Saint Martin. Saint Martin (island): beaches, hotels, airport and tourist reviews

Saint Martin is the most unusual island in the Caribbean, there seems to be too much unique in this island, let’s start in order.

1. The island belongs to two countries at once, the northern part - France, the southern part - the Netherlands. But there are no borders on the island, there is only a symbolic pillar with which tourists take pictures. The French call the island "Saint Martin", the Dutch "Sint Maarten", sometimes we call it the island of Saint Martin. To get to the island you need a special visa, which can be obtained through the visa centers of both countries; you need to apply for a visa from the country where you will spend the most nights. The list of documents is no different from a regular Schengen visa, only the application form itself is slightly different.

2. Prostitution is legalized in Saint Martin, most of the brothels are located in Philipsburg, which is the capital of the southern part, it has a large port where huge ships with tourists dock almost every day. Drugs are illegal, unlike in the Netherlands. The saleswoman in the supermarket was glad that we were from Russia, she said there are few Russians here, but there is one girl who works as a masseuse in the next building. I'm afraid to imagine what kind of massage she gives :)

3. The most unique airport in the world is also located here; we admit that many come to Saint Martin just because of it. The Princess Juliana International Airport's runway is famous for starting from Maho Beach, so planes land directly above the heads of tourists. Standing above a huge KLM Boeing is an extreme pleasure. The second entertainment is standing at the fence when planes take off, the main thing is to hold on tight :) I wrote about it earlier

4. Nice beaches. Everyone will really enjoy swimming on the island; the water is clear azure and there are no waves. I recommend Maho Beach with planes (in the season when there are no rocks) and the neighboring Mullet Bay Beach. In the French part, a good beach is Orient Beach.

5. The entire island is a duty-free and Dute Free zone. Despite the fact that all the goods are imported (they only produce sauces), thanks to tax breaks, there are excellent supermarkets with decent names at reasonable prices. American beer, Brazilian couscous, Belgian ice cream, Canadian maple syrup and more. Prices for liter bottles of rum start at $6. We brought home something that is difficult to find in Perm, real Canadian maple syrup and so on. And what kind of Jamaican beer is there, because the island was an English colony, they brew incomparable ales!!!

6. Currency. The unique thing is that the official currency on the island on the Dutch side is guilders, but prices are also indicated in dollars, because most tourists are Americans. In the northern part, prices are indicated in euros, but you can also pay in dollars, and at the rate of 1 dollar = 1 euro :) Guilder exchange rate = 1.8 dollars. It is most profitable to travel to Saint Martin with American dollars.

7. Sunset bar & Grill. Returning to the topic of airplanes, the best way to see them is from a cafe on Maho Beach. There is good cuisine and sometimes real Caribbean parties with live music. It’s fun when the next ship disembarks; absolutely all the tourists rush to this popular establishment. By the way, topless girls are serviced for free, topless boys are not serviced at all :)

8. Judging by the reviews, there are quite a lot of gay couples on the island of Saint Martin, who are guarded by a big black guy. They prefer secluded beaches, so be careful with your choice of swimming :)

Tips for those who want to visit the island of St. Maarten

How to get there?
The easiest way to fly with one connection from Russia via Paris or Amsterdam with KLM or AirFrance. The cost of tickets will be from 40 thousand rubles. round trip, sometimes it is a little cheaper to fly with American airlines, but it is only suitable for those who have an open American visa, since there is no transit in the USA.

How to get to Saint Martin island cheaply? Catch shares of aircaraibes airline http://www.aircaraibes.com/, they fly from Paris. The cost of a round-trip flight according to the promotion can be 400 euros round-trip. The minimum price for a flight from European cities with connections in Paris and Amsterdam with KLM or AirFrance is from 600 euros. For those traveling to the USA, I recommend cruises from Miami to the Caribbean islands or direct flights (from Miami round-trip from $350, flight 3 hours).


Where to live?
The best area to live is Marina Simpson Bay. Firstly, close to the airport and Maho beaches with Mullet Bay. Secondly, good infrastructure. These are all steak and prime rib restaurants with live music. A good hotel cost is around $100, the usual cost is $130-$150 per night. It is worth understanding that hotels usually do not include breakfast; the service is weaker than hotels in the Dominican Republic. Nice Sonesta Maho Beach Hotel overlooking Maho Beach and The Villas at Simpson Bay Resort & Marina. You can search for villas and apartments on the websites Abritel.fr and HomeAway.com homelidays Airbnb.com

View from our room window

The hotel is good, but those who are used to being licked, showing shows, animation, preparing food on an all-inclusive basis, making swans out of towels, etc. will be very disappointed. The rooms are luxurious, but there is no service.

