Guana Bay, St. Maarten: The Windward Beach You Should Not Swim At
A dramatic empty shore on the Atlantic side, and the trail to the island's eastern point.
Why Go
Guana Bay is on the windward coast east of Philipsburg, a wide sweep of sand facing open ocean with houses on the hillside above and almost nobody on it. It is genuinely beautiful and genuinely dangerous: the surf breaks hard onto a steep beach, the current runs along it, and people have drowned here. Come for the walk, the emptiness and the view along the eastern coast — and do your swimming on the other side of the island.
The Experience
The road in climbs over from the Philipsburg side and drops steeply to the bay, and the change of mood is immediate. This is the Atlantic: wind, noise, spray, and a horizon with nothing in it. The beach is long and usually deserted, backed by scrub and residential lots, with no facilities of any kind. Walking north along the coast takes you toward Geneve Bay and the trailhead for the eastern point, which is the emptiest ground on the Dutch side and the only place on the island where you can stand somewhere genuinely wild within fifteen minutes of a cruise terminal. The hillside above has villas with some of the best views in the country. There is nothing commercial here at all. The contrast with the rest of the Dutch side is the reason to make the drive: fifteen minutes from a cruise terminal handling several thousand people a day, you can stand on a beach with the Atlantic in front of you and see no buildings, no boats and nobody else. That is rarer on this island than any restaurant reservation.
What to Try
Walk. The coastal trail north from the bay toward the Devil's Cupper and the easternmost point of Sint Maarten is the best wild walking on this half of the island, with the sea on one side the whole way and no shade at all. Seagrape Tours runs the guided version and knows the ground, which is worth considering because the paths are unmarked and the terrain is rough. Gibbs Bay further along is the next cove. Beyond the walking there is deliberately nothing here — no bar, no rental, no lifeguard — so bring water, sun protection and shoes with grip, and plan to eat back in Philipsburg or over at Oyster Pond, both about fifteen minutes away. The other thing this coast rewards is simply sitting still for an hour with the noise of the Atlantic in front of you, which sounds like filler and is the actual reason people who live on the island come out here on a Sunday.
Insider Tip
Do not swim here, and take that seriously rather than as a formality. The beach shelves steeply, the shore break is powerful and there is a persistent along-shore current with no lifeguard and no easy access for help — it has a genuine record of drownings, including strong swimmers. Walk it, photograph it, sit on it, and get in the water at Mullet Bay or Dawn Beach instead. Go in the morning: there is no shade anywhere on the trail.
The Practical Stuff
Guana Bay is about fifteen minutes from Philipsburg by a steep road over the ridge, and around thirty from Princess Juliana airport. You need a car; the access road is narrow and steep, there is no public transport, and the last stretch is not somewhere to be on foot in the heat. Parking is informal at the end of the road. There are no facilities whatsoever — no bar, no bathroom, no shade, no lifeguard — so arrive self-sufficient. The beach is public, as all Sint Maarten beaches are. This coast is windward year-round, so wind and swell are the normal condition. Hurricane season runs roughly June to November and this shore takes the weather first.
Common Questions
Can you swim at Guana Bay?
You should not. The beach shelves steeply, the shore break is powerful, there is a persistent current and no lifeguard, and it has a genuine record of drownings including strong swimmers.
Is Guana Bay worth visiting?
For the walk, the emptiness and the wild Atlantic coast, yes. It is one of the few genuinely undeveloped places on the Dutch side and it is fifteen minutes from Philipsburg.
How do you get to Guana Bay?
By car over a steep ridge road from the Philipsburg side, about fifteen minutes. There is no public transport and the final stretch is narrow and steep.
What is the walk at Guana Bay?
The coastal trail north toward the Devil's Cupper and the easternmost point of the island. It is unmarked, rough underfoot and completely without shade, so go early and take water.
Are there facilities at Guana Bay?
None at all — no bar, no bathroom, no shade and no lifeguard. Arrive with everything you need and plan to eat in Philipsburg or at Oyster Pond afterwards.
Where should you swim instead?
Mullet Bay on the sheltered Dutch side, or Dawn Beach a little further up this coast, which has a reef and calmer mornings. Both are safer choices than the open surf here.
Pair It With
- Guana Bay - Devil’s Cupper trailhead Guide — The best wild walking on this half of the island.
- Seagrape Tours Guide — A guide, on ground with no signposts.
- Gibbs Bay Guide — The next empty cove along the coast.
