewellery, and designer clothing.

This shallow salt pond near the border with the Dutch side attracts herons, egrets, sandpipers, and the occasional flamingo.

The submerged walls and coral gardens around Tintamarre island drop to 20–30 metres and attract sea turtles, spotted eagle rays, and large schools of jacks.