What currency should I take with me?
It is most profitable to take American dollars with you. Large sums of money are not accepted in minibuses; it is best to take more small banknotes.
How to get around the island?

The whole island gets around in minibuses, you just have to raise your hand. The cost of travel from Simpson Bay to the airport is 1.5-2 dollars, to Maho beach 2 dollars, to Mullet Bay beach 2.5-3 dollars, the same amount for travel to Philipsburg. In fact, small Saint Martin can be easily traveled around on these minibuses. From the airport you can take a taxi, a specially trained person at the exit will sort tourists according to their place of residence, the cost is 10-15 dollars maximum. There are a lot of rental companies, you can rent a Ford Mustang, a lot of beautiful American cars.

Is it safe on the island?
As with everything in the Caribbean, you have to be careful. There is a story on the Internet about how people were robbed right near the beach by stealing a rental car. It should be remembered that the local population is poor with all the ensuing consequences. At the same time, you shouldn’t see everyone as an enemy; local residents are extremely positive and welcoming.

On the streets of Philipsburg

Beaches
The best beaches are located in the Dutch part of the island, for example, Mullet Bay. It is easy to find, if you come from the airport to Maho, you should follow the main road along the golf courses, then after the barrier the next turn to the sea. Many minibuses go to this beach, if it is indicated on the sign, you can name it, and they will tell you when to get off.
The best beach is also called Maho beach; swimming under the planes is original. The main thing is that this does not happen during the off-season (for example, October-November), when instead of sand there are huge boulders on the beach. There are always a lot of people on Orient Beach, there are active entertainments (water skiing, etc.), and on weekends there are parties in numerous restaurants. Not far from this beach is the small island of Pinel. Small boats can be used to cross

To find your beach, it’s best to take a car and drive around them all :) The cost of sun loungers on the beaches of St. Maarten ranges from 8 to 15 dollars.

What else can you see in St. Maarten? In the French capital, in the city of Marigot, there is a market where you can buy spices and vanilla. And also have breakfast with croissants in French cafes

The only thing that is produced locally is hot sauces; everything else is imported. Seafood included. The cost of dinner is at European prices. For those who want to save money, it’s better to take rooms with a kitchen or apartments; supermarkets have excellent products, you won’t go to waste :)

We met the cheerful bartender Roger Lutz. who lives for two things: travel and cocktails. His dream is to open his own bartending school on the island. He thinks that the locals make crap cocktails (and that's true), his cocktails are incomparable. He lived for several years in countries such as South Africa, Iceland, Australia, and Japan. Like all Germans, he loves football, he supports Hamburg St. Pauli, this is a very interesting club, which is also supported by all antisocial sections of society (LGBTQ, hippies, punks, etc.), and he told how, standing on the fan stand, you can get drunk from smells of marijuana :) A cheerful guy who taught us how to make a real pina colada, we brought all the ingredients from the island, then every day we pampered ourselves at home with a wonderful cocktail. By the way, he told us that Bacardi is a garbage dump, any cheapest rum is better than Bacardi

Locals swear by lobster; the cost of dinner is quite at European prices.

Sunsets

Cruise ship in the distance

FS/K9NU will be active again from Saint Martin, IOTA NA - 105, 4 - 13 December 2019.
It will operate on the bands 160 - 6m.
Latest DX spots FS/K9NU
QSL via K9NU, LOTW, ClubLog OQRS. FS/K9NU Search for connections in the logFind

Previous activity:
K9NU will be active again from Saint Martin, IOTA NA - 105, 28 November - 8 December 2018, as FS/K9NU.
It will operate on the HF bands.
QSL via home call, LOTW.
Address for QSL direct:
PAUL A DEFELICE, 145 B TERRACE CT, SOMONAUK, IL 60552, USA.
Previous activity:
K9NU and N9TK will be active from Saint Martin, IOTA NA - 105, 1 - 10 December 2016 as FS/K9NU and FS/N9TK.

