Attractions & Natural Wonders · Sint Maarten

Sint Maarten: Five Attractions and Natural Wonders

A beach where jet aircraft roar in low enough to feel the engine blast, a busy cruise-port capital street lined with duty-free shops, and a crumbling Dutch fort still watching over the harbour it once defended

By Worldlore Editorial · 9 September 2026

A large jet aircraft flying extremely low over a beach full of onlookers just before landing
A jet approaching Princess Juliana International Airport passes just metres above sunbathers on Maho Beach. (Richie Diesterheft / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.0)

The busier half of a shared Caribbean island

Sint Maarten, the Dutch southern side of the small island shared with French Saint Martin, is the more developed and busier of the two, built around cruise tourism, duty-free shopping, and one of the most famous (and photographed) beach-airport combinations anywhere in the world. Its open, unguarded border with the French side means visitors can easily experience both the island's livelier Dutch character and its quieter French half in a single trip.

The five below are all on the Dutch side. The dry season (roughly December to April) is generally the most popular time to visit.

1. Maho Beach

A low-flying aircraft passing directly over a beach and a road just before an airport runway
An aircraft on final approach passes just above the road and beach at Maho, seconds before touching down. (Richie Diesterheft / Wikimedia Commons)

Maho Beach, right at the end of the runway at Princess Juliana International Airport, has become internationally famous for the sight (and sound, and wind blast) of large jet aircraft passing just metres overhead on final approach before touching down. Crowds of onlookers, many holding on to the perimeter fence, gather for scheduled arrivals throughout the day, making it one of the most distinctive spectator experiences in the Caribbean.

2. Philipsburg

A busy shopping street lined with colourful buildings near a cruise port
Front Street in Philipsburg, the main shopping strip in Sint Maarten's capital. (Dr. Thomas Liptak / Wikimedia Commons)

Philipsburg, the Dutch side's capital, is built along a narrow strip of land between Great Bay and the Salt Pond, its Front Street lined densely with duty-free jewellery shops, souvenir stores, and restaurants catering to the large numbers of cruise passengers who pass through most days of the week.

3. Great Bay

A curved bay with a beach boardwalk and buildings along the shore
Great Bay in Philipsburg, lined with a beachfront boardwalk facing the cruise ship anchorage. (Clavius66 / Wikimedia Commons)

Great Bay, curving along Philipsburg's waterfront, gives the capital its beach and its cruise ship anchorage in one — a boardwalk lined with bars and restaurants runs the length of the bay, giving views out to the large ships that dock just offshore on busy cruise days.

4. Fort Amsterdam

Ruined stone fortifications on a headland overlooking the sea
The ruins of Fort Amsterdam, a 17th-century Dutch fortification on the headland above Philipsburg. (Ymnes / Wikimedia Commons)

Fort Amsterdam, built by the Dutch in the 17th century on the headland guarding Great Bay, was the first Dutch military post in the Caribbean, and its weathered ruins still command sweeping views over Philipsburg and the surrounding coastline — a quieter historical counterpoint to the busy shopping streets below.

5. Great Bay Beach

A beach with calm water lined by a row of buildings and a boardwalk
Great Bay Beach in Philipsburg, a convenient stretch of sand right in the capital. (Dr. Thomas Liptak / Wikimedia Commons)

Great Bay Beach, running the length of Philipsburg's boardwalk, offers an easy, central alternative to venturing further out to Maho or the island's quieter coves — calm, protected water and a steady stream of restaurants and bars make it a convenient base for a short cruise stopover.

Sint Maarten works well as a short beach-and-shopping stop of a few days, or as a lively counterpart to a longer, quieter stay on the French side just across the island's open border.

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