About St. Maarten
» FAQ - Buying Real Estate in St Maarten
LOCATION/SIZE: The island covers 37 square miles, with Dutch Sint Maarten on the south spanning 16 square miles and French Saint Martin on the north covering 21.
LANGUAGE: English is spoken everywhere, but Dutch is the official language of St. Maarten, and French the official language of St. Martin. On the Dutch side, you can also hear Spanish and Papiamento, the dialect of the Netherlands Antilles. On the French side, Creole Patois also is spoken.
NATIONALITIES: Dutch Sint Maarten boasts 140 different nationalities. Saint Martin is a commune of Guadeloupe, an overseas territory of France.
POPULATION: 41,000 people live on St. Maarten and 36,000 on St. Martin.
CLIMATE: Sunny and warm year-round, with some cooling from trade winds. Average temperature during the winter season is 80F (27C) and a few degrees warmer anymore humid in the summer. Occasional showers in late summer and early fall, with average annual rainfall of 45 inches.
CURRENCY: Official currency of the Dutch side is the Netherlands Antilles Florin (NAF). Official currency of the French side is the Euro. However U.S. Dollars are accepted on both sides.
TIME: New York: Fall and winter: -1 hour / Spring and summer: same time. Paris: Fall and winter: -5 hours / Spring and summer: -6.
ELECTRICITY: Dutch side: 110 volts, 50 cycles. French side, all run on 220 volts, 60 cycles.
Shopping:
As the only completely duty-free island in the Caribbean, St. Maarten/St. Martin offers some of the best shopping in the Caribbean, and no duty is paid on imports arriving on either side. The Maho shopping and entertainment area has shops that stay open until 10 p.m. or later. Shopping includes everything from Swiss watches, French perfume, British cashmeres, Chinese embroidery, Japanese cameras and electronics, Indonesian batiks and Italian leather goods, plus fine jewelry, crystal, linens, porcelain and liquor.
Things to Do:
Recent years have seen the growth of many sports on the island aimed at both fitness and fun. Golf, tennis, volleyball, horseback riding, mountain biking and, naturally, a variety of water sports are offered, including scuba diving, snorkeling, sailing, jet-skiing, water-skiing, kayaking, wind surfing, parasailing and deep sea fishing. In addition, the island offers numerous spas and fitness centers for those preferring gym equipment, free weights, aerobics, stretch classes, massages, facials, steam rooms, whirlpools, saunas, manicures, pedicures and the like.
Dining:
Superb selection, an infinite variety of cuisines and unmatched quality: St. Maarten/St. Martin is an island of epicurean adventures. St. Maarten expresses its culinary soul not by creating a single cuisine, but by giving voice to cooking styles from the far-flung corners of the globe. Diners can select from more than 300 restaurants offering French, Dutch, Caribbean, Italian, Chinese, Indonesian, Creole and more.
Gaming/Nightlife:
St. Maarten/St. Martin comes to life after dark. If you're a night owl, you've chosen the right destination!
There are innumerable discos, nightclubs and bars on both sides of the island that will have you partying all night long. Rhythms of Techno, live Rock and Roll, classic Jamaican Reggae, Meringue and Souk are just some of the sound sensations of St. Maarten/St. Martin.
Casino Royale rolls out the red carpet as St. Maarten's largest and most thrilling casino destination. Steps from Sonesta Maho Beach Resort & Casino, the gaming metropolis features more than 20,000 square-feet of gaming with 400 slot machines and 30 tables of gaming, including roulette (American and French), craps, blackjack, baccarat and poker (Three Card Poker, Let It Ride, Caribbean Poker and Texas Hold’em). The casino's Sports Book has the island’s only self-service kiosks for nearly any sport.
High rollers are welcomed in style with the Royale Players Club, complete with VIP booths. Casino Royale also hosts international poker tournaments, where some of the biggest names in the game come to play.
Located in the heart of the Maho Village, steps from Sonesta Maho Beach Resort & Casino, Casino Royale is surrounded by a world of dining, duty-free shopping, entertainment, plus Tantra Nightclub, which features international DJs throughout the year.
Culture:
The cultural diversity of St. Maarten springs from its historical role as a crossroads for visitors to the New World. Dutch, French and British traders brought European traditions, while the Africans brought the language and culture of West Africa. Today the range of influences is reflected in the number of languages spoken. Dutch is the official language, but English is taught in schools and spoken everywhere, while other common languages are Spanish and Papiamento, the dialect of the Netherlands Antilles. St. Maarten's premier cultural event is its annual Carnival, which includes parades, calypso competitions, reggae shows, and an endless array of stands serving traditional island food.