Dual “citizenship” and other amazing interesting things about the island of Saint Martin

The idea of ​​traveling to the island of Saint Martin could have occurred to many tourists who know at least something about this country, for example, information about an unusual airport or the dual “citizenship” of the island. Indeed, anyone may be surprised by the paradoxical fact: a tiny island, which is already officially recognized in the world as the smallest of all inhabited ones, manages to be controlled by two states at once.

It so happened historically that the island of St. Martin, discovered in 1493 by Christopher Columbus, is now divided between France and the Netherlands. The basis for this form of coexistence was the Treaty of Concordia, signed back in 1648. For almost four hundred years, the inhabitants of the island have become accustomed to being close to each other, especially since the laws allow them to move freely throughout the island. True, there are some differences, at least formally: the French call their northern part Saint Martin, and the inhabitants of the Dutch part of the island call it Sint Maarten.

In connection with these differences in accents and letters, potential tourists have the first question: which country should they apply for a visa to? Two countries, but one island? It’s simple, you need two visas, but the visa center of the country where the traveler will spend more nights handles the processing.

Saint Martin Island. Photo by Rolland Pomaret.

Let's go - in the footsteps of Christopher Columbus!

Joke. No one will travel from the Central region of Russia to San Martin in the footsteps of the navigator. It should be noted that not all travelers can afford to fulfill their desire and visit the island, which is located somewhere far away in the waters along and across the Caribbean Sea, furrowed by pirate ships. Too many complications and too expensive.

The route to the island lies through Europe, in particular through Paris or Amsterdam, where travelers will have to transfer to one of the AirFrance or KLM aircraft. If a tourist has an American visa, it is likely that fortune will smile on him with the snow-white smile of a flight attendant and he will be taken on board an American airline plane. In any case, you will have to pay several monthly salaries of the average manager for a ticket.

Saint Martin Island. Photo by Paul Sableman.

Since tourists arrive on the island by plane, the interesting things begin right on the spot. The unique airport, which is named after Princess Juliana, is not just one of the largest transport hubs in the Caribbean region, it is one of the ten most dangerous.

Many curious citizens flock here from all corners of the globe specifically to take part in the extreme entertainment of “touch the landing gear of a taking off Boeing” or “don’t take off with the fence.” It’s just that the runway ends almost on the beach of the most popular Maho beach on the island, so beach lovers never get a chance to take a nap there. How can you fall asleep when a roaring machine is flying overhead, and you have to hold on to your swimsuit so that it doesn’t get torn off by powerful air currents.

Most holidaymakers come to Maho Beach for the experience, which can be observed from a safe distance while drinking Jamaican beer and sitting comfortably at a beach cafe table. The island has a lot of picturesque beaches where you can relax in peace and quiet, enjoying the stunning sea views. The cost of renting a chaise lounge is $20.

Saint Martin Island. Photo by Emeline.

The dollar is also the currency in Saint Martin

Analyzing the situation with the currency, I would like to quote Shakespeare: “Everything was mixed up in the Danish kingdom.” In stores on the island, the price tags have several digital values. In the south, sellers indicate prices in guilders and dollars, although you can also pay in euros. The French also print two prices: in euros and dollars. Conclusion: the American dollar is accepted everywhere on the island, so it’s worth stocking up on hard and hard coins.

And the fact that tourists will need money in large quantities in Saint Martin is beyond any doubt. The reason is simple and banal: there are a lot of temptations here for tourists arriving from all over the world. It’s just that the island has the status of a duty-free trade zone, so in any supermarket and shop you can buy exclusive goods at Dute Free prices.

Entertainment. Saint Martin day and night

The wonderful tropical maritime climate and nature are a magnet that attracts lovers of active entertainment. There are many divers, yachtsmen, and surfers among them. Exciting walking excursions are organized for tourists, as well as exciting trips to uninhabited islands. Those who want to see the island from a bird's eye view can sign up for a helicopter tour.

People who are more into cultural entertainment should plan their trip to St. Maarten in February. At this time, a Carnival is held on the island, which lasts seven days. Gamblers can come at any time of the year. The casinos and nightclubs on the island are always fun and crowded, where they play cards, drink cocktails and visit brothels - prostitution on Saint Martin is legalized, good, even though drugs are prohibited.

