It's all about the beautiful beach of Great Bay. It felt like we were the only ship in port that…read moreday which made it even more relaxing and enjoyable. The aqua blue water is stunning here. There's even a boardwalk that runs along the beach. Great Bay Beach is on a strip of land between Great Bay and Great Salt Pond. It's super easy to get to by water taxi (only $7 round trip). With that said, it's a very walkable part of Philipsburg full of local flavor. We walked from east to west, from Front Street to Back Street, so that we could learn as much as we could about the culture here during our shore day. The west side has many public art murals as well as a fountain square dedicated to a local legend, Walter "Plantz" Williams. His sculpted bust had been lost at sea during Hurricane Irma, but somehow made it's way back to the beach exactly 4 years later. The east side has shopping, restaurants, and charming passageways. A highlight for me was discovering a very unique sculpture in front of the Courthouse. One that has a mirror shaped like Africa that is placed behind the subject's head to reveal a Sankofa bird. The Caribbean woman in the sculpture represents "Oualichi" or "land of the brave and beautiful women." It's very moving, and especially after reading the interpretation of it on the plaque. So, it ended up not being just about the beach. We did find some gems along the way, and not just the jewelry kind. We had a great lunch on Old Street, and a cold gelato treat on Front Street as we made our way back to the water taxi pick-up point on the boardwalk. It was a hot & beautiful day in Sint Maarten!

Very nice beach, located in the city of Philipsburg, Sint Maarten. The Great Bay Beach is pretty…read morewell developed, with the Eastern portion covered with restaurants and bars that are also renting loungers and umbrellas, most often as a deal with a bucket of bottled beer for under $40 USD. There were plenty of chairs available, so one could get a good location with a bit of exploring. The beach also runs parallel to Front Street, where there are plenty of duty-free shops and attractions. The beach itself has an under-developed portion to the West, where if you brought your own towel or chair, you could hang out at the beach unbothered (pretty empty on this side on a Wednesday afternoon). The water is warm, the sand is fine, and the surf moderate...could easily be an afternoon at the beach if you have the time. I did walk to the end of the beach to the West and there is an abandoned beach hotel on that side (along with a few beach houses on the way, some being renovated)

As a child we used to be able to walk to this beach from my parents house on St. Louis Road. This…read morebeach always brings back fond memories, and the fact that I can continue to come here when I visit is a huge blessing. Today I'm frequenting 978 Beach bar and restaurant owned by a lovely family who are friends of ours. They have a wonderful staff, amazing drinks and scrumptious food on the menu. Service starts at 10 AM when you can order drinks and the kitchen opens at 11:30. While I sip on my espresso martini and wait for the kitchen to open, I gladly take in the calming sounds of the waves and the beautiful scenery the beach and the 978 establishment has to offer. This is a must on the French side of the island!

A calm beach with lots of locals. We were able to enjoy the water with no waves! Lots of boats park…read morenear the shore therefore the views are gorgeous!