Philipsburg, St. Maarten

St. Maarten is one of the easiest port days in the Caribbean, and one of the busiest. On our call here I stayed on the ship while my family went ashore to a free beach, so this guide mixes that with what the port, the tourism bureau and the government fare table actually say. Every price below has a source and a date, and I'll tell you plainly where the official pages go quiet.

St. Maarten at a glance

Map of the island

Book an excursion

Book your St. Maarten excursion

Independent tours usually cost less than the ship's, and are often run by the very same local operator. For the most peace of mind, book with Shore Excursions Group. It does nothing but cruise excursions and publishes a Return-to-Ship Guarantee: if a delay on one of its tours ever makes you miss the ship, it gets you to the next port and covers your hotel and meals. Want more choices? Viator lists far more tours. There, pick one tagged Worry-Free Shore Excursion, which carries its "Back to Ship Guarantee."

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From the ship to town

Every cruise ship here uses the same facility at Pointe Blanche, on the eastern side of Great Bay. It has two piers, so your only real question is which one your ship is tied up at, and that changes from visit to visit.

• The original pier is 545 metres long and takes up to four ships.
• The second pier, 445 metres long, was built so the port could take two of the biggest ships afloat (over 220,000 gross tons each) at the same time. It has its own passenger screening booths.

Either way, you walk down the pier into Harbour Point Village, a little open-air terminal built to look like old Philipsburg: duty-free shops, souvenir stalls, bars, a restaurant, an information desk with harbour staff, and the tour pick-up points. Roughly a hundred taxis wait there when ships are in.

On foot: leave Harbour Point Village and follow the road around the bay toward town. The port and the tourism bureau both put it at about 15 minutes. It's flat, but there's little shade.

By water taxi: a day ticket is $6 for unlimited rides, sold by one of two private companies, with three stops along the Philipsburg waterfront: Captain Hodge Wharf, Walter Williams Jetty and Bobby's Marina. Check the price when you buy, since the bureau's page doesn't show a date.

Your ship may dock at the far end of a long pier on a six-ship day. Add that to your walk, and check your cruise line's port page for which pier you're likely to use.

Our day here

How I'd spend the day

If walking is hard

Take the water taxi from near the port to the Philipsburg waterfront, settle at a beach bar on Great Bay, eat where you're sitting, and ride the water taxi back. You skip the whole walk, and the town is flat once you're there. The one thing to ask about is the step into the boat.

Beach day

Great Bay is right in town and costs nothing to sit on if you bring a towel. If you want a beach away from the cruise crowd, Mullet Bay on the west end is a $25 taxi ride for two people, about the same as Maho. see St Maarten beach day on Viator

See the island

Book an island tour that loops through Marigot on the French side and back over the hills. You see both countries in one day without driving on unfamiliar roads. If you'd rather go up than around, Rockland Estate's chairlift climbs Sentry Hill, the island's highest point. see St Maarten island tour Marigot on Viator

Getting around

Taxis (set fares)

Dutch-side taxis charge fixed zone fares, not meters. From the cruise port:

All fares are one way. Extras: $5 per extra checked bag, $4 per box or cooler, a 25% surcharge from 10pm to 6am and on public holidays, and waiting time free for five minutes, then $5 per quarter hour. If you share a taxi with a party going somewhere else, each party pays 75% of its fare. Mobility aids ride free. Cash is preferred. A licensed taxi has a plate starting with TAXI, a displayed permit and a fare chart.

The regulated table stops at the border. Marigot, Grand Case, Orient Bay and the rest of the French side are not on it, so agree the fare before you get in.

Buses

Privately run minibuses shuttle between Philipsburg, Simpson Bay and Maho with no timetable; the area is shown on the front. They're cheap and cash only, and the tourism bureau doesn't publish fares.

Water taxi

The $6 day pass covers the waterfront stops in Philipsburg. It is for town, not for the far beaches.

Driving

You drive on the right, a US licence is fine, and turning right on red is not allowed. Main roads are narrow, and the State Department warns that rental car theft happens and local insurance may not fully cover it.

What to see

Front Street and the Courthouse

Philipsburg's main shopping street runs parallel to the beach. Everything is duty-free, with no sales tax. The white Courthouse, built in 1793 and restored several times after hurricanes, stands by a small palm-shaded square and is still a working court; the French tourism board says visitors are welcome Monday to Friday. Allow an hour or two for the street.

The Boardwalk

A seaside promenade (not actually wooden) runs along Great Bay between Bobby's Marina in the east and Walter Plantz Square in the west, lined with bars, cafés and beach chair stands. It's free.

Sint Maarten Museum

A small museum at 7 Front Street, at the eastern end of town. The French tourism board lists it as open daily except Sundays. I couldn't find an official admission price.