Saint Martin is one of the many small islands in the Caribbean, famous for its stunning white sandy beaches and numerous restaurants. The island is unusual in that two countries have the same influence on its development: France and Holland. The French influence is noticeable here to a lesser extent and relates more to the cultural heritage of the island, while Holland takes an active part in the commercialization of the island; the Dutch own resorts, casinos, and a chain of fast food restaurants.

Saint Martin is the northernmost island of the Lesser Antilles archipelago, divided between France and the Netherlands. (Actually, when pronouncing the name Saint-Martin, they mean the French part of the island - the most luxurious hotels and the best restaurants are located here. The Dutch part is called Saint-Maarten.) Saint-Martin is especially loved by “not boring” people. There is a lot of entertainment for every taste, from jungle safaris to deep sea fishing. Vacationers can enjoy exquisite restaurants with French cuisine, nightclubs, discos and four casinos. Roulette, blackjack, baccarat... You can win five thousand dollars and go on a yacht cruise to the Caribbean islands.

Saint Martin is one of the many small islands in the Caribbean, famous for its stunning white sandy beaches and numerous restaurants. The island is unusual in that two countries have the same influence on its development: France and Holland. The French influence is noticeable here to a lesser extent and relates more to the cultural heritage of the island, while Holland takes an active part in the commercialization of the island; the Dutch own resorts, casinos, and a chain of fast food restaurants.

The island of Saint Martin has two capitals - the cities of Philipsburg and Marigot, which are home to many fashionable shops.

The island of Saint Martin is the smallest territory on the globe, owned by two states. Despite the island's dual citizenship, its borders are marked with small signs and there are no formalities when crossing the border. Saint Martin is the starting point for travelers wishing to travel to other Caribbean islands such as Anguilla, Saba and others.

Geography and history

The area of ​​the Dutch part of the island is 35 square meters. km., French - 48 sq. km.
Saint Martin/St Maarten, part of the Windward Islands group in the Lesser Antilles archipelago.

In ancient times, the island belonged entirely to the Arawaks, who called it the Island of Salt (in honor of the main wealth of Saint-Martin) or the Land of Women. After the discovery of the island by Christopher Columbus in 1493, the possession of the Arawaks was renamed Saint Martin, and November 11, the day the island was put on the world map, is considered its main public holiday. However, the Spaniards were in no hurry to develop the island, and only a century and a half later the first settlements of the French and Dutch appeared here, who created a coalition when the Spaniards returned to Saint Martin. The enemy's attack was repulsed, and the island was divided between France and the Netherlands according to the 1648 treaty. Today, this treaty is one of the oldest agreements still in force. Thus, Saint Martin, which remembers the fiercest battles, smoke from cannons and the smell of gunpowder, common to other Caribbean islands, is a unique example of the successful coexistence of two European states.

Climate

Tropical, the weather is warm and dry all year round. The hottest months are July and August, the average daily temperature of which rises to +32°C. The annual precipitation rate is 1150 mm. The rainiest months are from September to November, during which there are eight rainy days per month. The driest time is considered to be from February to April, when the number of rainy days reaches three per month. The most favorable time to travel to the islands is from mid-December to the end of April.

Resorts and beaches of Saint Martin

The most important sector of the economy and life of the islands is tourism. Up to 28% of the population is engaged in serving foreign guests. Over a million tourists visit the islands annually, mainly from Western Europe and North America, with 75% of tourists staying on the island of St. Maarten.

The richest underwater world opens up to divers: the remains of ships that sank in the 17th and 18th centuries, coral reefs, a huge variety of marine life, sharks, stingrays, dolphins, seahorses.

Maho Bay is the main resort area of ​​Saint Martin, located on the southwestern coast of the island. Densely lined with multi-storey buildings, jewelry stores, art galleries, restaurants and casinos, the white strip of beach practically abuts the runway of the local airport, so this area is widely known for its rather exotic spectacle: huge passenger planes flying directly over the heads of vacationers. And very unusual local signs warning that “low-flying aircraft can cause injury” are an extremely popular “souvenir” among visitors to the island.

Mallet Beach is a great beach located north of Maho Bay.

Kapkoy Beach is a quiet beach next to Mullet Beach, which is a collection of ancient weathered cliffs with small, cozy white sand coves hidden at the base (many of the coves are leased to large resort complexes, so access is limited to hotel guests).

