Where is the best place to stay on St Martin?  Here are St Martin Blue’s picks and reviews of various areas on St Martin.

One of the most important and critical questions for newcomers to St Martin St Maarten is where to stay on the island? Vacations are rare and dear to all of us so finding the perfect location on St Martin is the basis of a successful trip planning. St Martin offers numerous areas to stay and the following review will break down the areas in terms of the strengths and weaknesses of the more popular areas on St Martin.  Our top three areas of popularity and guest satisfaction is 1. Terres Basses (French Lowlands),  2. Orient Beach and 3. Cupecoy.

The following narratives provide a general overview of each area along with their strengths and weaknesses.

1.  Terres Basses- Our top pick  is Terres Basses.  Terres Basses (aka French Lowlands) is known as the exclusive residential area on St Martin where the jet set and celebrity crowd tend to gravitate towards due to it’s exceptional privacy, spectacular villas, and heightened security.   Terres Basses is located on the southwestern end of St Martin.  The residential enclave is known for it’s security, pristine beaches, sunset views and convenient location.  Set between Cupecoy and Marigot, the area offers easy access to the shopping and restaurants of Marigot as well as the restaurants, gaming and nightlife of Cupecoy and Maho.  Terres Basses, St Martin is a gated community and the elite and most coveted St Martin villas are located in this area.  The area is exclusively residential with the exception of the La Samanna hotel, the only allowed commercial property in Terres Basses.  The Terres Basses villas all tend to be gated and set on a minimum of 2.5 acres offering a large estate for guests without fear of encroachment from others.  The area is relatively unassuming from the road until you get past the villa gates at which point the world of luxury is quickly summoned.

Villas in Terres Basses offer an ideal St Martin accommodation by offering a tranquil and manicured estate to create your own private oasis.  Away from the crowds and bustle, away from the annoyance, away from commotion, away from unnecessary stress.  Just a slice of your own personal heaven on your own accord, desires and wants.  The particular strength of Terres Basses can be surmised by four particular strengths that are unparalled on the island: 1. Views 2. Beaches 3. Security and 4. Convenience.  Due to it’s location on the southwestern aspect of St Martin, Terres Basses commands stunning ocean and sunset views.  The late afternoon and early evening sun provides an ambient goodbye to a spectacular fun filled and sun drenched day.  Kick back with a cocktail of your choice in the company of your loved one (s) and rejoice in one of life’s fine moments crowned by a beautiful sunset.

The beaches of Terres Basses are secret meccas to well healed St Martin travelers.  The beaches of Baie Longue beach, Plum Bay beach and Baie Rouge beach offer pristine and majestic conditions.  The beach conditions are quite variable since they are unprotected from outer reefs but the water quality, beach cleanliness and their quiet atmosphere are quixotic havens.  Popular nearby beaches Mullet Bay and Maho beach (airport beach) are about a 7 to 10 minute drive away.

Since Terres Basses is exclusively residential, guests will need to have a rental car at their disposal to enjoy restaurants, shopping and nightlife.  There are ample and convenient choices for guests that are staying in Terres Basses.  The new Porto Cupecoy development in Cupecoy now offers the closet and most convenient option for restaurants, groceries, gelateria and some shopping.  Cupecoy borders Terres Basses and guests can usually get to this area within 5 minutes.  The nightlife of Maho is about 10 minutes away and the airport is about 15 minutes away.  Terres Basses is far removed from the airport so airplane noise should not be an issue.  Additionally, Marigot, the capital of St Martin, is about a 15 to 20 minute drive away.  It offers good shopping options and the waterfront spice and fish market is worth visiting in the morning.

In terms of security on the island, Terres Basses is highly secure with a gated entrance into the community and each villa offering their own gates and security.

Our top luxury places to stay in Terres Basses are villa Belle Etoile, Chateau des Palmiers, Mes Amis, Le Reve and the villas at La Sammanna.

However, for the more reasonable budgets we would recommend villas Nid D’Amour, Bamboo, No Limit, Eden, La Salamandre, Eden, Ambiance and Lune de Miel as some starting options to consider.

Click here for an interactive map of villas located in Terres Basses!

2. Orient Beach-  Orient Beach is the best known on St Martin.  Popular with cruisers, It is a mandatory visit for first time guests to experience the scene and activity of the island and more importantly to say that they were there.  Orient Beach is a strip of St Tropez with a casual flair.  The mile long beach is located on the northeastern quadrant of St Martin (about 40 minutes away from the airport) and offers stunning views and soothing tradewinds.  The beach is very active and offers numerous watersports from parasailing to wave runners to snorkeling.  The beach features beach bars that offer refreshing drinks and sumptous meals.  The drinks and meals can be a bit pricey but paradise is never cheap.  There are numerous villas in this area as well as some low key French hotels such as L’Esmeralda.   While the beach is known as the activity center during the day, it does quiet down at night.  Guests can enjoy visiting Orient Beach village in the evening or venturing over to Grand Case for an exceptional array of dining.  The villas in Orient Beach tend to be simpler but do offer gorgeous views of Green Cay and the Atlantic.  Our top pick for Orient Beach is villa Sarabande.

