Philipsburg St Maarten Cruise Port is on the Dutch side of the island of Sint Maarten (Dutch spelling!). Christopher Columbus sighted the island in 1493 and named it after Saint Martin of Tours (patron saint of the poor).
The Treaty of Concordia, signed in 1648, officially divided St. Martin between the Netherlands and France. Today, the Dutch side is a “constituent country” within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, while the French side (Saint-Martin) is officially part of France, uses the Euro as its official currency. I mention this, as the island’s “dual personality” is definitely evident, if you choose to venture out of Philipsburg. So in this guide, I’ll share how to enjoy the most iconic past time on the Dutch side – plane spotting at Maho Beach and the most fun thing on the French side – snorkelling in the National Nature Reserve.
Note: There’s no border control between the two halves of Sint Maarten / Saint-Martin.
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Philipsburg St Maarten Cruise Port: Is a DIY Excursion Easy? 😎😎😎😎😎 Easy Peasy
Wondering whether you can “do your own thing” at Philipsburg? Absolutely! A DIY excursion is 😎😎😎😎😎 Easy Peasy at Philipsburg and here’s why:
- Five Minutes from Beach: 2 miles of white sand await you at Great Bay Beach, just five minutes walk from your ship! All the facilities you need are there. And it’s so close you can hop back onto the ship for lunch!
- Easy Hop to Maho Beach: Experiencing the roar of a jet plane right above you on Maho Beach is one of the iconic experiences in St Maarten. It’s easy to get there yourself, from buses to water taxis, right near Philipsburg St Maarten Cruise Port
- Trail galore: Had enough beach days on your cruise? Then there’s trails near the cruise port which will take you to quiet scenic spots like Fort Amsterdam.
Philipsburg St Maarten Cruise Port Essentials: All You Need to Know
- Currency: US$ are widely accepted. But official currency is Netherlands Antillean guilder (Naf) on the Dutch side, Euro (€) on the French side.
- Language: English
- Official Website: Visit St Maarten is the official tourism website
- Local Buses: St Maarten’s bus network are privately owned & operated mini-vans, similar to other Caribbean countries. There’s no set timetable but the mini-van goes when it fills up. The Philipsburg bus station is close
- St Maarten Taxi Rates: St Maarten taxis don’t have meters. Rates are calculated based on zones – see the regulated zones & published fares from the St Maarten Taxi Association. One-way fares to most destinations on the Dutch side is around US$20-25 or less.
- eSim for roaming in St Maarten: For a great data connection without the huge roaming fees, use an eSim data pack from Airalo. I always recommend having a smartphone with a valid plan when you’re at port touring. Get US$3 off your first eSIM data pack from Airalo when you use ROXANN1666 when you sign up or apply it at checkout – if you’re on a Caribbean cruise, then buy the Island Hopper, valid in 27 Caribbean Islands!
Philipsburg St Maarten Cruise Port Map
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Philipsburg St Maarten: Top Things to Do
1. Experience Beach Bliss at Great Bay Beach
When your ship is docked at Philipsburg St Maarten cruise port, you’ll see the postcard-perfect stretch of soft white sand and shimmering turquoise water at Great Bay Beach. Great Bay Beach stretches for 2 miles, on a thin peninsula on the southern side of St Maarten.
Philipsburg’s main shopping street, Front Street, runs parallel to the beach. So you’ll easily find all the usual facilities here, with access to shops, restaurants and bars on the boardwalk, right behind the beach. If you’d like to snorkel, walk to the end of the Great Bay Beach and you’ll see Little Bay Beach, a smaller (and less busy) version and well known as a snorkelling spot.
If you’re feeling energetic, follow signs at Little Bay Beach towards Fort Amsterdam. Built by the Dutch in 1631, Fort Amsterdam is in ruins now but you can still see some stone walls, cannons and a watchtower. Don’t come here for the fort but for the views! You’ll have amazing views of both Great Bay and Little Bay.
2. Meet Yoda at the Yoda Guy Exhibit
Nick Maley, a renowned special effects artist, nicknamed “Yoda Guy” for his contribution to bringing Yoda to life in the original Star Wars trilogy lives in St Maarten! So if you’re a Star Wars fan, you absolutely have to stop by his “Yoda Guy Movie Exhibit”, featured his personal collection of props, costumes, artwork and movie memorabilia. He worked not just on the original Star Wars trilogy, but also Superman, Alien, Highland and Men in Black, so you’ll see more than Yoda!
