Saint Martin and Sint Maarten - The places of your holidays on a sailing yacht and catamaran

The island of Saint Martin, or Sint Maarten in Dutch, is situated around 240 km away from Puerto Rico. It’s part of the Lesser Antilles and it’s divided into two nations. The southern part, better known as Sint Maarten,  is one of the constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, while the northern part forms an overseas collectivity of the French Republic. Its main cities are Phillipsburg on the Dutch side and Marigot on the French side. 

The highest mountain is Pic Paradis, with its 424 meters, while no rivers can be found on the island. Average temperature is  27°C and tropical downpours are frequent in the summer and at the beginning of fall. The island boasts 37 beaches, all easy to reach except Pinel Island, an islet that can be reached by boat. The beaches, depending on their locations, can be divided into three groups: the ocean beaches, with their golden sand, the northern beaches, where the sea is calm almost all the time, and the beaches of Basses Terres, typical Caribbean white-sand beaches with flat sea. 

Whereas the Dutch part of the island is mainly known for its nightlife, beautiful beaches and rum-based cocktails, the French part is famous for nude beaches, markets and French and Creole cuisine. On the island tourism is thriving: there are in fact many resorts,  luxury hotels and villas, many of which are available for sale and rental.