The area

St. Maarten is one of our most popular sailing areas in the Caribbean. With world-class restaurants, hip beach bars, legendary (and occasionally notorious) beaches, live music and a fascinating colonial history, the island offers a taste of this region's beautiful charm. Sail from St. Maarten and visit the surrounding islands of St. Barths and Saba.

The island of St. Maarten is the smallest landmass in the world shared by two independent countries: the northern half is a French overseas community, while the Dutch side is an autonomous state within the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

Caribbean and European cuisine and culture blend together perfectly on St. Maarten. Refinement and a relaxed, easy-going style run through daily life on the island, which is also home to one of the world's finest coral reefs, perfect for divers and snorkellers.

Chartering a yacht from St. Maarten lets you explore several of the beautiful islands to the east of the Caribbean, offering just the right mix of island-hopping and sporty sailing to keep everyone smiling.

Highlights

The quiet, unspoiled island of Tintamare at the heart of the nature reserve, sailing to nearby St. Barts for its famous international allure, dinner at Grand-Case, known as an excellent diving spot, and anchoring at Anse de Colombier, St. Barts, to relax on a stunning beach.

Suggested route

Day 1: Arrival, Anse Marcel
Day 2: Anse Marcel to Sandy Island
Day 3: Sandy Island to Prickly Pear and Grand-Case
Day 4: Grand-Case to Tintamare and Pinel Island
Day 5: Pinel Island to St Barth
Day 6: St Barth (Gustavia)
Day 7: St Barth back to Anse Marcel
Day 8: Departure from Anse Marcel

Sailing conditions

St. Maarten has a tropical monsoon climate, with an average air and sea temperature of around 28°C year-round. There's a mild contrast between the dry season (January to June) and the wet season (June to December), though there's no real rainy season as such. The trade winds, the "Kings of the Caribbean", blow mainly from December to March and June to August. Hurricane season: July to November.