Buccaneer Beach Bar Kim Sha

Bean bag chairs sit right in the water at Karakter, a stylish beach club that channels Sint Maarten’s cosmopolitan French-Dutch energy into one genuinely beautiful stretch of Simpson Bay.

Arriving jets pass so low over this beach that guests get literally blown off their feet by the blast, watching a 747 descend at rooftop level with a cold drink in hand is unlike anything else on Earth.

Orient Bay is one of the Caribbean’s longest, most beautiful stretches of white sand, and Bikini Beach Bar operates with the relaxed French sensibility that has made this beach a genuine institution.

On the beach in Grand Case – St. Martin’s self-declared gourmet capital – Captain Frenchy looks like a classic down-and-dirty beach shack until you notice the kitchen’s actually running a legitimate restaurant program. Wooden deck seating, loungers on the sand, and a crew that looks like they stepped off a pirate ship in the best way. Order a cold beer, a rum drink, or – since you’re in Grand Case – a properly chilled rose or glass of champagne. Family-friendly, well-placed for a beach-stroll break, and busy enough that dinner reservations are wise. The location and the classic beach-bar energy are still the draw.

A family-run beach restaurant right on the sand in Orient Bay, opened by two St. Martin natives with deep roots in the island’s hospitality scene — Shana’s family owns La Belle Époque and Bali Bar, Achille’s comes from Ô Plongeoir. The kitchen turns out French-Caribbean fusion under a French-trained chef, from mahi-mahi ceviche to a beef-and-lobster surf-and-turf special, backed by a curated wine list. Full beach service, ocean breeze, and a Sunday DJ party make Aloha one of Orient Bay’s most welcoming stops.