St. Maarten offers two countries in one port day: Dutch Philipsburg and French Marigot, plus Maho Beach under the flight path. The smart day is town plus one beach, not the whole island loop. See the St-maarten place page and the featured route.
Getting ashore
Ships dock at the Dr. A.C. Wathey pier. A water taxi runs about $7 return to the Philipsburg boardwalk; walking is possible but hot and 15-20 minutes. Taxis and minibuses cover beaches and Marigot.
What to do in 6-10 hours
Walk the boardwalk, Front Street and Great Bay Beach - all close and free-ish. Maho Beach by taxi costs $10-15 each way and delivers the famous low landings. Marigot adds market, fort and cafés; a combined island tour costs $50-80. Orient Bay is the best beach choice if you want a day pass.
Walking level
Philipsburg and the boardwalk are flat and easy. Maho Beach is flat sand but crowded and windy. Fort Louis above Marigot has steep steps. This is a good limited-mobility port if you stay in town or on one beach.
Excursion or independent
Independent for Philipsburg and Maho by taxi or water taxi. Ship island tours make sense only if you want both French and Dutch sides in one timed package. The full trade-off is in ship excursion or independent.
What it costs
Water taxi about $7 return; taxi to Maho $10-15 each way; island tour $50-80; beach chairs $15-25; lunch $20-35. Town-and-beach day $40-90 per person.
The five-minute version
- Use the $7 water taxi into town.
- Maho is worth the taxi on a clear day.
- Philipsburg boardwalk is flat and close.
- One beach plus town beats the island loop.
- Fort Louis is the steep climb to skip.
- You step off the ship into Harbour Point Village; downtown Philipsburg and the beach are a flat 10-15 minute boardwalk walk (portstmaarten.com).