Part III - St. Maarten (St. Martin)#

By Rainer Kroisamer: Report from a journey through the Caribbean Seas starting at Puerto Rico,visiting St.Thomas, Sint Maarten, Antigua, St. Lucia and Barbados.

The island of Sint Maarten or Saint Martin is only around 60 square kilometers in size. Yet it is the smallest land mass in the world to be shared by two different nations. It is owned by both France and the Netherlands, thanks to a treaty signed over 350 years ago. With the Concordia Agreement (1648), the Dutch and the French agreed that residents of either side of the island can be commercially active on the other side without any border difficulties. This contract of peaceful coexistence turns out to be the oldest active, undisputed treaty on our planet. Since October 10th 2010, Sint Maarten is a sovereign country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Before that, Sint Maarten belonged to the Netherlands Antilles, until they split up. The friendly partition of Sint Maarten / Saint Martin remains to this day and the two separate nations coexist in contrast but harmony.

St. Maarten - Police Station right next to the port. Watch for the flag of the Netherlands and the European Union!
Photo: R. Kroisamer

St. Maarten - In the center of Philipsburg
Photo: R. Kroisamer

St. Maarten - View from the Union Road on the way to Simpson Bay Lagoon
Photo: R. Kroisamer

St. Maarten - Simpson Bay Lagoon
Photo: R. Kroisamer

St. Maarten - Princess Juliana Airport
Photo: R. Kroisamer

St. Maarten - End of the run way of Princess Juliana Airport. First signs of what is to come

Photo: R. Kroisamer

Maho Beach#

Maho Beach, or also called just `Airport Beach`, situated on the west coast of the island of St. Maarten is definitely THE highlight of the whole island - at least in terms of (free) entertainment. Visitors come here to experience the incomparable view, force, noise and adrenalin when huge passenger aircrafts descent towards Princess Juliana Airport, just meters above one`s head, to finally touch ground on the runway.

St. Maarten - Beginning of Maho Beach - or more famous under the name of `Airport Beach`

Photo: R. Kroisamer

St. Maarten - Maho Beach or maybe better suited `Airport Beach`. People already desperately waiting for what`s about to happen

Photo: R. Kroisamer

St. Maarten - Copa Airlines flight landing on Princess Julian Airport, just meters above our heads!
Photo: R. Kroisamer

St. Maarten - Maho Beach
Photo: R. Kroisamer

St. Maarten - Sunset Bar & Grill at Airport Beach with probably the best entertainment show on the whole island - for free! Flight arrivals are written on a surf board.
Photo: R. Kroisamer

St. Maarten - Maho Beach
Photo: R. Kroisamer

St. Maarten - At Maho Beach huge passenger aircraft landing on Princess Julian Airport, just meters above our heads!
Photo: R. Kroisamer

YouTube Clips from St. Marteen#

Philipsburg#

Philipsburg is the capital and main town of Sint Maarten, situated at Great Bay on the southern part of the island. Because of the countless duty-free goods in numerous boutiques and duty-free tax-free policies, St. Maarten / St. Martin has a well-earned reputation as a „shopper’s paradise. Popular goods include local crafts & arts, exotic foods, jewelry, liquor, tobacco, leather goods, as well as most designer goods.

Philipsburg - St. Maarten
Photo: R. Kroisamer

Philipsburg - Along Voorstraat in Philipsburg
Photo: R. Kroisamer

St. Maarten - Busy road in Philipsburg
Photo: R. Kroisamer

Philipsburg - French licence plate. People move without restrictions from northern French to southern Dutch part and vice versa
Photo: R. Kroisamer

St. Maarten
Photo: R. Kroisamer

Philipsburg - St. Maarten
Again, jewelry is omnipresent amongst designer brands
Photo: R. Kroisamer

Philipsburg - St. Maarten
Photo: R. Kroisamer

St. Maarten - Boardwalk in Philipsburg
Photo: R. Kroisamer

St. Maarten - French license plate
Photo: R. Kroisamer

Philipsburg - St. Maarten
Photo: R. Kroisamer

St. Maarten - Pirates of the Caribbean Theme
Photo: R. Kroisamer

A bit sadly though we leave the fantastic and wonderful Island of Sint Maarten (Saint Martin) to continue our journey to Antigua, where we make port in the capital of St. John`s. Travel distance is 100 nautical miles (= 185 kilometers).

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