Little Bay Beach is one of the best snorkeling spots on the island with very clear water.

East Beach is in the northeast of the island and is an excellent water sports centre.

Simpson Bay Beach is a wonderfully quiet private beach between a picturesque fishing village and the sea.

Coconut Grove is a favorite place for windsurfers, located on the northeast coast.

Bonaire - the unique resorts "Plaza Resort Bonaire" and "Port Bonaire Resort", real "pearls" of these places, in which magnificent architecture is combined with amazingly beautiful nature. These resorts are located on the west coast of the Caribbean Sea, in the lagoon area where 2 bridges connect the two islands, 10 minutes' drive from the center of Kralendijk, the capital of Bonaire. These superb resorts are famous for their beautiful gardens, which contain a great variety of exotic plants and tropical palm trees. Diving here is the most enjoyable pastime - clear and warm water, steep underwater walls and coral gardens, a riot of colors and an abundance of underwater flora and fauna. Tucan Diving, a local scuba diving center that also has a shop stocking a wide range of equipment, will provide you with everything you need. Several fully equipped boats depart daily from the resort's piers, and there are weekly dive tours (licensed to dive) to the island's East Coast and Washington National Park.

Willemstad looks like a traditional Dutch town, miraculously found among cacti. Here is the oldest existing synagogue in the Western Hemisphere, Mikvah Israel-Emanuel (mid-17th century).

Curacao is one of the few destinations for American cruise ships sailing from Florida to the Caribbean. St. Maarten is an island that simultaneously belongs to both France and Holland. Many taxes are not levied here, hotels of different categories have been built, and the prices for villas are quite reasonable. Local authorities welcome investment in the hotel sector, striving to improve the level of service. An example of this is the luxurious hotel complex "Le Meridien", which has become a favorite destination for tourists from all over the world.

One of the attractions of St. Maarten (of course, in addition to the historical museum) is the butterfly farm. On the coast of Grand Casa you can rent a bungalow for one or more families at a very reasonable price. During a tour of the island, you can visit art workshops and admire beautiful paintings by local artists, which can be bought there or in small galleries in Marigot or St. Barths. On all the islands, half of the hotels have a casino and are five-star, everything is clean, just like in Holland itself and is very conducive to relaxation.

Culture and cuisine

Saint Martin is an island interesting not only for its tourist opportunities, but also for its typical island lifestyle, and the endless, true beauty of its nature and local people. This is an island where goats graze sleeplessly around coffee bushes that have not been replaced by sugar and banana plantations, and where women sew dresses and blankets from colored scraps: a sad necessity of the Second World War, which these days turns into original art. St. Maarten is home to sweet amber honey, mangrove queens egrets, frigate birds hunting flying fish, and full moon beach parties commemorating the ritual dances of sugar cane harvesters on moonlit nights.

Every year, Saint Martin hosts two carnivals: the French festival during Lent and the Birthday of Her Majesty the Queen of the Netherlands. The Dutch carnival lasts for 17 days and develops according to all the laws of major holidays: long preparation, competitions of calypso performers, the fight for the royal title, a street parade and the final burning of the straw monster (King Momo), taking away all sins and bad luck. However, it is impossible to imagine a holiday in Saint Martin without its national drink - guavaberry liqueur. The liqueur is made from rare berries that grow on trees with small pink flowers and ripen only in August, golden Caribbean rum and sugar. The drink is infused in barrels and then delights the guests of the owners with the sweet taste of wood and fruit.

The village of Grand Case is considered the gastronomic capital of the Caribbean archipelago. Along the only street, proudly called the Boulevard, there are magnificent wooden houses surrounded by ibiscus bushes. This typical Creole village is home to more than thirty gastronomic French restaurants, which are located mainly along the beach of a magnificent turquoise bay. Each restaurant will offer you an original menu of refined cuisine, a selection of the best French wines, and after an amazing dessert and

History of Saint Martin

History of Sint Maarten. History of Saint Martin. Sint Maarten/Saint Maarten border. Maltese colonization of the Caribbean.

