Where over the world, say where,
You find an island there
So lovely small with nations free
With people French and Dutch
Though talking English much,
As thee Saint Martin in the sea ?
O sweet Saint Martin’s Land
So bright by beach and strand
With sailors on the sea and harbors free
Where the chains of mountains green
Variously in sunlight sheen
Oh I love thy Paradise,
Nature beauty fairly nice.
Oh I love thy Paradise,
Nature beauty fairly nice.
How pretty between all green
Flamboyants beaming gleam
Photo credit: April Jaye
Of flowers red by sunlight set
Thy cows and sheep and goats
In meadows or on the roads
Thy donkeys keen I can’t forget
O sweet Saint Martin’s Land
So bright by beach and strand
With sailors on the sea and harbors free
Where the chains of mountains green
Variously in sunlight sheen
Oh I love thy Paradise,
Nature beauty fairly nice.
Oh I love thy Paradise,
Nature beauty fairly nice.
Saint Martin I like thy name
In which Columbus fame
And memories of old are closed
For me a great delight
Thy Southern Cross the night
May God the Lord protect thy coast!
O sweet Saint Martin’s Land
So bright by beach and strand
With sailors on the sea and harbors free
Where the chains of mountains green
Variously in sunlight sheen
Oh I love thy Paradise,
Nature beauty fairly nice.
Oh I love thy Paradise,
Nature beauty fairly nice.
In 1958, “O Sweet Saint Martin’s Land” was composed by Father Kemps to celebrate the island of Saint Martin. Today, it is the anthem of both sides of the island. The song reflects the natural captivating beauty of the island and the spirit that lives on in the hearts of its inhabits through the years.Join us as we celebrate Saint Martin’s Day on November 11! To hear the song, click here.
It’s a mystery to me that Le Galion Bay Beach, Saint Martin isn’t more popular. It really has everything you could ask for in a beach, minus the gigantic hotels and resorts that have commercialized so many of Saint Martin’s other nice beaches. Come with me and my friends to learn why Le Galion Beach should be your favorite!
1. It’s family friendly. Yesterday, I took four boys of varying ages to Le Galion Beach. We met up with several of our friends (some intentional meetings, others a happy happenstance), and everyone was happy and had a great time. I wasn’t the least bit concerned to watch a four-year-old in the water– it’s so shallow for so far that you can’t possibly get in over your head very fast. There’s a lot of clean, white sand that is perfect for building sand castles, too.
2. There’s no better place for water sports on the entire island. “But, wait,” you island veterans cry, “What about Orient Bay?” Well, maybe, if you want to spend a bajillion dollars for rentals. Orient Bay, just down the road from Le Galion, has dozens of vendors, while Galion only has two. However, Galion’s are far cheaper. Tropical Wave offers a larger variety of rentals (including beach chairs and umbrellas for those whose favorite water sport is napping on the beach), but SXM Surf Club (AKA Windy Reef) has better options for surfers and also offers a boat ride to the waves. Both are good options, it just depends what you want to do.
There are a lot of good options at Le Galion, including a swimming pool right in the ocean and a dive platform. We usually opt for surfing. The waves break pretty far from shore, which is nice because that means the beach is always calm. The paddle out to the waves is about 20 minutes, but you can catch the boat from SXM Surf Club that leaves twice a day. It’s only $5 per person, and board rentals aren’t too much, either. I think you can rent a board for the afternoon for about $10. Correct me if I’m wrong. We always take our own boards.
You can also rent a stand-up paddleboard from Tropical Wave. A few months ago at Orient, I paid about $20 for a half hour. That’s a little on the expensive side even for Orient, but contrast that with the $20 I paid to rent two paddleboards for an hour at Le Galion. The older kids and teens got their fill of paddling around the bay. Again, I wasn’t worried about them because the water is so shallow. Even if they were prone to panic in deep water, they would be fine at Le Galion.
