The motto on Caribbean island, St Martin is: “For the Lucky Few”, and we sure felt lucky here! This island has my favorite secret beach.
St Martin holds a special place in my heart and if there was ever a place I would return to, it would be here. We stayed at two separate hotels, both completely different. I was only interested in visiting the French side of the island because my research was telling me that the Dutch side was a more touristy/party vibe- not what I was looking for.
We landed, Let’s Explore!
We rented a car and it was a good idea to do so because the main roads aren’t too bad and driving is on the right side of the road. My love drove us the entire time because I’m not 26 yet, so I had no complaints haha. A planned, we made sure to stop at the grocery store on the way from the airport to pick up some staple items we would need during our entire stay. We purposely booked rooms with kitchens so that we could whip up some food ourselves. We bought some fruit, eggs, chicken, pasta, etc. This saved us some budget since we made some romantic dinners for two together in our room and had dinners elsewhere after. This was a good way to save some money on our trip.
Everywhere we wanted to go was relatively close to each other and driving around the island was foolproof. We did go to the Dutch side for an afternoon and it was exactly what I thought it would be, Times Square- island style. We only went there for two bakeries I wanted to go to, which were amazing of course.
But, we also had lunch at Toppers, which was totally cute and the food was delicious! There are license plates everywhere from all over the world and the decor was half inside, half outdoors. They sold their own rum and they made some great drinks. The drinks were so good that we decided to stay a little longer to have another before heading back to the hotel. Most of the trip though was on the French side of St Martin because it felt more genuine to me.
The French side felt more Caribbean with French influence, especially in the food. We stayed at the Grand Case Beach Club first, which was very nice and had a little private beach. My favorite part of the beach club was the boardwalk they had going around most of their property. It was the perfect spot for two-for-one happy hours and the sunset.
Another beautiful part of the beach club was the new pool deck they constructed not too long before we made reservations.
The restaurant they have on the property gave us a continental breakfast for free, which we supplemented with breakfast we bought and cooked ourselves. With our full kitchen, we would make eggs, fruit salad, etc., every morning to go with our breakfast.
The same restaurant for dinner was actually a very nice surprise, considering the free breakfast consisted of only straight up carbs (just very limited bread and croissants). The food for purchase was delicious! Even if you don’t stay here, I highly recommend the on-site restaurant, Sunset Cafe, for a great meal on the water.
Grand Case has a nice stretch of shops and restaurants within walking distance from the beach club. There was even a Crepes stand that was absolutely to die for and I met a little friend who stuck by me the entire time!
making dog friends everywhere I go It’s like being in France!
On the boulevard, you’ll walk by a series of LoLo’s, which are just local spots for some good Caribbean food and jerk chicken cooked on open fire! These places are delicious and very affordable for lunch. There are also very nice restaurants on the boulevard, all of them with beach and sea views. You’ll find top notch drinks at top notch prices here, but with a view and atmosphere like this- it’s totally worth it.
One place on St Martin that had the most unique drinks was at the Le Shambala beach hotel. It’s almost a hidden secret because you would never know (unless you stay there) how unique their restaurant/bar area is. We didn’t eat here, but we had pre-dinner drinks here and watched the sunset. Our bartender surprised us with the most creative drinks we have ever had! You can follow him on Instagram at Bowtiesbh!
The second place we stayed is Le Petit Hotel down the road. It’s a small boutique hotel, reminiscent of a 5-star bed & breakfast. The breakfast is superb and the room is the most beautiful room I’ve stayed at so far on my travels. They are the definition of spacious and minimalist. The best part is the covered balcony area, steps away from the beach. The rooms above us have uncovered balconies if that’s more your style. This place is truly for the lucky few in St Martin, the French Antilles.
Now, let’s get to the secret beach
There are many places to be explored- like St Martin’s hidden beaches. This is my favorite beach so far in the French Antilles. Some beaches are just too beautiful to be easily accessed by car. In this case, a 10-15 minute walk/hike is in order! And it was worth it. Happy Bay beach is a “clothing optional” beach, as are most of the beaches on the French side. We got there early enough in the morning to have the entire beach to ourselves before like-minded adventurers (with and without clothing) arrived. Bring your own snacks, drinks and towels because this place is too secluded for beach rentals, cafes, or lifeguards.
However to get to it, you do have to park at another beach, Friar’s Bay, and walk all the way down that beach before you start your wooded hike to Happy Bay. At Friar’s bay, there is a beach restaurant with yummy & affordable food and drinks.
If nightly entertainment is on your list- most restaurants and bars have live music happening, especially on weekends. We listened to some awesome reggae after dinner!
For the explorer-type (my kind of people)- Make sure you make your way into Marigot! Go check out Fort Louis- for the interesting history and the breathtaking views of the bay. We went mid-day, but it would be the perfect spot to watch the sunset. And before you leave Marigot, make sure you find the coconut man!
And no vacation of mine is complete without a vertical hike of some sort (the beach doesn’t count). So we hiked to the top of Pic Paradis, the highest point on St Martin. It was relatively short compared to the hike in Saba (half a day), but the views were beautiful, it was a gorgeous day, and I was with the love of my life!
Live to love, learn, and explore & never stop!
Petit Hotel website: Book here!
Grand Case Beach club website: Book here!