Columbus discovered the island during his second voyage to the New World on November 11, 1493, St. Martin's Day (after which Columbus named the island). But Columbus did not land on the shore; he sailed past. Only in 1631 did the first European colonists, the Dutch, settle there, building Fort Amsterdam, of which almost nothing remains today. The French and English began to settle next. The island's population, the Carib Indians, were gradually enslaved. However, the Caribs were also not an indigenous population. Before the Caribs, there lived the Sibonean Indians (belonging to a group of Arawaks who allegedly sailed from Colombia and Venezuela), who settled on the island 3.5 thousand years ago. The Caribs, who originally came from Guiana, over time captured the lands of the Arawaks, exterminated the men, turned the women into their slaves - it is believed that for some time even the languages ​​spoken by Carib women and men were significantly different.

Carib family from an engraving by John Stedman

A couple of years after Europeans landed on the island, life, production and trade of the settlers began to improve, and the Spaniards decided that it was not for these newcomers that their great compatriot opened St. Martin. They captured the island and drove out their competitors, seizing their property. Fortunately, there was a reason - there was an eighty-year war for the independence of the Netherlands from Spanish rule. The Spaniards built their fort on Point Blanche, but it seems that nothing remains of it at all. The Dutch tried to recapture the island a couple of times, but to no avail.

15 years later, the war in Europe ended with the victory of the Netherlands, the Spaniards lost interest in the island, and left in 1648. The Dutch and the French returned. We tried to sort things out with each other. As a result, they preferred a not-so-bad peace to a good war, and in the same 1648 they concluded the Treaty of Concordia on peace and friendship, which determined the border between the French and Dutch parts.

French Saint Martin and Dutch Sint Maarten

According to local stories, the border was determined as follows. The French and Dutch each fielded one representative. They stood with their backs to each other, and this became the starting point of the border. They then walked along the coastline of the island in opposite directions to meet on the other side, where the end point of the boundary line was determined. They were forbidden to run, which meant that they had to cover approximately the same distance. But the Frenchman walked much more - the area of ​​the French part ended up being 54 km² (61%) versus 32 km² (39%) of the Dutch.

The Dutch suspected that the Frenchman was cheating and fled in some places. The French explained this discrepancy elegantly: the reason was drinking traditions. Both walkers cheered themselves up with a drink before setting off. But the Frenchman drank light wine. And the representative of the opposite side drank jevier, a strong Dutch gin. This, according to the cunning French, led to the difference in the speed of movement of the walkers.

Historians claim that the reason for the not entirely equal distribution of territory was the French warships stationed off the coast of the island (“We write 54 km², we keep 7 warships in mind...”).

Fort St. cannon Louis in Marigot, the capital of French Saint-Martin

Be that as it may, the border changed 16 more times. At the same time, the French part was sold to the Maltese in 1651. More precisely, the Maltese Knights Hospitaller Order.

There was an interesting story about the Maltese colonization of the Caribbean. It is associated with the name of Philippe Lonvilliers de Poincy (1584–1660). On January 12, 1638, Poincy, a French nobleman, arrived in St. Kitts (aka St. Christopher) as lieutenant-governor of the French Caribbean possessions and captain-governor of St. Kitts. But at the same time, de Poincy was the commander of the Maltese Order of the Hospitallers, and arrived at his destination in full Maltese uniform. Philip was an extremely ambitious man, and soon declared that the people of St. Kitts would not obey any other governor but him, and the King of France himself would not order him. After some time, de Poincy took over power not only in St. Kitts, but also in the surrounding St. Barthélemy, St. Croix and St. Martin. On St. Kitse, he built himself a luxurious mansion, practically a palace (today in ruins).

The French authorities considered de Poincy's insolence to be excessive, and sent a certain Thoissy to replace him. But Poincy ordered the loyal soldiers of the garrison of the sent appointee to be arrested, shackled and sent back to France.

In order to somehow hush up this trick and further strengthen his power, Philip convinced the Order of Malta that it was urgently necessary for it to gain its interest from the colonization of the New World, and to buy French possessions on the islands of Saint Martin, Saint Kitts, Saint Barthelemy and Santa Cruz for 120,000 livres from the French Company of the American Islands (Compagnie des Îles de l'Amérique).