Kite surfing and windsurfing are both available, too. I believe the windsurfing is available from SXM Surf Club. I can’t remember the name of the man who runs the kite surfing, but I do know his wife has a little art gallery on Old Street in Philipsburg. I doubt that is helpful to you, but if you’re desperate to try it, you can go grab a business card from the gallery and give him a call. It’s probably cheaper than the cost of doing it through Viator, but I’ll include a like here in case you would rather go to a website to book than wander through downtown.
There’s also a thing called canoe surfing that you can do at Le Galion. I’m not sure if you can just show up and do it, or if you have to book ahead on Viator. Obviously, I haven’t done it yet, but it looks like fun!
Like I said, I just rented a couple of paddle boards. I managed to entertain seven people with them. Paddleboarding is probably my favorite thing to do on the water. The kids like it, too! These two little ones thought it was a pirate ship.
Ray and the Kings had a great time paddling around the bay. They took turns with the boards and a couple of snorkel masks that I brought along. Stashing a few snorkel masks is always a good idea in Saint Martin, especially with older kids and teens!
3. Cool Wildlife. When I asked Big King if he saw anything interesting while snorkeling, he replied, “girls.” Of course girls are more interesting than fish to a 14-year-year-old boy, but fortunately the kids saw some pretty cool animals, too. They even saw a sting ray! The bay is carpeted by both sand and sea grass, so there are plenty of underwater animals to observe. The birds and land animals are cool, too. Head down the beach away from all the people, and you’ll find an untamed stretch of sand and bush that is home to many species of birds, lizards, and anything else you can imagine.
4. The People. I’m not just saying this because I went to Le Galion with a bunch of people I like and ran into a bunch of other people I like. The social atmosphere of Le Galion Beach is pretty chill and friendly. It tends to be filled with local families rather than tourists or expats, so you get a whole different vibe that is pretty nice. The kids in our group made friends with kid from other groups, which was lots of fun for them. Also people generally have more clothes on here than they do at other beaches on the French side– always a plus.
So there you have it. That’s why Le Galion should be your favorite Saint Martin beach. If this article doesn’t convince you, surely a trip to the beach can! If you want to go with me, I’m always up for chilling at Le Galion. Just make sure we bring a few kids along to make it that much more fun.
When Central Park was conceived in 1858, it was designed to be filled with all sorts of interesting amusements for everyone. This spirit lives on in the Central Park Zoo, a small animal park filled with creatures you’d never expect to find in New York City.
During my trip to New York City last summer with my family, my parents and I had a single day left in the big city once my sister left town. We could pick one thing to do in the afternoon, so after careful thought, we chose the Central Park Zoo!
We actually got there only an hour before closing time, but we thought it was still a good idea to look around. The tickets were $12 each, which was totally worth it for the hour.
The first thing we saw was this seal. I’m going to wear my emotions on my sleeve here for a bit and tell you that I’m really really sad about how this picture turned out. I had the camera on the wrong setting and forgot to change it back to auto. If it was on the right setting, you would have seen the seal on the rock and the NYC skyline behind him. I tried and waited for another chance at the shot, but the seal got all excited about being watched and decided to swim all over the place instead. As a brief caveat, if any of my readers know how to fix this photo, I would be eternally grateful.
This bear was the star of the zoo. He was an old, mellow bear, and he came right up the the window where all these little kids were pressing their little faces against the glass. One little boy had his hands on the window. The bear lifted his big paw and placed it directly on the little palm on the other side of the glass. It was the most precious moment.
At the center of the Central Park Zoo is a pond surrounding an island. The island is home to snow monkeys, which were cute but less than polite.
The Tropic Zone is the best part of the Central Park Zoo. It’s like a huge tropical enclosed aviary! There are even two floors to it, and an aquarium. It feels so real, like you actually stepped into a jungle or a rain forest. I think that if I lived in New York City, i’d visit the zoo all the time in the winter just so I could get warm and balmy here.
It also has a lot of cool animals, like a iridescent blue poison dart frog and this ring-tailed lemur.
Our hour at the zoo ended much too soon. It’s a pretty small zoo, but we could have entertained ourselves there for hours. If you’re in New York City, be sure to check it out! It’s a nice, inexpensive NYC experience for the whole family.
