During our recent trip we were able to stop by Philipsburg, St. Maarten!  Philipsburg is the capital of St. Maarten and on the Dutch side of the island.  the island is well known for it’s most popular “must-have” ingredient….SALT!  In the 17th century the Dutch settlers started harvesting the salt from Great Salt Pond and sending it by the ship load back to Europe.  The natives nicknamed the island “Soualiga” or “Land of Salt”.  Today the island is split with France owning the Saint Martin side and the Netherlands Antilles owning St. Maarten.

The first wildlife to greet us upon arriving at the island was a beautiful little butterfly, it must have been one from the Butterfly Farm on St. Maarten sent to welcome us to their island.  St. Maarten has great “beach taxis” that will take you back and forth from the boat to the beach all day for $6.   If you are looking to spend the day at the beach this was a great deal plus you could come back to the boat for lunch then head back out to the beach for free as long as you still had on your wrist band.  St. Maarten is also a great place to shop and pick up some neat souvenirs for those back home.  Some of our group went to the beach that morning to swim, collect seashells and relax while others went strolling down through the town and shops.  It was a fun and relaxing morning at St. Maarten.

That afternoon we all went on the “St Maarten Reef Express” which took us to two snorkeling locations.  On the way to our excursion we walked past a huge private boat, it was said to be Steven Spielberg’s private boat!  They had a lot of wind and storms that week so the water was a little cloudy but the weather was beautiful.  We were able to see some fish but didn’t get to go to the ship wrecks due to the cloudy water.  The food, drinks and ride along the beach were amazing.  We even got to see a plane almost land on the beach.  St. Maarten’s airport is located very close to the beach and when planes land they look like they are landing on the beach while people are enjoying their time sun tanning or swimming in the ocean.  Along our catamaran adventure we saw amazing boats, pastel homes, and were able to swim in its turquoise blue water.

Here are a few fun facts about St. Maarten AKA St. Martin (depending on which side of the island you were on at the time!):

• Official Name(s):  St. Martin – dependency of French overseas AND St Maarten – part of the Netherlands Antilles
• Population of St. Maarten – 40,100
• Capital of St Maarten – Philipsburg
• Language of St Maarten – Dutch and English
• Currency – Netherlands Antilles Florin (although US Currency is widely accepted)
• Religions – Catholic, Protestant and Others
• Land Mass – 13 square miles
• Landforms – The island is known for its white sandy beaches and coves.  They have a lot of greenery in the hills and valleys of the island, the highest point of the island is 1,200 feet.  They do not have any significant rivers on the island.
• Climate – warm throughout the year, the high temperatures vary just slightly between the seasons.

Information taken from World Atlas

In an later post we will share some of the pictures we took during our adventure on St Maarten.  If you ever have a chance to go to St Maarten we trust you will enjoy it as much as we did.  Maybe we will have the opportunity to visit and explore their beautiful island again in the future, you never know!

A Vacation To Remember series is a reflection on our recent trip and ways we relaxed.  Life is short and we were thrilled to have the opportunity to build memories with family and explore of of the most amazing places during our time away.  Go with a good attitude and looking for fun and it will be an awesome trip jammed packed with positive memories.  It is refreshing having some time away from the regular routine.  Make it a once in a lifetime opportunity to meet new people and learn.  You just might see or try something new that takes your breath away!