Yes, the colonization of new territories usually took place by powerful private companies specially created for this purpose under the patronage of the state - the British South African Company, the Dutch West India Company, the Russian-American Company and many others). They were often allowed to take ownership of colonized lands, open their own banks, and even have their own armed forces. Expansion into new markets, the search for new sources of profit, corporate wars and raiding in those days were quite literal in nature - you landed on a new territory, declared it yours, enslaved the natives and forced them to work for you, and to counteract the seizure of your market share by competitors you build fort with cannons. The power of the British East India Company, in particular, is played out well in the TV series Taboo with Tom Hardy in the title role.

The leadership of the Order of Malta liked the idea. The French authorities also approved it, but set the condition that formally the French king remained the sovereign of the islands, and the Maltese should appoint knights of the order exclusively of French origin as governors of these possessions, which de Poincy could not have come at a more opportune time.

Map of the Caribbean possessions of the Knights of Malta

While the Knights of Malta owned the islands, Philippe de Poincy remained the actual master of the territories entrusted to him. The Order tried to replace him with Charles Jacques Huault de Montmagny, who became famous in Canadian New France for his victory over the Iroquois. But de Poincy again refused to cede power. But this time he did not put his competitor in shackles, but made him “an offer that he could not refuse” - to enjoy the island life in warmth and contentment until de Poincy, an elderly man who did not have long left, left the post of governor posthumously. In 1657, de Montmagny died without waiting for the death of de Poincy, who died only in 1660 at the age of 77.

Charles Jacques Huot de Montmagny

Since de Poincy, for the most part, worked in his own interests, without denying himself anything, the purchase of colonies did not bring profit to the Maltese. During the entire period of ownership, they did not even manage to pay the sellers the full price. As a result, in 1665 everything was sold back to the French.

From 1795 to 1815, when the Netherlands became dependent on France in Europe, St. Maarten belonged entirely to the French. Only in 1816 the border line was finally fixed.

The main sources of income for the economy of St Martin were the slave trade, the cultivation of tobacco and sugar cane, and the production of salt, sugar, molasses and rum.

France abolished slavery in 1848. The slaves of the French part of the island gained freedom. This was reflected in the mood of the slaves of the Dutch part, who began to become more and more rowdy and escape to the French. As a result, the Dutch on Sint Maarten were forced to make concessions and grant significantly greater rights to slaves. In fact, slavery ended in the Dutch part of Sint Maarten before it was officially done in 1863 on all the islands of the Dutch West Indies.

During the Second World War, the island was subject to the Dutch Government in exile, and the Americans and British landed there to protect it. Although it seems rather strange to us that the Second World War could also affect the Caribbean islands, that’s why it was a world war - a German submarine fired guns at Sint Maarten in 1941, and there were torpedo attacks on the surrounding sea routes.

After the war, Sint Maarten relied on tourism and on providing tax benefits to foreign companies, becoming one of the so-called “offshore havens”.

Airplane landing over Maho Beach at Princess Juliana Airport, Sint Maarten

Until the beginning of the 21st century, the French part of the island of St. Martin administratively belonged to another overseas territory of France - Guadeloupe. In 2003, a referendum was held in Saint-Martin, in which residents spoke in favor of divorce from Guadeloupe (but not from France), and in 2007, the metropolitan authorities respected the Saint-Martins, giving Saint-Martin the status of an independent overseas community. So today Saint-Martin is a municipal region of France with its own representative in the Senate.

Today the level is average standard of living on the island of St. Martin In terms of the purchasing power of the islanders, it significantly exceeds that of Russia, ranking next to Israel, Italy and New Zealand. Among the former Netherlands Antilles, Sint Maarten comes in first place, slightly ahead of Aruba. Its steady economic growth attracts migrants not only from its sister islands of the former Netherlands Antilles, Haiti, and the Dominican Republic, but also from the United States, Europe and Asia. Since the beginning of the 90s, the population of the island has increased by 50% and in 2011 amounted to 36,286 on the French part and 33,609 on the Dutch part. The indigenous Sint Marten people are gradually becoming a national minority - people from more than 70 countries of the world live on the island today.

The main religion is Catholicism (about a third of the population). Among the other denominations with the largest number of followers are Pentecostals and Methodists.

Church in Sint Maarten

80% of the income of the island of St. Martin today comes from the tourism business. The island receives about two million cruise ship passengers a year. A slightly smaller number of passengers are served by Princess Juliana Airport.

The most convenient way to get to the island is by plane through the USA, Amsterdam or Paris.

The cheapest air tickets from Moscow to St. Martin for the year ahead