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P.S. Did you see that I added Pinterest buttons to my photos? Be sure to pin a couple of your favorite images before you head out!
Away from the hustle and bustle of New York City life is a serene world of natural beauty. It came as a bit of a surprise to me that New York State could offer such a wonderful wilderness. As a West-Coast girl, I tend to think of New York as one giant metropolis. Not anymore! While I was in Springfield Center with my family, I discovered the wild side of New York.
The day of Ben’s brother’s wedding, I went with my sisters- and brothers-in-law to Robert B. Woodruff Learning Center, a waterfall hike near the farm where we stayed. The kids needed to get their wiggles out before the ceremony, and some of us still hadn’t seen the falls yet.
This day also happened to be Uncle Don’s birthday, so it was fun to get to all do something together with him.
Beside the falls are a series of natural caves. The kids were excited to go spelunking through them! They are deep enough to be interesting, but not deep enough to be dangerous, so they were able to run free through the natural playground. Micah discovered a hole that went from the bottom of the caves to the top, so of course everyone climbed through that several times. It reminded me of the secret entrance to the subterranean house in Peter Pan.
Once everyone had their fill of caves, we headed down to the falls. Okay, let’s be real—no kid ever has their fill of caves. But once we convinced everyone to clamber down the wooden staircase to the water, they forgot all about the caves and began to dare each other to swim from the shore to the falls in the freezing cold water.
A little further downstream, past the main falls, there is another wide fall that is covered in moss. The green carpet makes the falls comfortable and easy to walk on, so you don’t have to worry about slipping down them. We could safely walk right down through the bubbling stream of water to the pools below. The pools would be great for swimming, but none of us adults were willing to jump in the water like the kids were, although a couple did walk under the main falls.
The kids wandered around and found interesting things to catch their attention. Zach found some insect larva in one of the pools. Micah walked around with a great big Gandalf walking stick until he discovered fishing line and a hook. Carl and Linden learned to skip rocks with their dad, and Layla rolled up a great big green, fuzzy “allergy ball” from the algae on the rocks.
It was time to go all too soon! We said goodbye to the caves and the falls and walked back up the path, through the school, past the garden, and to the car. Who knew New York could have such beautiful nature?
The Caribbean is filled with with beautiful butterflies of all sizes and colors. In the fall, you can see clouds of them swirling around the hills and valley of the tropical isles. In the summer, they’re less common int he wild, but you can still visit the Butterfly Farm to see nature’s winged beauties in action.
The Butterfly Farm has locations in both Aruba and Saint Martin. In Saint Martin, it is on the French side of the Island near Galion Bay Beach. In my ten months of living on the island, I had passed in many times on my way to surf, but never had a chance to stop. My friend Stacey and I had both wanted to visit for a long, time, so we decided to take a couple of the kids we know and make an afternoon of it.
Visiting the farm is actually pretty inexpensive compared to farms in the states. We also got the local’s discount: $10 for adults and $5 for kids. Viator has a deal for tourists: $56 for a trip to the farm, a tour, and then three hours at Orient Bay, Saint Martin’s most poplar beach, with all transportation included.
When we got there, we were welcomed with a friendly greeting from the staff and led into the butterfly enclosure.
The best part of the whole experience was seeing the kids’ face when we walked in! Giant blue butterflies floated past our noses, and we couldn’t help but stop and stare at all the life that filled the air around us. Later, our guide told us that the afternoon is a quiet time in the enclosure, so I can only image how incredible it must be in the morning.
We walked around for a while before our tour started. There was a lot to see. Most of the butterflies were as big as our faces!
We joined a tour of the facility. The tours are offered in both English and French. The kids would have been fine with either, but we Americans were happy to take the tour in English. Our guide was wonderful. She made it interesting for both the kids and the adults and was happy to answer all our questions.
The tour took us through the entire enclosure and gave s a complete overview of the entire life cycle. I thought I knew everything about butterflies, but I still learned a few things!
