Our Favorite Beaches on Dutch St Maarten

Like French St Martin, Dutch St Maarten is blessed with stretches of beautiful white sandy beaches kissed by sparkling turquoise waters and palm fringed shores. Together with our Community of Travelers who love St Maarten on Facebook, we put together a list of some of our most favorite beaches on Dutch St Maarten – each offering something unique for every beach lover. Whether you’re looking for the best beaches for snorkeling, people watching or plane spotting, fun Watersports or the perfect spot for a St Maarten beach wedding, you’ll find it here!

Dawn Beach

Home to Coral Beach Club Villas, Dawn Beach is a sanctuary of white sand and emerald waters perfect for a relaxing holiday in a beautiful tropical paradise. It is a great location for strolling, relaxing and picnics. The snorkeling is incredible, and the sunrise views are spectacular.

Little Bay Beach

Little Bay is a lovely beach opposite Philipsburg, just around the bend from Great Bay. Fine, white sand and an intimate beach setting close to the capital, gives you a break from shopping and the cruise ship crowds. The water is calm and high visibility underwater makes it great for snorkeling. Families will love this beach with its many offers for Watersport activities like paddle boats, jet skis and parasailing, as well as the onsite restaurant and beach bar at the Divi Little Bay Beach Resort. For an adventure, take a short hike to Fort Amsterdam.

Great Bay Beach

A beautiful beach across the length of the capital Philipsburg, this once abandoned beach is now one of the top attractions of the island. A full service sandy beach perfect for the adventure seeker, it has a concrete pavement just perfect as a promenade. Home to the upscale Holland House Beach Hotel and charming Pasanggrahan Boutique Hotel, it offers several restaurants and beach bars, electronics shops, jewelry and clothing stores as well as many beach activities. This is also where you can take the high-speed ferry to St Barts for a day trip.

Kim Sha Beach

Often considered an extension of Simpson Bay Beach, Kim Sha Beach has a number of beach bars that will keep you entertained all day long with tropical cocktails and music – creating the ultimate island vibe. Don’t miss the Buccaneer Beach Bar for Caribbean flavor and Roxxy Beach for a premium beach experience! The views of the sunset are gorgeous from here. You’ll also find a number of Watersports at Kim Sha Beach.

Simpson Bay Beach

Once home to a Danish community of fishing folk, today’s Simpson Bay Beach is a great seaside location to catch spectacular sunsets, and relax in the luxury of The Villas at Simpson Bay Resort & Marina but if you’re looking for something private, check out these beach front vacation rentals in Simpson Bay. Just yards from The Princess Juliana International Airport runway, it’s a fun place to enjoy sun, surf, and sand while watching huge planes come and go. Karakter Beach Bar is a fun go-to.

Maho Beach

No trip to St Maarten is complete without a visit to this world famous plane-spotter paradise! You can also experience Maho Beach by sea on this coastal snorkel tour. For more information, be sure to check out Maho Beach St Maarten!

Mullet Bay Beach

A large expanse of white sand, slow waves and a beautiful bay that appeals to local surfers, Mullet Bay Beach is located right next to the island’s sole golf course. A really pretty beach with crystalline waters excellent for swimming, it is the picture postcard flat expanse of sand with palm trees and seagrapes. It offers surfing, volleyball, and the usual sun soaking, with ample parking for visitors.The Sonesta Maho Beach Resort, Casino and Spa is a short walk away.

Cupecoy Beach

Cupecoy bay beach is a clothing optional stretch of semiprivate beach in Southwest St Maarten. The beautiful caves and rock formations makes it a spectacular spot. Although it occasionally has surf, generally the rocks block the wind. Home to luxurious Cupecoy villa rentals, this is the perfect beach for sun worshippers and naturists, there is onsite parking with stairs going down to the sand. If you’re lucky, you may just catch a glimpse of the Green Flash as the sun sets below the horizon here, making it a perfect destination in St Maarten for romantic sunsets.

What’s your favorite St Maarten beach?

Here’s our guide to Our Favorite Beaches on French St Martin. If you have a favorite beach on Dutch St Maarten, be sure to let us know in the comments below, we’d love to hear from you.