Island hop to St Martin from Antigua
- Jude
- Jun 5
- 4 min read
Updated: Jun 6
The Caribbean is an idyllic part of the world to visit contrasting islands and 'island hop' with flights from Antigua taking as little as 15 minutes. Whilst there are many similarities between the islands, each is quite unique in terms of its history, culture, national dishes, flora and fauna.
Antigua is renowned for its 365 beaches, world class annual sailing regatta, historic Georgian naval dockyard and sweet Antiguan black pineapple. St Martin is the smallest island in the world to be shared by 2 nations, French and Dutch, The southern third of the island is Dutch, with vibrant nightlife and duty free shopping in Philipsburg. The northern, French part of the island, is less busy and more suited to beach and nature lovers.
How to get to St Martin from Antigua
Direct flights from Antigua to St Martin take approximately 40 minutes with Liat, Sunrise Airways and Winair. Languages spoken on the island are Dutch, French and English with driving on the right hand side of the road as with France and the Netherlands in Europe.
St Martin's history
After discovering the Great Salt Pond in the 17th Century, St Martin's primary industry was salt production. After the salt was produced it was exported to America and Europe. This practice steadily declined and ceased totally on the Dutch side in 1949 and in the 1960s on the French side.
Why visit St Martin?
Today St Martin is a popular island to visit, appealing to those who enjoy water sports, beaches, duty free shopping and lively nightlife, including hookah bars and casinos. Sint Maarten, the Dutch half, is busier, more populated with sprawling hotels, high rise buildings, bustling traffic with wide roads and beautiful beaches. The French side is generally quieter with more secluded beaches. In total there are 37 glorious beaches hugging the entire coastline including Maho beach, the instagrammable white sand beach beside the runway of Princess Juliana International Airport. Visitors flock here to experience a thrilling jet blast. Tortuga Maho, the beachside restaurant, displays a board with the daily flight schedule.
Food on the island
The national dish in St Martin is conch and dumplings. Food is generally of a high standard on the island. Restaurants are diverse but many serve all time favourites such as burgers, chicken and ribs. You can also expect to see McDonald's, Burger King and Domino's pizza.
Skipjack's became a highlight for me - a must for seafood lovers! They serve fresh fish, live lobster (pick your own from the tank) and 'crab backs' with a baked cheese topping, another favoured local dish on the island.
Where to stay
Simpson Bay Resort is a large, beachfront hotel resort with 272 spacious suites and 83, two bed villas. Enter into an expansive lobby with reception desk, jewellery store, Britt's coffee shop and a tours desk. Lifts are provided for rooms on the upper floors where the sea views are phenomenal.
Suites
Suites are spacious and elegantly furnished with 2 double beds, TV, desk and kitchenette. The bathroom comprises a bath tub with overhead shower, WC and a separate dressing area with his 'n' hers basins. Externally is a furnished terrace ideal for a breakfast or a sundowner.
Restaurants
Simpson Bay Resort has multiple restaurants - Mexican, a steak house, sport's bar and a beach bar. A complimentary shuttle takes you to Juliette's Bistro in a few minutes if required and returns you at a time of your choosing. They also offer pizza pick up and delivery from here. The beach bar is a great place to hang out - lively, with lots of guests stopping by for a drink before heading out for the evening. Happy hour is daily from 3-5:30pm. It's a lovely spot to sit at the bar or one of the benches in the sand and watch the sunset with a cooling breeze. Dining is casual here offering burgers, quesadillas, sandwiches and hotdogs.
Daily events
Daily events take place such as live sax music on a Saturday night at Juliette's Bistro and karaoke on the beach on Sunday afternoons.
Entertainment program
A full entertainment program is available during the day including ...
Stretch classes
Water aerobics
Yoga
Morning walks
T-shirt painting
Music trivia
Dance classes
Bingo
Balloon toss
Excursions
A full itinerary of tours and excursions are available via onsite Aquamania. These are chargeable but very well run and definitely worth signing up to. They include ...
Sunset sails
Scuba diving
Paddle board hire
Snorkel at the Underwater Sculpture Park
Coastal cruise
Day trip to Prickly Pear and Anguilla
Free shopping shuttle to Phillipsburg
Dinner cruise with buffet dinner and open bar
Trip to St Barths
Simpson Bay Resort is a wonderful choice of accommodation for your vacation offering comfort, great dining options both on and off resort and self-catering facilities for simple meal preparation within your suite. The pale sand beach and large pool area are great places to relax with a book and a refreshing drink from the bar whilst those who are more active can choose from many of the daily activities. Excursions are diverse and I can highly recommend the day trip to Anguilla and Sunset Sail for those who enjoy spending some time on the water.
Note: This post was written based on a trip dated 1st December 2024
