Attractions & Natural Wonders · Saint-Martin
Saint Martin: Five Attractions and Natural Wonders
A single small island split between two countries with no border checkpoint at all, a bay of gourmet restaurants known as the culinary capital of the Caribbean, and a hilltop viewpoint taking in both nations at once
By Worldlore Editorial · 30 September 2026
One island, shared by two nations
Saint Martin is one of the smallest landmasses in the world divided between two different sovereign countries — the French side (a French overseas collectivity) and Dutch Sint Maarten to the south, separated by an unguarded, informal border that visitors can cross freely, often without even realising exactly where the line falls. The French side generally carries a quieter, more relaxed character than the busier Dutch side, with a food scene, in particular, that has earned it a reputation as one of the Caribbean's best.
The five below are spread across the French side of the island. The dry season (roughly December to April) is the most popular time to visit.
1. Marigot
Marigot, the capital of French Saint Martin, centres on a lively waterfront market selling produce, crafts, and spices, overlooked by Fort Louis (also called Fort Saint Louis), built on the hill above in 1789. Its French-Caribbean character — patisseries and Creole cuisine alongside duty-free shopping — gives it a distinctly different feel from Philipsburg on the Dutch side.
2. Orient Bay
Orient Bay, on the east coast, is the most popular beach on the whole island, a long curve of sand lined with beach bars, restaurants, and water sports concessions, with a section at its southern end frequented by naturists. It offers a livelier, more social alternative to the island's quieter coves.
3. Grand Case
Grand Case, a small town on the Anguilla Channel coast, has long billed itself as the gastronomic capital of the Caribbean, packing more than two dozen eateries onto a mile-long main street, from French and Creole fine dining alongside casual lolo barbecue shacks grilling ribs, chicken, snapper and lobster. It draws diners from across the island.
4. Pic Paradis
Pic Paradis, the island's highest point at 424 metres, is cloaked in secondary dry forest, the last remnant of the island's native woodland, and is recognised as an Important Bird Area. The hill is privately owned rather than a government reserve: its lower slopes hold restaurants and treetop adventure courses, while the unbuilt upper reaches are managed for paid hiking trails, a rare patch of green on an island otherwise dominated by beaches and development.
5. The island's salt-pond heritage
Before tourism became the dominant industry from the 1960s and 1970s, salt was one of Saint Martin's main products (a Kalinago name for the island, Soualiga, means 'the island of salt'), and old salt-works remain visible in places, including near Grand Case. The Simpson Bay Lagoon, with the French-Dutch border running across its centre, is today used mainly for boating.
Saint Martin suits a relaxed week combining beach time on the French side with day trips across the informal border to explore the Dutch side's different character, all easily done without any border formalities at all.