This jewel of the Caribbean lies approximately 90 miles to the east of Tortola in the British Virgin Islands and a little over 1150 nautical miles east southeast of Miami.

Part of the Lesser Antilles, this dual-nationality, duty-free, 45-square mile island of Sint Maarten/St. Martin is one of the crown jewels of the Caribbean. At only a little over nine miles wide and eight miles north to south, it has by count some 38 beaches, somewhere between 200 and 400 restaurants by various reports, and a population numbering at about 75,000, almost equally split between the two nations.

On the south side, the Dutch capital of Philipsburg plays host to numerous cruise ships during each week. It has countless jewelry, electronic and clothing shops as well as casinos which are ubiquitous. To the north, also a Mecca of duty-free shopping, the French capitol of Marigot is a picture perfect cut-out of a French seaside town. It, too, will see an occasional cruise ship in the bay. Hilly to the east, Sint Maarten’s secluded port of Oyster Pond straddles the French/Dutch border being a favorite protected harbor to yacht charter fleets. To the west, Simpson Bay Lagoon, the largest salt water lagoon in the Caribbean, also straddles the dividing line between French and Dutch sides of the island. The western, sandy lowlands contain the homes of numerous celebrities.

Included in this week's vacation dream will be an overnight trip to Prickley Pear Cays and Road Bay on Anguilla, and to St. Barthelemy (St. Bart's) Island capital of Gustavia.

Our itinerary in Sint Maarten will depend on the likes and interests of our guests. Choices include:

On St. Martin/Sint Maarten

Arrive early so that the balance of the day of boarding can be spent enjoying the island. Or, better yet, land one or more days before, and take the time to explore this magical island. Your prepaid meal package includes diner at the Turtle Pier Restaurant before packing it in for the evening. The Royal Turtle bed and breakfast, also at the pier location, can provide a pleasantly central and comfortable place to stay for the budget minded. Numerous car rental locations are close by providing easy access to the island reaches during your pre-cruise stay.

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Probably the largest of the Caribbean duty-free towns, The Dutch-side Sint Maarten capital of Philipsburg is a Mecca for shoppers of all ilk and pocket books. Cruise ships daily unload their passengers all eager to sample the wares of the island. Walk along Front Street that borders the mile-long, white sandy beach ringed with palm trees and find jewelry shops, purveyors of electronic gadgets of all sorts, liquor, clothing, knick-knacks, gifts, art objects, and, of course, restaurants and bars. If relaxation is your thing you may wish to grab a chaise lounge under an umbrella just next to a beach bar and catch a few zzz's out of the sun, every once in a while cooling off in the azure waters of the bay or downing a piña colada or sandy gorilla.

The open-air markets abound both Wednesdays and Saturdays immediately adjacent to the beach. These vendors sell anything from wooden carvings to Caribbean sarongs. Across the street are several restaurants and bars to suit all tastes. Two blocks to the south lies Marina Port Royale, around which are wall-to-wall restaurants/bars and one of the finest croissanterie in the world. There are also places to sample one of many crepes, both dinner- and desert-style. Le St. Germain creates 31 desert crepes alone, each guaranteed to tickle the sweet-buds of one's palate. To the east of The Marina, the center of town sports numerous shops and boutiques that could be directly out of Paris...all duty free.

Home to the Moorings and Sunsail Yacht Charter companies in St. Martin, Oyster Pond is split by the Dutch-French border. The pond is both small and picturesque, lying up against the highest hill on the island. Sit at Captain Oliver's bar and restaurant next to the marina and enjoy the comings and goings of sailing catamarans and sloops from 30 to 65 feet in length while enjoying the antics of sea life in their aquarium. Go ashore in your bathing suit on the Dutch side of the pond and amble over to Dawn Beach, one of the premier beaches on the islands. Rent a lounger chair from Mr. or Ms. B's and take advantage of the free rum punch. This pristine beach of white, fine sand provides close to a mile of leisurely walking. Jutting from the southern of the beach and extending is a reef that lies a couple of hundred feet off the beach and provides fun snorkeling for young and old alike.

Ile Pinel, or Pine Island is one of the few islands in the Caribbean for which "picture perfect" was invented. A low, sandy island covered with cocoanut palms and a slowly decending, protected sandy beach with shallow water to the west makes this the perfect place for small children. To the south, a reef extending from the point and around to the east with colorful coral and plentiful fish, makes this area nearly perfect for snorkeling.

