When we think about a dual nation, I’m sure we’re thinking of 2 different countries and far away from each other. Well, this Caribbean island has 2 European countries in one very tiny piece of land. Let’s talk about St Maarten / St Martin.

So, I spent time in the Caribbean and St Maarten just before the pandemic and there’s some things I want to share with you today that go beyond the usual “don’t miss this if you go”.

Before I forget, I’ve also made a video about this in case you want to check.

3. DUAL NATION IN ONE TINY ISLAND

St Martin, in the Caribbean, with an area of only 87 square kilometres (34 square miles) has the distinction of being the smallest inhabited island that’s divided between two nations.

The northern part, Saint-Martin, is the French one and occupies about 60% of the island, and this is technically an overseas collectivity of France (or in French collectivité d’outre-mer or COM). In other words, just administrative divisions of France. The main city is Marigot.

The Southern part, Sint Maarten, is the Dutch one and occupies the remaining 40% of the island, and this is one of 4 that form the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The other three countries are the Netherlands itself, Aruba and Curaçao. The main city is Philipsburg.

During the 17th Century there was a lot of rivalry between the Dutch and French for control of the island and its salt mines. Of course, power and money became an issue one more time. Years later in 1648 the two countries signed the famous Treaty of Concordia which divided the island in two so they could live in a peaceful way.

So only when they signed the Second Treaty of Paris in 1816, that the Dutch and French came to a final agreement on the dividing line.

The way they make money these days is really with the tourism. They have over a million visitors every year.

2. SKY EXPLORER AND FLYING DUTCHMAN

This is one of the most interesting activities we’ve done in the whole Caribbean and it’s really 2 steps: all the way up to the top of the mountain on a chairlift (Sky Explorer) and then fly back down on the world’s steepest zip line (Flying Dutchman).

If you are like me and enjoy some adventures, then it’s very simple to love the ride that takes us to the top of the mountain. It’s literally a chairlift ride 1,125 feet up to the highest point and it takes 25 minutes. The cool thing is that once we arrive we can see views of not just St Maarten but neighbouring islands such as Saba, Nevis, St Kitts, St. Barts and Anguilla.

After appreciating the panoramic views, it’s time to fly down the mountain on The Flying Dutchman; the world’s steepest zip line. We were attached to a flight line in a secure harnessed chair and then time for the ride of a lifetime.

1. POSTCARD BEACHES

After a long day doing different activities, it might be wise to take some rest and the white sand sounds like a great option, so that’s exactly what we did. The good thing is that St. Martin is in the middle of a cluster of gorgeous Caribbean islands, and on a clear day we can see Saba, Nevis, St. Kitts, Anguilla and St. Barths. So we can easily hop on a ferry and visit another island for the day.

The bars nearby often rent chairs and umbrellas for roughly $3 to $6 and sometimes they even waive the charge if we order lunch or drinks. Oh yes, even though this is a French and Dutch island, it doesn’t mean that we can pay with credit card everywhere like in Europe, so cash is king here and this a good reminder for me for the next time because I had a long walk to the ATM!

Because we focused more on activities here, we had less time for laying down. We spent some time at the Great Bay Beach in Philipsburg. This was almost like 2 miles or 3km long, sandy dunes, clear water and really nice views. Of course, we could see cruises and stuff not super entertaining for the eyes but hey this was nothing compared to all the other amazing views.

So when thinking of Caribbean postcards with that beautiful crystal water and white sand, then there’s a high chance that we’re thinking of St Martin and personally this was one of my favourite places in Central America. But more importantly, this island is the perfect example of how to come back from a tragedy such as Hurricane Irma in September 2017.

If you want to read more about the Caribbean, I have another post here.