First, we learned about butterfly eggs. When a female butterfly is ready to lay eggs, she finds a host plant to leave them on. Only certain plants, like milkweed, can be a host plant. The host plant has to be edible for the caterpillar and should be poisonous to give the caterpillar a slight toxicity.
This huge caterpillar reminded me of the one from Bug’s Life. It becomes an owl butterfly. It wraps itself in a leaf cocoon and creates a chrysalis inside. It stays like that for a long time, and then becomes a butterfly with a lifespan of only five days.
We loved the chrysalis cabinets. Our guide told us that “chrysalis” is derived from the Greek word “gold.” Most chrysalises have at least a little gold to warn away predators. My favorite one was entirely gold! Our guide said that the butterflies hatch during the night and sometimes up to 75 butterflies will fly out in the morning.
Once the butterfly breaks free of its chrysalis, it spends its time drinking nectar from its straw-like proboscis, mating, and laying eggs.
At the end of the tour, our guide let us put fermented orange juice on our hands to attract the butterflies. We were able to let them land on us, which was just magical!
The little one carried around this butterfly for about half an hour. It didn’t want to leave her! I told her it was because she’s so sweet.
The rarest butterfly in the farm is this white one. Mister G said that it was his favorite of all.
The kids were great at spotting camouflaged butterflies and caterpillars. The little one found some green caterpillars way up in the trees, and she kept peeking under leaves to discover patches of eggs.
The end of our time came too soon! We couldn’t believe it was already closing time.
Just before we walked out, one last butterfly landed on Mister G’s hand for a brief moment… a quick goodbye butterfly kiss.
Some of my favorite family memories are the vacations we took when I was in my teens. Make awesome memories with your Teens on Saint Martin when you visit these awesome teen-friendly places! For what to do with kids, visit this page.
Fort Louis
Fort Louis and Fort Amsterdam are two of the island’s oldest structures. Fort Louis was commissioned by the last King of France centuries ago, and still remains one of the French side’s most prominent symbols. Fort Amsterdam stands on a cliff above Philipsburg. It has been used for multiple purposes over the decades and currently serves as a wildlife sanctuary for nesting pelicans.
How to get there: Fort Louis is located in Marigot. You can’t miss it. Park in town and walk up, or take the back road to park near the top of the hill. For Amsterdam is just southwest of Philipsburg. Approach Divi Little Bay Resort from Philipsburg (or use the Sonesta to make a u-turn if coming from Cole Bay) and make a left into Divi’s road. Park before the gate and let the guards know where you’re going. Walk to the far end of the resort until you hit the fort.
Wildlife Watching can be done from any area of the island. See the pelicans diving in the bay, feed the iguanas on Pinel Island, or take a swim to see the fish. Be amazed by both natural and invasive species! You may be surprised what you see. Of course, a wildlife guide is indispensable in this activity. The only Saint Martin wildlife guide was written by Mark Yokoyama, a local nature expert. You can get it here:
How to get there: Go outside!
Cost: Free!
Cul De Sac Hike. This trek is virtually free of human distractions. You can go up through the hills or wrap around the mountain to find stunning views of Anguilla from a rocky coral skeleton beach. Great snorkeling is here, as well.
How to get there: On the northernmost part of the island, take the turnoff to Pinel, go past the school, stay on the road beside the school, and drive until you hit the dump.
Cost: Free!
Tiki Hut is a huge favorite with both locals and tourists. Enjoy a ferry ride through Great Bay, eat good food, and dive into an underwater world. The sunken helicopter is particularly awesome.
How to get there: Go to the cruise terminal in Philipsburg.
Cost: Varies. Contact them for prices.
Guana Bay Hike is another free activity that you don’t want to miss. This hike takes you through the desert side of the island from an abandoned mansion to hidden tide pools.
How to get there: Drive to Guana Bay, but walk to the south of the mountain on the south side of the beach. You’ll see an empty white house and some gardens in a ditch. Take the trail to down and to the right.
Cost: Free!