3. Cupecoy- Cupecoy is becoming the new hot place to stay.  With the area anchored by the new Shore Pointe luxury villas, the Porto Cupecoy Plaza and Marina, and The Cliff at Cupecoy, guests have a wide offering of luxury accommodations to choose from.  Cupecoy is bordered by Terres Basses to the west and the ruins of Mullet Bay resort to the east.  The convenience of Cupecoy is a major draw for guests.  The area is about 10 minutes away from the airport and offers numerous restaurants in the area.  Cupecoy beach with it’s sandstone cliffs offer one of the most picturesque beaches in all of the Caribbean.  Beach conditions can be highly variable but when the beaches are flush with sand  it is a delightful area to let sand gravity take hold and view the sunsets.  Please note that there is some naturalism on Cupecoy beach.   Nearby Mullet Bay beach is the best bet for family friendliness and ideal year round conditions.  The area of Cupecoy will feature a brand new luxury mall called Blue Mall that is slated to open in the next year.  The mall will host luxury stores, restaurants and a large grocery store.  Once completed and launched, Cupecoy will become a premier location for guests seeking convenience, shopping and numerous beautiful beaches nearby.  As for dining, Cupecoy has become a counter heavy weight to Grand Case for in terms of fine restaurants.  Our top restaurant choices in the area are Montrematre, Moulin Fou, Temptation, and Rare. Our top accommodation pick for Cupecoy are villa Farniente and villa Mumbai at the Shore Pointe community.  Accommodations that offer a good value in Cupecoy is the Sapphire Beach Club and the Porto Cupecoy condos.

Other areas to consider:

Maho, St Maarten is located right near the airport.  The area is anchored by the Sonesta hotel and offers a convenient value for guests.  The Casino Royale and numerous restaurants offer evening entertainment options.  Guests can walk over to the Sunset Beach Bar and Grill for airplane spectating while washing down some Caribes.  See why Princess Juliana Airport is ranked as one of the most exciting airports to land at. Cheri’s cafe is a lively place with nightly entertainment for families but the entertainment can get a bit cheeky.  Maho is suitable for those that do not want to use a rental car and want it very easy.  The area has numerous timeshares as well.  The area also hosts nightclubs: Q Club and Bliss so it can be a good option for the social set.

Grand Case, St Martin is unofficially known as the epicurean capital of the Caribbean.  Long known for it’s string of fine restaurants, a gastronomic adventure awaits.  The area is located on the north western end of St Martin.  The quaint fishing village can appear a bit run down but don’t let that fool you.  The area has soul and the restaurants capture the quintessentially novel Caribbean and European influences.  The top accommodation picks in this area would be the Bleu Emaurade, Grand Case Beach Club, Le Petit Hotel and L’Esplanade.  Security is relatively stable in this area but proper precautions should be taken.

Happy Bay is a new and upcoming area that is drawing guests seeking magnificent views and access to a pristine and secluded beach.  Happy Bay beach is the picturesque beach most of us dream about.  It’s remoteness for non Happy Bay residents allow guests to have peace and tranquility while basking in natures perfection.  Happy Bay hosts some stunning villas such as villa Dream in Blue an villa Belle de Nuit. Although a bit secluded, the restaurants of Grand Case are a short drive away.  The community is not gated at this time.  Guests can access Happy Bay beach by private path.  The views of Happy Bay are divine with Anguilla and vast azure waters in the distance.

Simpson Bay, St Maarten is a popular spot for first timers since it offers an easy to get to and convenient location.  Simpson Bay hosts numerous timeshare resorts so the values can be quite compelling.  Located on the southern side of St Martin, guests can see the islands of Saba, St Kitts and Nevis in the distance.  The area has everything you need.  Numerous shops and restaurants are located in this area so guests can walk to restaurants, bars and shops.  However, the area is congested and suffers from significant traffic issues.  The area has more of an American influence rather than a European influence.  Commercial properties are dense in this area and the amount of concrete takes away from an idyllic setting.  Security issues have arisen in the past year but they seem to have been addressed.  The area is a good choice for guests on a budget that are seeking convenience and everything in walking distance.  If you are looking for a relaxing vacation being away from it all, then Simpson bay is not an ideal choice.

Dawn Beach/Oyster Pond. Dawn Beach has seen a recent surge in development with the addition of the Westin and Coral Beach Club at the sands edge of Dawn Beach.  The area evokes a love it or hate it response for guests.  The “love it” crowd brags about the beauty of Dawn Beach as well as the stunning Atlantic and sunrise views.  Dawn Beach is located on the eastern side of the island and offers spectacular views of St Barths in the distance.  Dawn Beach tries to strike a balance between raw beauty and refined development.  The villas in this area offer a good value but opportunistic security issues do arise from time to time in this area.  The con crowd tends to site a feeling of remoteness to Dawn Beach since it is a significant drive to other areas of the island.  Phillipsburg and Orient beach are about a 12 minute drive away.  The airport is roughly 40 minutes away.  The night life and restaurant options can be limited.

Anse Marcel is a serene village located in a picturesque cove.  The area has a beautiful marina that imparts a casual tranquility to this part of the island.  Anse Marcel is anchored by the Radison hotel.  A stunning villa in this area that is perfect for families is villa Del Mar.  The beach is sandy and the water conditions tend to be calm making the area ideal for families looking for a quiet getaway.  Anse Marcel offers some restaurants and shops but the choices are a bit limited.  Orient Beach and Grand Case are about 10 minutes away so guests can rapidly expand their palette of activities and dining choices with a short drive.  The area is ideal for guests seeking a quiet retreat with a child friendly beach.