Last week we couldn’t wait to escape the cold + rainy Atlanta weather to enjoy 80 degrees and sunshine on the Caribbean Island of Sint Maarten / Saint Martin. The beautiful destination is part of an island with a split personality thanks to an international border between it’s two sides: French St. Martin to the north and Dutch St. Maarten to the south. We explored the Dutch side during a short weekend where everything seems to be a little bit cheaper and a lot more laid back. I wanted to take it all in and didn’t bother bringing my camera, but here are a few iphone pics documenting our trip + suggestions for your next visit. ♡

Where to Stay:

We stayed at the Horizon View Beach Hotel in the heart of Philipsburg. It has direct access to Great Bay Beach with views of the cruise ships. It’s right on the boardwalk and had a variety of shops and restaurants. I loved that our room had a kitchen and balcony that opened up to the beach. Parking was a little difficult so I highly recommend catching an Uber. Other great affordable options are: Oyster Bay Beach Resort and Sonesta Maho Beach Resort.

What to Do:

We opted to lounge on the beach all weekend, but Sint Maarten offers a ton of other fun activities. You can beach hop and relax like we did or spend time mountain biking, horseback riding, hiking, playing tennis, zip-lining or water activities. We heard wonderful things about Loterie Farm and this Anguilla Getaway Cruise.

Where to Eat:

Whenever we have a hotel with a kitchen, we always like to take advantage of it by grabbing food from a local grocery store. We stock up on fruit, easy breakfast foods like oatmeal and other easy snacks the boys like. And all the wine for me and Lew. Ha! Not to mention it saves a ton of money on food. But here are a few restaurants I recommend: Pineapple Pete, Ocean Lounge and La Villa Restaurant.