Top 5 Beaches in St Maarten-St Martin
Five swim-first beaches across both sides of St Maarten–St Martin, from Mullet Bay's soft Dutch-side sand to Pinel's ferry-hop islet and hike-in Happy Bay.
Nearly forty named beaches ring this half-Dutch, half-French island, but they are not interchangeable for swimming. The Dutch south and west hold the busy strands — Simpson Bay, Kim Sha, Great Bay along Philipsburg's promenade, Mullet Bay by the old golf course — while the French side runs from the Terres Basses coves (Long Bay, Plum Bay, Baie Rouge) past Marigot up to Grand Case and the Nature Reserve waters of the east coast, where Pinel and Tintamarre sit offshore.
The real choice is water, not scenery. West- and northwest-facing bays are leeward and generally calm; the Atlantic east coast is surf and current territory — Galion is the sheltered family exception, while Guana Bay is for watching, not wading. Every beach on both sides is free to enter; you pay only for loungers at the French beach clubs, and nothing needs reserving.
Swim in the morning, when the wind is lightest. Winter ground swells can stir north-facing bays like Grand Case for a day or two, and a few beaches — Happy Bay, Petites Cayes — are reached only on foot. Pinel runs on small daytime boats from Cul-de-Sac; the last one back leaves before sunset, so check the return time when you board.
The five below deliberately spread the island: one Dutch-side classic, a village bay, a reserve islet, a Terres Basses cove and one you have to walk to.
1. Mullet Bay
Soft, fine sand beside the old golf course on the Dutch side, with a gentle turquoise shore break that stays swimmable most days — and the beach locals themselves fill on weekends.
2. Grand Case
A long, calm bay fronting a working fishing village turned gourmet strip: swim in flat morning water, then walk straight off the sand to lolos grilling ribs a few steps away.
3. Pinel Beach
A five-minute boat hop from Cul-de-Sac lands you on a car-free islet inside the Nature Reserve, where the shallow, glass-calm landing beach is the island's most reassuring swim for kids and nervous swimmers.
4. Baie rouge
Faintly red-tinted sand and an undeveloped Terres Basses setting make it feel wilder than the resort beaches; on flat days, swim to the rock arch at the eastern end.
5. Happy Bay
Reached only by a ten-minute hillside walk from Friar's Bay, so the crowds self-select out — you arrive at palm-shaded sand, calm water and often just a handful of other swimmers.
