With 37 beaches to choose from on the island of St. Martin, picking the right one can often be overwhelming. The following are some of the top choices when it comes to catching some rays and enjoying the wonderful Caribbean ocean.

Baie Rouge

This is without a doubt one of the most beautiful beaches on St. Martin. Baie Rouge is one of the more popular beaches with restaurants that have excellent food for eating in your swimsuit. The beach is always alive but still has a relaxing atmosphere. Our luxury La Perla Estate is located directly on Baie Rouge Beach and features incredible privacy, making it the perfect romantic getaway. There is a small rock arch which can be seen from Villa Esprit De La Mer, where comfortable swimmers will go through to enjoy a small secluded beach at the base of the cliffs. If you’re looking for a relaxing beach with food and a swimmable ocean water, this is the beach for you.

Orient Bay

This is the largest and most popular beach on the island and is located in the north-eastern part of St. Martin. Orient Bay beach offers a full range of tourist amenities, including beach restaurants, shops, and water sports. If you’re looking for a beach that truly gives you that vacation spot feels where the entire family can find an activity whether kite surfing, jet skis, windsurfing or just having a bucket of beers to sip on, then Orient Bay is your best choice. And for those really wanting to take their vacation to the next level, there is a section of the beach where getting tan lines is not an issue. The naturalist area is located on the south part of the bay, offering restaurants, bars, and activities.

Maho

There is no possible way to make a list of beaches on St. Martin/Sint Maarten without mentioning Maho Beach. This beach couldn’t get any closer to the airport runway without being directly on it. While packed with people from all over, Maho Beach brings quite the crowd of tourist all there to not only see the underside of a plane, which appears to graze the hands of people reaching up but to also feel the power of the jets during take off. While we don’t recommend going here with your big beach hat and a good book looking to relax, we do recommend going for the entertainment. You won’t see anything like this anywhere else in the world.

Happy Bay

Happy Bay is home to the quintessential tropical beach. It is one of the island’s most beautiful beaches and has managed to preserve its authentic and untouched charm. To reach it will require a 10 minute hike, but we promise you, it’s worth it. Lined with coconut trees, Happy Bay’s white sands are ideal for charming your loved one with a picnic or a romantic day out.

Anse Marcel

Got young children who aren’t quite ready for the big waves of the Ocean? Then Anse Marcel is the perfect beach for you. The bay is protected on both sides which allows for an extremely calm water. It’s a sheltered and well-developed beach in the north of the island.

Plum Bay

Secluded Plum Bay, or Baie aux Prunes in French, is just beside Long Bay and well known to surfers. The beach is very little visited during weekdays, although beautiful and without a doubt one of the most peaceful and romantic beaches on the island.

Baie Longue

Located in the heart of the Low Lands on the western coast of the island, Baie Longue, or Long Bay, is the first beach on the French side of the island, when traveling north from the Dutch side.

One of the longest and quietest beaches on the island. It’s accessible by a parking lot in the gated community of Terres Basses. With there being a lack of restaurants and activities on the beach, it’s best for getting some peace and quiet. This beach is ideal for people who enjoy walking or sometimes you just want to read a book with only the sounds of the waves.