Simpson Bay, St. Maarten: The Strip on the Lagoon
Restaurants, marinas and a drawbridge that stops the traffic twice a day.
Why Go
Simpson Bay is the Dutch side's most practical base: a long strip of restaurants and bars between the sea and the lagoon, marinas full of large boats, a beach at either end and the airport five minutes away. It is not pretty in the way Grand Case is pretty, and it does not have Maho's spectacle, but it has more places to eat within walking distance than anywhere else on the island and it is central to everything. The drawbridge across the lagoon mouth opens on a published schedule and stops the traffic dead, which visitors find charming exactly once.
The Experience
The strip runs along the road with the sea on one side and Simpson Bay Lagoon on the other, and it is the working heart of the island's yachting business — chandlers, brokers, crew, and boats in the marinas big enough to block the view. Restaurants and bars line the road, casinos among them, and it stays busy well into the evening without reaching Maho's volume. The beaches here are small and local rather than spectacular: Kim Sha Beach in the middle, Simpson Bay Beach along the front, and quieter sand at either end. Aircraft come over on approach, which is part of living here. It is a mixed district — residents, boat crews and visitors together — which gives it more texture than a resort strip and less polish. That mix is worth choosing deliberately: you are staying in a piece of the island that would exist whether or not you turned up, which is not true of every beach on St. Maarten.
What to Try
Eat along the strip: Skip Jack's is the seafood on the lagoon and the long-standing name here, Sale & Pepe Marina puts you beside the boats, Amore and Bombay Bites cover the Italian and Indian ends and Balls & Wine is the informal evening. Buccaneer Beach Bar at Kim Sha is the sunset drink with your feet in the sand, and Cabana Bar and Grill at Royal Palm Beach Resort is the daytime version. Astra is the supermarket that most self-catering visitors end up using. The real activity here is the water — the marinas are where charters, dive boats and day trips leave from, and the lagoon is one of the largest in the Caribbean and the reason so much of the region's yachting business sits on this stretch of road. Time a walk to the bridge opening once, then plan around it thereafter.
Insider Tip
Learn the bridge times on your first day. The drawbridge across the lagoon mouth opens on a published schedule for boats and closes the only road, and being caught on the wrong side of it with a flight to catch is the classic Simpson Bay mistake. Otherwise: the sunset at Kim Sha is the free one, and the restaurants a block back from the water charge noticeably less than those on it for the same kitchen quality.
The Practical Stuff
Simpson Bay is about five minutes from Princess Juliana airport, ten from Cole Bay and twenty from Philipsburg, which makes it the most central base on the Dutch side. The strip is walkable end to end, and that walkability plus the choice of restaurants is the main reason to choose it; you will still want a car or taxis for the French side and the eastern beaches. Parking is along the road and in the restaurant lots and is manageable except at peak evening hours. Aircraft noise is constant during the day and stops overnight. Shops and restaurants keep long hours here compared with Philipsburg. Hurricane season runs roughly June to November, and the lagoon is where a large share of the region's yachts shelter, which is worth knowing if you are here in autumn.
Common Questions
Is Simpson Bay a good base in St. Maarten?
It is the most practical one — the widest choice of restaurants within walking distance, the marinas, and five minutes from the airport. Grand Case is better for food quality and calm, Maho for nightlife, Dawn Beach for a proper beach.
What is the Simpson Bay bridge schedule?
The drawbridge across the lagoon mouth opens several times a day on a published timetable and closes the only road while it does. Check the current times locally on your first day and plan airport runs around them.
Is there a beach at Simpson Bay?
Yes, though a modest one — Simpson Bay Beach along the front and Kim Sha in the middle of the strip. They are local beaches rather than destinations; Mullet Bay five minutes west is the better swim.
How far is Simpson Bay from the airport?
About five minutes, which is its main practical advantage. Philipsburg is twenty minutes east and the French side twenty to thirty minutes north.
Is Simpson Bay noisy?
During the day, yes — it is under the approach path and aircraft noise is constant. Flights stop overnight, and the strip's bars carry the evening without reaching Maho's volume.
Where do the boat trips leave from in St. Maarten?
Largely from the Simpson Bay marinas and the lagoon, which is among the largest in the Caribbean and the base for most of the island's charter, dive and day-trip operations.
Pair It With
- Skip Jack's Guide — The lagoon-side seafood the strip is known for.
- Buccaneer Beach Bar Guide — The sunset, at no cost beyond a drink.
- Sale & Pepe Marina — Dinner among the boats.
