TravelTalkOnline Forums Travel and Vacation Forums St. Maarten - St. Martin Papagayo

For those of you who haven’t visited Club O area recently,this is the view where Papagayo was. It looks like the sea has claimed about 40 yards of beach in that area. It’s a sad sight,but better with the building removed.

Yes, sad. And the whole area would look much better bulldozed.

We have been walking down there several times a day this week. Really have to be careful as there is a lot of exposed electrical conduits with wiring sticking up out the beach as well as plumbing pipes and other left over construction materials. Several of the former chalet slabs with broken tile and wood with screws are also right in the walking path on the beach now too. It needs some serious detailed cleaning up on that end of the beach.

With the French government being dethroned I wouldn' expect anything to happen anytime soon unfortunately.

Couldn’t agree more Steve. It would be nice if they cleared the mess in the sand and removed at least the front row of buildings. That would make for a better atmosphere all around.

I typically get up and walk the beach at sunrise, with this being my first time back since Irma. Any issues with homeless people living in the ruins bothering anyone in the early morning? Perhaps they’re not even there anymore. My wife can’t go so I’ll be alone. I only have rental car keys and a swimsuit with me for walking the non-Club O section on me.

I have read of people living in the club o ruins,but have no evidence of that. I am very comfortable walking the beach to where Papagayo was. I have no reason to head farther back into the property.

I will spend a day there soon. An annual tradition that is more than 40+ years old. Many unforgettable memories. I hope it survives.

Wife and I walked the length of it to the former Papagayos 3 different days this past week multiple times. Our observations of the chalets closest to the beach were we did not see any homeless actually living in any of them. We did see one guy that was doing his daily workout routine for hours in one of them every time. There are a few others just hanging out in a few of the other ruins. There is one heavy set black guy with short dreadlocks that likes to hang out at the chalet that is partially into the water. Unfortunately, he was pleasuring himself as right out in the open as certain couples would approach him. Many couples were doing a quick u-turn and heading back to their chairs after that.

When I saw pictures of the heavy equipment removing the debris I thought the plan was to remove all the buildings. So it was just minimal removal of selected buildings? I will be back in April (my 22nd year) and it still depresses me to see the ruins.
Jim

Jim as far as I could see, the only building removed was Papagayo. I thought they were going to remove the “front row” buildings that were severely damaged,but they didn’t.