TravelTalkOnline Forums Travel and Vacation Forums St. Maarten - St. Martin Best Beaches 2024?

Hello all ... I haven't been to St. Martin for many years and certainly not since the hurricane damage.
Wondering what your top 3 beaches are these days?
Not sure how storm damage and/or construction have changed things.
Is Orient still nice? Cupecoy?
Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks
Lawrence

Other than club o I feel Orient is much better after than before Irma. Same with Mullet.

Thanks Scubaman ... any other favorite spots? The least touristy the better ...

Pinel and Anse Marcel are memorable.

Orient is #1 for us but Friar's is next up.

Plage des Petites Cayes is probably only visited by tourists... but not very many of them, you may well have the place to yourself. It's a hike from either Anse Marcel or Grand Cayes (and the dump...) but it's a beautiful location.
Dave.

Pinel and Anse Marcel sound beautiful and less crowded.

Friar's, specifically Friar's Bay Beach Club, is beautiful and not the least bit touristy. Note that it's not an inexpensive day, and they don't accept credit cards.

Georgia--I really like FBBC, but the BEACH there isn't really the best. There are usually lots of small rocks there. The food and service are very good and it is not a tourist trap, for sure.

Just have to be aware that the wind can bring in a disgusting smell some days from the pond inland.

Scuba--are you talking about Friars? I haven't personally smelled anything there, but I could have just missed it.

Yes. We've have that smell ruin our day there on two different occasions.

Huh. OK. I'm pretty sensitive to smells, so my guess is that it depends on which way the wind is blowing.

Yes. If the breeze is coming off that back pond it's pretty disgusting.

It’s so strange. We were there 12 days ago. No rocks!!! I remember those black stones tumbling around and you had to get by them. We were close to the Hapoy Bay end. Yes once in the water there was an “area” you just swam over - but very small. Just not the amount of stones I remember in the past.

The last few times we've been there, we haven't experienced those rocks, but I know they can be a problem at times.



I've never experienced the smell, although I know others have.

Kim and Georgia--perhaps they did something about the rocks? Interesting.

No expert, but I think it depends on tides and what comes in? One of my favorite beaches and have experienced both stones and no stones on different days...same with smell, but that happened just once and was enuf to turn around and head for a different beach. But even with the stones, they always seem to be very smooth,, not a cutting your feet type. Just need to go in more slowly so as not to slip on them. But I love dozing and listening to the tinkling, soothing sounds from the calm waves rushing over them!😎😴

Happy Beach, Baie Rouge, Orient, Cupecoy, Long Beach, Plum Beach. Hard to beat any of these...