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A mile-long stretch of beach facing Tintemarre Island is one of the favorite in the island area, especially for the younger set. While the island as a whole is generally top optional, especially on the French side, the southern end of this beach is also clothing optional. The entire stretch of marvelously white sandy beach is ringed with beach bars and restaurants. The beach can be crowded, especially when cruise ships and maybe even Navy ships are anchored in Philipsburg harbor.

A perfect pocket of a bay at the northeastern corner of the island, Anse Marcel is home to the Swan fleet of sailing yachts and to the Meridian Hotel. The beach in front of the hotel is enjoyable both for the fineness of its sand as for the availability of Caribbean cocktails from nearby beach bars. A petite shopper's paradise includes botiques, shops selling art objects, purveyors of fine jewelry and various native crafts.

Known  as the "gastronomic center of St. Martin," Grand Case borders the two-mile long shoreline that rings the "Baie" of the same name. Restaurants with names such as l'Alabama, l'California, Il Neptuno all cater to the finer palates but perhaps the most fun of all are the "lolo's" where your favorite Caribbean cuisine such as chicken or ribs is prepared on half steel-drum grills or other fare including shrimped creole rice, blood sausage, stuffed crab, conch soup and fried "johnny cakes" are prepared in individual kitchens. The mile-long beach itself is comprised of fine sand and worthy of a visit. Maybe best of all are the colorful abodes lining the main street running parallel to the beach.

Off St. Martin/Sint Maarten

Lying about 1 1/2 miles off the northeastern corner of St. Martin, the island of Tintemarre is a low-lying outcropping of coral and limestone with a magnificent beach along its western side. On calm days or days when the swells do not prevent a safe landing, this is the picture perfect spot to stop and have picnic lunch on the beach.

Having its highest point at approximately 180 feet, Anguilla can barely be seen from more than seven miles away. Being British in origin and then part of the autonomous state that also included St. Kitt’s and Nevis, the island is now a politically independent, self-governing part of Great Britain. The island is surrounded by protected waters making up a national park within which disturbing of marine life by anchoring or intent is not allowed. We will visit Road Bay on the northern side of the island where a beautiful, sandy beach separates the waters from the small village of Sandy Ground. Within walking distance are salt ponds, home to a variety of waterfowl.

Ashore, there are taxis that can take you around the island so you can visit other beaches or simply get the lay of the land. Crocus Bay and especially interesting Island Harbour Village are among the places to be sure to visit. In The Valley, the main town on Anguilla, are a number of interesting art and souvenir shops. To enjoy the local cuisine you can plan to enjoy dinner at the Barrel Stay Restaurant in Sandy Ground.

Of the few spots in the Caribbean that represent your idea of idyllic, sandy, tropical beaches surrounded by pristine coral heads, magnificent underwater scenery, Prickly Pear Cays has to be near the top of the list. A favorite of day sailing from Sint Maarten/St. Martin, Prickly Pear Cays affords the day venture a perfect place to lunch and snorkel. We don't stay overnight for the simple reason that this is prohibited and, indeed, not safe, especially with a weather change. In addition to the supurb snorkling and marvelous beaches, there are even a couple of beach bars that can provide you with a selection of luncheon specialties.

The free port of St. Bart’s has been fought over by French, Spanish as well as the English. This island nation was a French territory since the late 1600s and then passed to the Swedes in 1784 who kept it until 1878 when it was returned and loosely remains part of France. This rather difficult-to-get-to isle has developed something of a reputation as playground for the rich and famous, sometimes termed the “Riviera of the Caribbean.”

Anse de Columbier bay at the northwestern end of the island is both secluded and beautiful, a perfect combination for a lunch stop and a brief swim. Snorkeling is possible on the reefs to the south of the bay which is part of the St. Bart's Marine Reserve.

The main port of St. Bart’s is tiny Gustavia in the west central part of the island, a delightful place for walking along flower-bordered walkways. Duty-free shops offer everything from jewelry to fine liquors, other shops provide clothing, pastries and gifts, and even a ship’s chandleries are among the numerous tiendas that make anyone’s brief visit a joy of availability and price. Time permitting, a tour of the island should include  St. Bart’s Pottery. Alternately, walk across to Anse Grand Galet for some shell collecting.  For local flavors ashore, plan to have dinner at Le Spot on the southwestern dock.