Today I was supposed to take a ferry from here to the nearby island of Anguilla. Anguilla, a British overseas territory about 20 minutes by boat from Marigot on the French side of Saint-Martin, is known for having some of the best, most pristine beaches in the Caribbean. But with the forecast calling for on and off thunderstorms today, the time and expense of the day trip didn’t seem worth the risk of just staring at a beautiful beach from inside a restaurant somewhere while it poured. So I stayed here on St. Martin. And you know what? It was just as perfect.

This island is best known for its unique status as the world’s smallest divided territory, split between the Dutch Sint Maarten and the French Saint-Martin. (Click here to read about the fascinating dynamics of coexistence on the island.) But after having been here for nearly a week, and having spent plenty of time with my toes in the warm waters of the Caribbean and the soft sands around it, I can tell you with certainty that despite not having made it to Anguilla, the beaches here rival that island’s.

But here is the kicker: THIS island has a larger population than Anguilla, it is easier to reach, and once here, your beach experience comes with a pretty awesome side of culture – and some of the best seafood in existence.

(Note: I am not casting shade at Anguilla, and I legitimately hope to make it there one day, both for its beauty and for the Caribbean island hopping experience. But while my “gray area” country count did not grow by one more in doing so on this trip, my beach experiences here on St. Martin lived up to every Caribbean fantasy I could possibly have.)

So today, let’s take a bit of a trip around this island, visiting both the Dutch and French sides, exploring some beaches you might choose to visit, the incredible seafood you can expect to eat, and the island culture you’ll discover in doing so.

We begin in Philipsburg, the capital of the Dutch side, Sint Maarten. I’m based here for much of my stay on the island, at the spectacular Seaview Beach Hotel, the first “real” hotel in town, dating from the early days of tourism on the island in the 1960s. (The only lodging older is the Pasanggrahan Royal Guest House from 1905.) You might not expect a beautiful beach here in the capital, just a few minutes’ walk from the Caribbean’s second busiest cruise port. You’d be wrong.

Just across the beachfront promenade from my hotel’s pool and bar is soft sand fronting warm and calm turquoise waters, with the island of Saba on the horizon. Hotels offer beach chairs and umbrellas to guests, and rent them reasonably to day-trippers, and drinks are never more than a few steps away. (And yes, I’m partial to Seaview, where Sam and Bernard will rent you chairs and bring you cocktails. Tell them I say hi.)

But Philipsburg isn’t your “typical” Caribbean beach. (Technically the beach is called Great Bay, but you’ll forgive my taking that liberty.) Yes, there are the normal Caribbean-vibe bars, souvenir shops, and boutiques for jewelry and clothing. But there is real culture here.

Next door to my hotel is Dutch Blonde, a combination bar (try the naughty blonde cocktail) and Dutch pancake house. (For a cuisine not known as one of the best, Dutch pancakes, thicker than a crepe but thinner than a traditional American fluffy pancake, are the standout. Get them sweet or savory; I opted for apple, bacon, and cheddar. Delightful.) If that isn’t already different enough, the place also has guided tastings of French wines with Dutch cheeses, and a soon to open (maybe totally open by the time you read this) speakeasy behind a bookshelf. Yeah, that’s different, and speaks to the history and culture that make this island unique.

Each beach area I visited on St. Martin – on both sides of the island – has a slightly different vibe. About fifteen minutes’ drive from Philipsburg is Simpson Bay and its Kim Sha Beach. A wide stretch of sand, this beach features one of my favorite sunsets on the island.

If you happen to be here on a Tuesday, you are in for an even more special treat. Sint Maarten and Saint-Martin are known for their lobster, and The Greenhouse has a lobster special (a 6 oz lobster tail is about $25 with sides) and outdoor tables facing the beach and the sunset. (The entire menu is good, so don’t skip it just because it isn’t Tuesday. Try the Bang Bang shrimp.)

Lobster is all over the island. These are spiny lobsters, not the Maine variety, and are a bit meatier, in my opinion. Most nice seafood restaurants have lobster at market price on their menus (for full ones that run a couple pounds or larger), but at Astra on Simpson Bay’s main road, you can get cold lobster in crepes! Or try grouper stuffed with prawns, whole fried snapper (also market price), or any number of other seafood delights.

St. Martin’s seafood is exquisite, with a fishing industry that serves only to provide food to the island rather than to export. What that means is that it is done sustainably and safely, and everything you eat will have been swimming mere hours before.

Of course, not everybody likes seafood. Good thing the food of Sint Maarten/Saint-Martin is as diverse as the people and the beaches! Whether you are in the mood for Creole food, Indonesian staples, or a hybrid, this island has it all. My best recommendation is always to eat at street stalls where locals seem to congregate, and Cindy’s Roti on the side of Philipsburg away from the beach (a five minute walk so don’t be worried about distances) provided what was probably my favorite bite on the island, a curry shrimp roti that would stand proudly alongside anything I’ve had around the world.

But let’s get back to the beaches, turning our attention now to the French side of Saint-Martin, where Grand Case provides a little glimpse of France here in the Caribbean. I spend a day at the Grand Case Beach Club, a stunning property with soft sand on two sides and a restaurant with sunsets to die for.

But again, this isn’t just an ordinary beach with ordinary culture. Here on the French side, you can have steak frites, beef tartare, escargots, and other French classics… while on the beach! It is a reminder that here on St. Martin, the beaches all come with a surprising side of that unique blend of a tiny island melting pot.

If you want the extensive white sand beach experience, Orient Beach on the French side is one of the safest bets, although when I was there a recent storm had brought large amounts of seaweed ashore. This is probably the most stereotypical Caribbean beach experience I had on the island, a bar serving fresh seafood and strong rum cocktails fronting incredible turquoise waters of the Atlantic side of this paradise.

The open ocean also means a bit more surf here, with waves breaking a few feet high as opposed to elsewhere.

So no, I didn’t make it to Anguilla, and no, my island hopping adventure didn’t go as planned. But really, I didn’t miss it. This island, home to its two sides of Sint Maarten and Saint-Martin, has beaches that can rival any place I’ve been, but with food and culture that bely that natural beauty.

Whether you have a day, a week, or a month here on St. Martin, you will not lack for a dream-worthy beach.

Some thank yous here. First off, thank you to John Leone and Seaview for hosting my stay, which was incredible! Thank you to Dutch Blonde for comping my meal over my objections. And of course, thank you to Visit St. Maarten/St. Martin for arranging my wonderful trip to your island.

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