Snorkling in Cul De Sac is hands-down the best snorkeling in Saint Martin. Suit up in your mask and fins and get ready to see an underwater wonderland! We saw a turtles, rays, lobsters, and thousands of fish. The living coral reef is no less impressive! If you’re up for the swim (and not scared of the drop-off), you can swim to Pinel Island.
How to get there: On the northernmost part of the island, take the turnoff to Pinel, go past the school, stay on the road beside the school, and drive until you find the campground, just past the donkeys.
Cost: Free, or cost of snorkel equipment. Tours also available, like the one linked below.
Pinel Island is a must-do activity for beach lovers. Take the short ferry, paddle board, or kayak over. You’ll be greeted by a pristine beach with dining and even an ice cream boat– but don’t just stay in the sand. The island features an informative nature hike, great snorkeling, three sandy beaches, and hungry iguanas who may just climb right into your bag to find food.
How to get there: Go to the northernmost part of the island and take the round-a-bout toward Pinel. Follow the directions until you find the parking lot.
Cost: $12-$15 for the ferry and up to $40 for a two-person kayak.
Sonesta Resort is an all-inclusive relaxation zone. Adults can enjoy limitless alcohol and teens can sip on virgin pina coladas while relaxing on the beach or at the pool.
How to get there: Located in Maho
Cost: $90 for an adult day pass. About $200/night for a room.
Photo Credit Bianca P
Riu Resort is a blast. This all-inclusive resort is located in Anse Marcel, one of the prettiest bays on the island. Relax by the water, swim in the pool, take a water aerobics class, dance, play volleyball, or sample all the yummy virgin and alcoholic drinks at the pool bar. My personal favorite? The stand-up paddle board in the bay!
How to get there: Take the turnoff to Pinel on the northern side of the island, but turn left at the school and go up into the mountains. It’s quite a drive, so you may want to call for directions first.
Cost: $275+
Stand-Up Paddleboard. You can try this peaceful sport on Galion Beach, Orient Bay, or Anse Marcel. Skim above the water and keep an eye out for sea turtles below you.
How to get there: Orient Bay is on the northwest side of the island; you can’t miss it. Galion is a but further south. Anse Marcel is north of Orient.
Cost: Most places charge $10-$20 per hour for rental. Lessons are around $50 and include rental.
How to get there: Go to Galion Beach or Orient Bay (see directions above).
Cost: $10-$40
Swim to Green Cay for a true adventure. This is not for the faint of heart! Before you try this, be confident in your swimming skills. We took about half an hour to cross from Orient Bay to Green Cay because we couldn’t help but stop and dive to see the giant conch shells and starfish up close. The main drawback for this activity is that the nude beach on Orient Bay is close to the take-off area for the swim.
How to get there: Orient Bay is located on the east side of the island. Green Cay is the closest island to the southern end of the beach.
Cost: Free, or cost of snorkel rental.
Explore the L’Embouchure Cayswhen you’re ready to get away from the crowds. You can sometimes see breaching whales from the platform in the winter. Otherwise, take a minute to learn about the wildlife from the signs on the platform. Then wade or swim out to the cays! You might want to wear water shoes for this; there are a lot of urchins in some places.
How to get there: Drive south of Orient Bay until you come to the turnoff to Oyster Pond. Stop when you see the parking lot and whale-watching platform.
Cost: Free
Watching Airplanes on Maho Beach is the one thing people will ask if you did during your Saint Martin vacation. Get blasted by the takeoff of a 747, or watch the planes land right over your head! This is a good time to break out that selfie stick and get a picture of your family with a jet right above your astonished faces.
Where to go: Maho Beach in Maho
Cost: Free!
Shopping Downtown in Marigot or Philipsburg is a fun way to spend the afternoon. Both have open-air markets on cruise ship days. Philipsburg is pretty dead in the evening or when the cruise ships haven’t come in, so check the schedules before you go. The boardwalk in Philipsburg is particularly fun. You can take photos with the Jack Sparrow statue, get a dollar ice-cream-cone, and enjoy the sun.
How to get there: Philipsburg is on the Dutch side and Marigot is on the French side.
