Sint Maarten, also known as Saint Martin is a small island located in the Leeward Islands in the Caribbean Sea. The island is composed of two different countries, Sint Maarten owned by the Dutch and Saint Martin owned by the French. Sint Maarten / Saint Martin is known to be the smallest island in the world that is divided by two different countries. The total size of the island is 37 squares miles. The division of the island was agreed upon in 1648 after the French and Dutch successfully fought the Spanish off the island. Although one island, these countries differ greatly. Saint Martin, the northern side of the island, has two official languages: English and French. Sint Marteen also has two official languages, but they are English and Dutch. Sint Maarten/Saint Martin was said to be first sighted in 1493 by world famous, Christopher Columbus but the Carib and the Arawak inhabited the island before then. Columbus was also in charge of naming the great island. He named it "San Martin" after the famous feast of Saint Martin of Tour. The capital of Saint Martin is Marigot, while the capital of Sint Maarten is Philipsburg. In 2010 Sint Maarten officially became an autonomous state within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Saint Martin has shuffled in between the Dutch and the Spanish many times, but it is now owned by the French who signed a partition treaty in 1648. Both countries are high tourist locations due to their appealing beaches and warm, tropical weather. Although partially destroyed in 2017 due to Hurricane Irma, tourist continue to visit these beautiful islands.
TRAVELING TO ST MAARTEN/SAINT MARTIN
If you are looking for a nice, warm place to go on vacation, St Maarten is the place for you. To get there, I recommend flying directly from Delta Airlines to the Princess Juliana International Airport. If you are a US citizen you do not need a visa, but you will need a passport to enter St. Maarten. Once you land from your flight, you can drive four minutes away and check into Sonesta Maho Beach Resort, Casino & Spa. This is a four star hotel, that is right on Maho Beach. Maho beach is a popular tourist location that is known for its' amazing view and proximity to low flying airliners. I recommend visiting Maho Beach during your one week stay in St. Maarteen. Another excursion that I recommend taking during your week vacation is going on the Tropical Catamaran Snorkeling, Sailing And Beach Experience. Using Trip Advisor the cost of the hotel will be around $1500 for a week stay. The cost of the airfare will be around $890 round trip. For the Maho Beach Plane Sighting it will be about $25 per person and for the Catamaran experience it will be $120 per person. I would also bring around $300 extra for food. St. Maarten does accept the US dollar. If you are looking for a cheap vacation I do not recommend visiting St. Maarten, but I do recommend visitng if you are looking for a memorable experience.
Great promo for St. Maarten.
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