Saint Martin island, the jewel of the Caribbean

St Martin island, discovered by Christopher Colombus, is part of the West Indies. St Martin is located at the South-East of the Bahamas and Florida, in the middle of numerous English, American and Dutch islands. This geographic position explains the Anglo-Saxon influence which is present in the language, the customs, the religion and even the economic evolution.

St Martin, also called the friendly island, a small part of France in the Caribbean, is a French and Dutch island since 1648 (total of approx. 93sq.m of which 54sq.m for the French part, extending in the North), without border, an international free zone. The reputation of St. Martin / St Maarten is also a stopover very appreciated by the boats of cruises (free harbour).

The languages
Very friendly, its inhabitants of Anglo-Saxon culture speak indifferently French and English. Dutch and Creole languages are also spoken. More than 80 nationalities live on the island.

The landscapes
The island is dominated by the Peak Paradise, down from its 400m. It is lined with 36 small isolated creeks and with 30 beaches of fine sand hemmed by an always blue sea.

The climate
St. Martin benefits from a tropical climate of a remarkable constancy, with an ideal temperature all year round, with an average of 27°C (mini 19°C - maxi 34°C) and a guarantee of period of sunshine about 3000 hours a year.
The temperature of the water is on average 25°C.
The island is caressed by Trade winds, and has a varied vegetation (frangipani tree, bougainvilliée, hibiscus, palm tree...).

The shops and conveniences
In St. Martin, nothing misses. All the conveniences and the activities are present.
Your will find supermarkets, schools, day-care centers, doctors and all the traditional infrastructures.
The pleasant part with its tennis, international golf course, shopping in tax removal, cinema, casinos, varied water sports, hikes, restaurants (Creole, French specialities, night clubs.....

Tax system and currencies.
St Martin benefits from privileged fiscal regimes. Currencies are the Euro, and the Dollar. The Dollar is the currency of the most usual deal.

The jet lag and some flying times .
St Martin is situated on the West of France, so when you arrive on the island of St. Martin from Paris, it will be necessary to you to put off your watch of 6 hours in summer and 5 hours in winter.
Some flying times...
. Paris - St. Martin : 7h30 approx.
. Miami - St. Martin : 2h30 approx.
. Guadeloupe - St. Martin : 1h00 approx.
. New York - St. Martin : 3h30 approx.
. Montreal - St. Martin : 5h00 approx.

SOME PICTURES OF SAINT MARTIN