Cost: Whatever you feel like spending.
That Yoda Guy Museum is a unique place that Star Wars fans will enjoy. Walk through the art gallery and museum to see what Nick Maley, one of Yoda’s creators, has done with his creative mind. The highlight? Getting to meet Nick in person on a day he’s inside!
How to get there: Located on the east end of Front Street in Philipsburg.
Roland Richardson Gallery. Make a visit to one of the island’s treasures. Sir Roland Richardson is the descendant of one of Fort Louis’ builders. His family has been here for hundreds of years, and Roland himself is a walking history of the island. Roland’s works of art are oil paintings done around the island. His gallery is an old family house and the back wall of the garden is the French barracks from the time Fort Louis was under construction. If you go on a Thursday between 11:00 and 2:30, you will see the artist at work on a portrait or still life!
How to get there: Rue de Republique in Marigot
Cost: Free!
Haunted Ruins. Ok, so it’s not really haunted (or is it?), but it sure is creepy! Twenty years ago, La Belle Creole resort was one of the Caribbean’s honeymoon spots. Today, it’s the overgrown remnants of ghostly ruins destroyed by a hurricane. Behind the resort is a gorgeous beach and small island nature reserve.
How to get there: Located by Le Sands between Sandy Ground and Les Terres Basses. You’ll see the sign on the north side of the road.
Cost: Free!
Loterie Farm is the perfect place for a family adventure. You can chill by the pool, take a hike to the highest peak (complete with ruins, monkeys, and mysterious gravestones along the way), or zip line on one of the ropes courses. Instagrammers will be delighted by breathtaking views at the top of the tropical forest, and adventurers will beg to zip line from the top or cross international borders on the overgrown rim hike. Tip: spray your shoes with bug spray and you’ll be safe from the ants.
How to get there: Take the turnoff to Pic Paradis after passing through Marigot on your way north.
Cost: 5 Euros for the hike, 25 Euros for the kids’ zip line, 45 Euros and 65 Euros for the medium and extreme zip lines. Pool chair a towel is 25 Euros up, and is required for pool entrance. The park takes US dollars as well.
Surf Lessons can’t be beat when it comes to tropical water sports. The SXM surf club is a favorite with the French kids and expats. I’ve watched them give lessons, and they do an excellent job in both the fun and the safety departments. And don’t worry, there hasn’t been a shark attack on the island in over thirty years! Lessons are 10 am and 2 pm on most days.
How to get there: Go to Galion Beach, which is south of Orient Bay. Walk to the SXM surf club surf shack to ask for a lesson.
Cost: 45 euros for lesson, ferry ride, and board rental.
Horseback Riding anywhere is fun, but throw in breathtaking ocean views and a ride on the beach, and you have a perfect afternoon. Seaside Nature Park offers horse rides along Cole Bay.
How to get there: How to get there: From Maho, go through Simpson Bay to Cole BayTurn right just before Daily Extra Supermarket, and take a left at the end of the road (From Philipsburg, turn left when you come down the hill to Cole Bay Go through the one-way street, turn left, and then go right before Daily Extra Supermarket). You have to drive through the GEBE power plant, which seems odd, but you are going the right way!
Cost: $60/person for an hour ride
Barracuda– don’t eat these!
Fishing is legal everywhere on the Dutch side. Be careful what you eat, though, because most carnivores carry Ciguaterra toxin.
How to get there: Find a beach!
Cost: Cost of fishing pole and supplies (Cost U Less carries poles)
Boat Cruise. There are a lot of boat cruises available on Saint Martin. You can take your pick of island hopping, snorkeling, relaxing, or a combination of the three! Check out Trip Adviser for pricing and locations.
Day trip to Saba, Anguilla or St. Barth’s. If you’re looking for new adventures, try a new island! Each Caribbean island has a unique culture and vibe.
Where to go: Philipsburg for St. Barth’s, Airport Rd. for Saba, Marigot for St. Bath’s and Anguilla.
Cost: Transportation ranges from $42 to $200 round-trip.
How to get there: Go outside!
