TravelTalkOnline Forums Travel and Vacation Forums St. Maarten - St. Martin Simpson Bay question

Hello all...

Is it possible to walk along the coast of Simpson Bay from Beachside Villas to Karakter/Mary's Boon? Google maps shows a path, but is it actually walkable? Or would I need to drive around the airport?

You can do the walk via the beach but I do not think it is possible on land as I think you certainly have to drive around the airport.

Not only is it possible to get to Mary Boon from BSV, that's just the beginning of a Simpson Bay walk. It is our absolutely favorite thing to do while we're on island, and do it numerous times each visit. We now park at Dinghy's Beach Bar, have a drink and tell them we'll be back for lunch, later after our walk. You can walk the beach all the way to The Secret Seafood House, at which point you run out of beach, but there is a wooden ramp up to the restaurant (slippery when wet) and have a drink before your walk back. It's quite the walk, but this beach has firm sand or soft sand if you prefer, all the way from start to finish. It's a huge beach, but somehow you feel as if you're all alone on your walk. For some reason after a 3 hour walk on Simpson Bay I feel like I'm a happier person.

As the others have said, definitely you can walk along the beach. To get there by road, you have to go out by Sunset and go all the way down by the airport road, but you can walk on the beach.

Great. Thanks, WT & Carol. Always get quality information here.

I'm planning a visit next year, likely staying at Hilton Royal Palm. I was wondering whether we could walk to across the bridge and down the shoreline to Karakter, Dinghy's, and possibly all the way to Sunset Bar/Maho Beach. Looks like about 3 km from the hotel to Sunset (about 1.5 miles each way - & no hills!)

Asking because Google maps does not show it as "walkable." The walking route takes me ALLLL the way around the airport. No way I'd try that!

This is good info. Thanks again.

From Royal Palm, you would have to go out over the drawbridge and go behind the police station to access the beach for the walk. Near Secret Seafood as Whale Tail mentioned.

We've done that walk from Royal Palm down to Maho. Turn left after you cross the bridge and go behind the Police station and you are on Simpson Bay Rd. It's an interesting walk with roosters crowing, a church and a school. There are numerous points along the way to access the beach and then you're on your way to Maho. And then a taxi ride back to Royal Palm might be in order because that's a long walk.

If you are going to Sunset, once you get to Dinghy's (which is just past Beachside), you need to walk the road, as you can't get to Sunset via the beach from there. Walk through Dinghy's parking lot and make a left onto the road by the airport fence. That is White Sands Road. You will be walking through a residential area. Perfectly safe to walk there during the day. Continue to follow the airport fence, which will take you to Sunset.

Yes, but stay close to the side of the road because locals speed on that road. Many times we've been forced into a mud hole (via car) because they drive fast down the middle and will not give an inch.

Yes, they do drive fast there, despite the speed bumps!!