How to Get There: Just 5 minutes walk from Philipsburg St Maarten Cruise Port. It’s actually closer to the port than the beach! Odd opening hours, so check tour times for your port day but it’s usually open when a ship is docked at port.
3. Plane Spotting at Maho Beach
It’s certainly not everyone’s cup of tea but Maho Beach is famous worldwide for its proximity to Princess Juliana International Airport! So if you fancy witnessing the incredible sight of large hets flying just a few feet above your head as it approaches the runaway, then it’s thrilling beach spectacle for you!
On the beach, you’ll feel the rush of the jet engines and the sand whipping around you as the planes pass by. If this thought gets your adrenaline pumping, then do check the St Maarten Airport Flight schedule. You may be able to time it right and see a large jet ✈️ flying in from Amsterdam or New York’s JFK airport. (Otherwise, there’s plenty of small planes operated by Windward Islands Airways doing short flights between Caribbean islands. But that won’t provide the same thrill!)
How to Get to Maho Beach: From Philipsburg St Maarten Cruise Port, you have a few options:
- “Bus” (Local Mini Van): If you’ve been to the Caribbean before, you’ll know that buses are typically privately operated mini-vans which don’t run to a set schedule! St Maarten is the same. Vans come and go, as soon as it’s filled with passengers. A ride to Maho Beach is not as daunting as it sounds:
- Bus Station: Mini-vans start from Emmaplein, just 5 minutes walk from Philipsburg St Maarten Cruise Port – see this marked on my Philipsburg St Maarten Cruise Port Map above 🗺️📍👆. “Buses” have licence plates starting with “BUS”. Fares are set a US$2 one-way. Look for Bus #2 to Mullet Bay. If in doubt, just let the driver know you’ll going to Maho Beach or the Airport. (I mention this as an option, as when ships are in port, there’s often long queues for water taxis or normal taxis on land.)
- Water Taxi: As soon as you disembark, you’ll see signs and ticket booths, selling tickets to Maho Beach. Return fares are around US$7.
- Taxi (on Land): One-way fares from Philipsburg is US$20. Taxis rates on St. Maarten operate within fare zones and there’s no meters onboard. The St Maarten Taxi Association’s publishes official fares. But I’d always agree with the driver first.
- Drive your own ATV: All Terrain Vehicles (ATV) are very popular in St Maarten. You can join a drive-your-own ATV tour and Maho Beach is always on the itinerary!
4. Off-Road Thrills on Your Own ATV
ATVs tours are incredibly popular in St Maarten, probably due to St Maarten’s diverse terrain, with its mix of paved roads, sandy beaches and rugged hills.
Note: you’ll need to have your driver’s licence with you to drive an ATV on St Maarten! Tours leave from just outside the cruise terminal.
5. Taste Local Rum in Distillery
Like many Caribbean islands, St Maarten’s economy was once dominated by sugar cane plantations. During sugar production, a third syrup called molasses is a by product. In the 17th century, it was discovered that molasses could be fermented into alcohol and this was the birth of rum!
The behind-the-scenes experience is quite hands-on at Topper’s Rhum Distillery. Not only are there plenty of rums to taste, you can even bottle one yourself to take home. There’s also rum cake infused with Topper’s Rhum as a treat. The distillery is at Cole Bay, on the way to the airport. You can catch a taxi for around US$15 one-way. Otherwise, catch the #2 bus (as above) and let the driver know where you’re going!
6. Snorkel in the National Nature Reserve
The National Nature Reserve of Saint-Martin is a protected area located on the French side of the island. Created in 1998, it covers over 3,000 hectares (about 7,400 acres), including both land and sea areas. The reserve protects a variety of habitats, including coral reefs, seagrass beds, mangroves, ponds and coastal forests.
So most popular snorkelling tours will take you to a few different sites, so you can experience these different habitats and also see different marine life. To help you pick the right tour, the best spots are:
- Tintamarre Island: An undeveloped & uninhabited island, it’s a nesting site for sea turtles.
- Creole Rock: A small, rocky inlet located just off the coast of Grand Case. Known for its incredible biodiversity & vibrant coral reefs, it’s suitable for snorkelers of all abilities, as the water is quite shallow. Expect to see lots of parrotfish, angelfish, butterflyfish, spiny lobsters, sea turtles or even an eagle ray if you’re lucky.
- Pinel Island: Known for its beautiful beaches and calm waters.
Featured Image by kendallpools from Pixabay
If you’re off to St Maarten soon, then I’m jealous! I think Philipsburg is a laid back port, with lots of excitement if you want it. Hope you enjoy your cruise and drop me a line below if you have any questions!
