Pelican Key, St. Maarten: The Point Between Simpson Bay and the Lagoon
Timeshare towers, the yacht club and flat water for beginners.
Why Go
Pelican Key is the low headland on the sea side of Simpson Bay, mostly given over to resort and timeshare buildings, with the lagoon immediately behind it. It is walking distance from the Simpson Bay restaurant strip and a couple of minutes from the airport, and its own small beach and protected water make it one of the easier places on the island to learn something on the water. There is not much here that is not accommodation, and that is the honest summary — you stay on Pelican and you eat next door.
The Experience
The point is built up, with mid-rise blocks stepping down toward the sea and a marina complex on the lagoon side. The Sint Maarten Yacht Club sits by the bridge and is one of the more sociable spots on this half of the island, particularly during regatta weeks when the whole sailing world seems to be in the bar. The water off the point is sheltered and shallow enough for pedal boats and kayaks, and there are enough operators along the shore that you can get on the water without booking. It is busy in the way a resort area is busy — full in season, quiet in autumn — and the aircraft on approach pass close enough to be part of the experience rather than a distant noise. The character of the place is set by what surrounds it rather than by what is on it: a restaurant strip one way, a lagoon full of working boats the other, and an airport close enough to walk to. Nobody arrives on St. Maarten wanting to stay on Pelican specifically, and a good number end up glad they did.
What to Try
The Sint Maarten Yacht Club Bar & Restaurant is the one to know: it sits beside the lifting bridge, the boats pass a few metres away, and the crowd is a mix of crews and visitors. Nowhere Special is the informal alternative. On the water, Coconut Beach Watersports handles pedal boats, kayaks and the general beginner end, Boomerang Boat Charters and No1Sxm Sailing run day trips, Adventure Sports Sailing takes the classic yacht Spellbound out, and there is jet-ski rental on the sand. Endless Summer Swimwear covers what you forgot to pack. Beyond that, the Simpson Bay strip and its restaurants start a few minutes' walk east, and Maho and Mullet Bay are five to ten minutes west by car. That short list is the point: this is a place to sleep, swim off a calm beach and walk to dinner, with the island's two liveliest strips at either end of a very short drive and no need to commit to either of them.
Insider Tip
Have a drink at the yacht club when the bridge is due to open. You get the boats going through at eye level from the terrace, which is the best free spectacle on this side of the island, and the bar is one of the few places where visitors and working crews genuinely mix. Check the opening times on arrival — the same schedule that makes the terrace worth sitting on will strand you in traffic if you are driving.
The Practical Stuff
Pelican Key is about five minutes from Princess Juliana airport, immediately adjacent to Simpson Bay and roughly twenty minutes from Philipsburg. The restaurant strip is walkable; almost everything else needs a car or a taxi. Parking within the resort complexes is generally for guests, with limited public parking along the approach roads. Aircraft noise is constant through the day and stops overnight. The beaches here are small and sheltered rather than dramatic — Mullet Bay ten minutes west is the better swim. Hurricane season runs roughly June to November, and the lagoon behind the point is where much of the region's yachting fleet shelters.
Common Questions
Where is Pelican Key?
On the sea side of Simpson Bay on the Dutch side, a low headland between the beach and Simpson Bay Lagoon. It is about five minutes from Princess Juliana airport.
Is Pelican Key a good place to stay?
It is convenient — walking distance to the Simpson Bay restaurants, minutes from the airport, with sheltered water for beginners. It is almost entirely accommodation, so you eat and drink next door.
Is there a beach at Pelican Key?
A small sheltered one, good for calm swimming and watersports rather than for a full beach day. Mullet Bay, ten minutes west, is the better sand.
What is the Sint Maarten Yacht Club?
A bar and restaurant beside the lifting bridge into Simpson Bay Lagoon, open to visitors. Boats pass a few metres from the terrace, and it is busiest during the island's regatta weeks.
Is Pelican Key noisy?
Aircraft on approach to Princess Juliana pass close through the day, and stop overnight. It is quieter than Maho but nobody would describe this corner of the island as peaceful.
Can you walk to Simpson Bay from Pelican Key?
Yes — the restaurant strip starts a few minutes' walk east, which is the main practical argument for staying here. Everything beyond that needs a car or a taxi.
Pair It With
- Sint Maarten Yacht Club Bar & Restaurant Guide — The bridge, the boats and the best free show nearby.
- Coconut Beach Watersports - PedalBoats - Kayaks - Watersports Center Guide — Flat water you can get onto without planning.
- Adventure Sports Sailing / Spellbound Guide — A proper sailing day from the lagoon.
