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Front Street (Voorstraat)City/Region: Philipsburg
Front Street faces south onto the ocean, running about half a mile (1km) east to west, and is the main drawcard in Philipsburg for tourists. At its eastern end is Wathey Square, housing the tourist information kiosk, just a minute's walk from the semi-circular Great Bay Beach. On the north side of the square is one of the town's most impressive buildings, the white wooden courthouse topped with a cupola, built in 1793 and now serving as a post office. Just off the west of the
square is the quaint Methodist church built in 1851. Further along Front Street is a group of elegant colonial houses, and at the far end is a small museum and two large marinas.
Simartin MuseumCity/Region: Philipsburg
The tiny Simartin Museum in a century-old house on Front Street is a mine of information for those interested in the island's history, from Amerindian times through to the colonial period. Among the artifacts on display are pottery from the island's original inhabitants, the Arawaks, and cargo salvaged from a British ship that sank off the coast in 1801.
Address: Voorstraat, Philipsburg
Hours: Monday to Friday 10am to 4pm; Saturday 10am to 1pm
Dutch FortsCity/Region: Philipsburg
The town of Philipsburg boasts the remains of two historic forts that bear witness to its strategic importance in days of old. Fort Amsterdam, the first Dutch military establishment in the Caribbean, was built in 1631 on a peninsula between Great Bay and Little Bay, but it was captured almost immediately by the Spanish. The Spanish later abandoned it, and the little fort returned to Dutch hands, being kept in use right up to the 1950s as a signalling and communications station. The other fortification, Fort Willem, lies to the west of downtown Philipsburg, topped with a television transmission tower. Both forts are worth the walk to visit, particularly for the views afforded from their elevated positions.
ZooCity/Region: Philipsburg
North of Philipsburg on Pondfill Road is the island's zoo and botanical gardens, situated in the Madam Estate area. The zoo is home to more than 250 animals of about 60 different species, including six on the endangered list such as Bush Dogs, Golden Lion Tamarins and Scarlet Macaws.
Phone Number: 543 2030
Website: sxmzoo.networkidl.net
Hours: Daily 9am to 5pm (winter); 10am to 6pm (summer)
BeachesCity/Region: Philipsburg
Dutch St Maarten's prime popular beach resorts extend as a series of sandy bays from Philipsburg along the southwest coast of the island, reaching a grand finale at the great spread of Simpson Bay, site of the international airport. From the headland at the western end of Great Bay stretches the secluded beach of Cay Bay, famed for being the spot where Dutchman Peter Stuyvesant was injured in battle against the Spanish. This quiet beach can only be reached by dirt road or a horse trail. Further west towards the airport is Simpson Bay Lagoon, surrounded by resort developments. There is a series of good beaches with fine white sand: Maho Bay is St Maarten's largest beach resort, well developed with facilities, a casino and its popular Sunset Bar. Mullet Bay, with its gentle surf and shady stretch of palm trees, is usually the most crowded beach. Cupecoy is favored by nudists, and has dramatic sandstone cliffs and caves.
Fort St LouisCity/Region: Marigot
St Martin's largest historical monument overlooks Marigot. Fort St Louis was built according to plans sent from France by Louis XVI in 1767 to guard the settlement from invaders. The ruins sit atop a hill, which is worth the 15-minute steep climb for the panoramic view of the island afforded from the summit.
Public MarketCity/Region: Marigot
Marigot's open-air public market takes place every Wednesday and Saturday at the base of Fort St Louis along the wharves, and provides a colorful spectacle for visitors, though bargains are few. Wares include home-grown produce, tropical fruits and spices, fresh fish, souvenirs, woodcarvings and a host of other goods. The pace is lively and the food well worth sampling.
Hours: Wednesday and Saturday 6am to 1pm
Archaeological MuseumCity/Region: Marigot
Next to the Marina Port la Royale on the southern end of Marigot is a worthwhile museum, dedicated to preserving St Martin's history and culture. It houses numerous exhibits, including a variety of pre-Colombian treasures excavated by the Hope Estate Archaeological Society. There is also a reproduction of a 1,500-year-old burial mound and ceramics dating from 550 BC. The island's more recent history, before tourism took hold, is encapsulated in some evocative black and white photographs of quiet streets populated with a handful of children and donkeys, and of laborers toiling in the salt industry.
Hours: Open Monday to Friday 9am to 4pm
Admission: Free
Grand CaseCity/Region: Marigot
Fronted by a sweeping curve of beach the little fishing village of Grand Case, at the northern tip of St Martin, is famed for its fine foods and distinctive style of architecture. The small wooden houses are decorated in gingerbread style and painted pastel colors. Numerous good restaurateurs have chosen to congregate in the town's main street, which has become one of the finest dining centers in the eastern Caribbean.
Website: www.grandcase.com
Ilet PinelCity/Region: Marigot
On the north coast of St Martin are the tiny hamlets of Anse Marcel and Cul-de-Sac, from which operate boats ferrying passengers on a two-minute hop to the uninhabited offshore islet of Ilet Pinel. Anse Marcel features some large hotels, a marina and a sandy beach, while Cul-de-Sac boasts St Martin's mayoral residence. Ilet Pinel is pristine and offers calm waters for bathing, and excellent snorkeling opportunities.
Paradise PeakCity/Region: Marigot
Paradise Peak, St Martin's highest point, rises from the center of the island to a height of 1,390ft (424m), crowned with a communications tower. Visitors can climb through thick woods twisted with vines and full of colorful birds to reach the summit, where there are two observation decks providing spectacular views of the island. *Note: Following several incidents of muggings and theft from tourists and parked vehicles, visitors are advised to be cautious with their belongings when visiting the area.
BeachesCity/Region: Marigot
The largest and most popular beach on the island of St Martin, Orient Beach, is bursting with facilities for watersports, shops, restaurants and beach bars. The southern end of the beach has been reserved as a nudist resort. Prune Beach (or Plum Bay) is frequented by surfers while Rouge Beach offers great snorkeling and is regarded as the island's most beautiful. Long Beach is on the border with Dutch St Maarten and has little shade and generally no breeze, so it is known as a hot spot. Le Galion Beach is the island's best windsurfing beach and has shallow, calm waters. Anse Marcel in the north is usually quiet and favored by French tourists. Friars Bay just north of Marigot is backed by a lagoon containing various waterfowl, and just north of Friars is Happy Bay, beautiful and peaceful because of its inaccessibility. Reaching Happy Bay requires a 10-minute uphill walk from Friars.
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