Rockland Estate and Sentry Hill

An eco-park on the old Emilio Wilson Estate just outside Philipsburg. A chairlift (the Sky Explorer) runs up Sentry Hill, at 1,125 feet the island's highest point, with views to Saba, St. Eustatius, St. Barts and Anguilla on a clear day. The Flying Dutchman zip line, which the park calls the world's steepest, starts at the top. The park's own pages don't show current prices, so check before you book. see Rockland Estate Sentry Hill St Maarten on Viator

Marigot

The French side's capital, with its waterfront market and cafés. No passport check at the border, but taxi fares there aren't regulated by the Dutch table, and prices are often in euros.

Beaches, ranked for a cruise day

1. Great Bay Beach, right along Philipsburg. Nearly two miles of calm water on the south side of the island, walkable from the ship or a $6 water taxi pass. Beach bars rent loungers and umbrellas (often bundled with a bucket of beers) and have restrooms and showers. No official chair prices are published. The trade-off: thousands of cruise visitors share it on a busy day.
2. Mullet Bay, out by Maho, $25 by taxi for one or two. Sea grape trees for shade at the south end, a snack bar and newer beach restaurants, and chairs to rent (no published prices). Locals and students love it, so weekends are busy, and the water can have surf when conditions are right.
3. Little Bay, just west of town, a $10 taxi for one or two. Closer than Mullet Bay. The official pages I could open didn't describe its facilities, so ask your driver what's open.
4. Maho Beach, at the end of the runway, $25 for one or two. A spectacle, not a relaxing beach (see the warning below).

The Maho warning. The French St. Martin tourism board and the US State Department both warn that standing near planes taking off or landing can cause serious injury or death. Stay out of the line of the runway and the engines, don't hold onto or climb the fences, and if a blast catches you, close your eyes and cover your ears: the engines are louder than 120 decibels and throw sand.

Where to eat

• Try: guavaberry, the island's own liqueur, plus johnny cakes, saltfish and fresh fish from the beach grills.
• On the beach: the bars and restaurants along the Boardwalk, where you can eat in your chair. The official visitor portal suggests the Ocean Lounge at the Holland House Beach Hotel if you'd like something a little quieter.
• At the pier: Harbour Point Village has bars and a restaurant if you only step off for an hour.

Money, language and local rules

• Money. US dollars are used most on the Dutch side, and change often comes back in dollars. The Caribbean guilder (XCG) replaced the Netherlands Antillean guilder as legal tender on 31 March 2025, pegged at US$1 = 1.79 (the taxi page rounds it to 1.80). The French side prices in euros but takes dollars. Bring small bills for vendors and minibuses, which are often cash only.
• Language. Dutch is official here, French on the other side, and English is spoken everywhere.
• The border. There are no border controls between the two sides. Carry the photo ID your cruise line needs to get you back aboard.
• Drugs and ammunition. Marijuana and CBD products are illegal, and even a spent bullet casing in your bag can get you detained.
• Drones. Allowed with conditions: daylight, in sight, under 120 metres (393 feet), and nowhere near the airport, crowds or private property. Commercial use needs a permit. With Maho next door, I'd leave it on the ship.
• Water. The State Department says tap water is not safe to drink; buy sealed bottles.
• Time. Atlantic time, no daylight saving. Your phone may switch; the ship's clock is the one that counts.

What the videos don't show you

• Six-ship days. The port can take six ships at once. That's tens of thousands of people on one small beach and one shopping street.
• The walk is hot. It's flat, but 15 minutes in Caribbean sun with little shade is more tiring than it sounds, especially coming back.
• Chair hustle. Vendors on Great Bay will ask, and ask again. Settle the total price, and what's included, before you sit down.
• Maho is dangerous. The videos show the thrill. The official pages talk about injuries and death.
• French-side fares aren't regulated by the Dutch table. Agree the price before you cross.
• Petty crime. The US State Department rates Sint Maarten Level 1, "exercise normal precautions" (August 2026), but notes pickpocketing and bag snatching at beaches and from parked cars. Don't leave your bag on the sand while you swim.

With a cane, walker or wheelchair

The good news: the cruise facility, the road into town and Philipsburg itself are all flat. The less good news: the US State Department says sidewalks and street crossings in many areas are not wheelchair accessible, and many buildings lack ramps. The Boardwalk's own guide says it hasn't confirmed a step-free route along the whole promenade.

The port publishes no accessibility details of its own. The water taxi saves the walk but means stepping into a small boat that moves. Taxi fares include mobility aids at no extra charge.

See Mobility & Health Needs for how piers and tenders work, and check with your cruise line about your ship's pier on your date. More detail in the mobility section below.

The biggest mistake

Treating Maho Beach as a casual add-on. It's a $25 taxi for two each way from the port, the jet blast is genuinely dangerous, and on a hot day it's a long, loud stop. If you just want a beach, Great Bay is a short walk or a $6 water taxi away, and Mullet Bay, next door to Maho, is the calmer place to swim.

St. Maarten FAQs