 |
 |
 |
|
St. Martin/St. Maarten
On St. Martin/St. Maarten, Caribbean Real Estate Showcase agents will show you real estate opportunities on an island rich in history and tradition. Whether on the French St. Martin side or the Dutch St. Maarten sides of the island, our real estate agents will present you a range of properties designed to meet your needs. Luxury villas along St. Martin/St. Maarten's amazing white beaches are available for purchase as vacation villas and rental villas. Agents with Caribbean Real Estate Showcase will provide you tours of beachfront villas, secluded luxury villas with pools and amazing views of the Caribbean, and luxury villas close to shops and restaurants that are great as rental villas. Come to St. Martin/St. Maarten, and see all the remarkable real estate prospects that your Caribbean Real Estate Showcase agent will be delighted to show you
St Martin Overview
St. Martin/St. Maarten has the distinction of being the smallest island in the world shared by two independent governments. The 37-squre mile island is split between the Dutch on the south side and the French on the north. The two countries have co-existed peacefully for more than 350 years.
St. Martin/St. Maarten is located about 150 miles southeast of Puerto Rico at the northern end of the Lesser Antilles. It lies slightly southwest of Anguilla and just northwest of St. Barts. The Atlantic Ocean borders the island to its east, and to its west lies the Caribbean Sea.
The Dutch side is known as St. Maarten and is 16 square miles in area. It is part of the Netherlands Antilles and the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The French side is called St. Martin and is 21 square miles in area. It is part of Guadeloupe, which also includes the islands of Basse-Terre, Grande-Terre, Marie-Galante, La Desirade, Iles des Saintes (2), Saint-Barthelemy, Iles de la Petite Terre.
St. Martin/St. Maarten is known for its stunning, white-sand beaches. It features some of the finest duty-free shops in the Eastern Caribbean islands as well as some of the most mouth-watering restaurants. It also is a popular spot for scuba diving, sailing, snorkeling, parasailing, deep-sea fishing, and other water sports.
St Martin History
The Arawak Indians from South America were the first people to inhabit St. Martin/St. Maarten, appearing on the island as early as 200-300 BC. These early people called the island "Soualouiga," or the "Land of Salt." Europeans first encountered the island in November of 1493, when Columbus saw it during his second voyage to the New World. Though he never actually set foot on it, Columbus named the island San Martin, for the feast of St. Martin in honor of the day, November 11, he purportedly first sighted it. The island first appeared on a map (Carta Atlantica) in 1516.
The empire of Spain first claimed ownership of St. Martin/ St. Maarten, but by the early seventeenth-century other Europeans began to settle the island. In 1627, the Dutch began to explore there in search of salt. From 1631-33 they settled parts of the island and, with the labor of Africans, actively mined salt in the Great Salt Pond in Great Bay. Several years earlier, in 1629, Frenchmen fleeing nearby St. Kitts had made their way to St. Martin/ St. Maarten, where they eventually began cultivating tobacco. Though Spain regained some control of the island from 1638-1648, the Dutch and French eventually prevailed. On March 23, 1648, the treaty of Mount Concordia split the island formally into Dutch and French sides. A demarcation line built of rocks in 1772 is still visible today.
The rise of sugar as the island's main cash crop by the eighteenth century brought with it large importations of slave labor. Slaves worked the great plantations necessary for sugar cultivation and soon significantly outnumbered Europeans on the island. The decline of sugar in the early nineteenth-century and the abolition of slavery the island in 1848 marked a turning point in St. Martin/St. Maarten's history.
The economy suffered through the latter decades of the nineteenth century and into the early twentieth before tourism returned the island to prosperity. Today St. Maarten's enjoys one of highest standards of living in the Caribbean region due to its vibrant tourism industry.
Government
Philipsburg is the capital of St. Maarten, while Marigot is the capital of St. Martin.
St. Martin is part of Guadeloupe, which itself is part of the overseas department of France, subject to French law and government. Guadeloupe elects two representatives to French Senate and four to the National Assembly.
St. Marteen is part of the Netherlands Antilles' Parliamentary Democracy. A Governor, nominated by the federal government and appointed by the monarch of the Netherlands, acts as chief administrator of external affairs, while a Lt. Governor is the local administrator on the island level. The Netherlands Antilles has a one-house legislature consisting of 22 members who serve four-year terms.
Economy
Tourism is the foundation of the economy for both St. Martin and St. Maarten. The success of the tourism industry has produced for the island one of the highest per-capita incomes in the Caribbean. Other important areas of the economy include financial services and trade. In recent years, St. Martin has begun to promote ecotourism.
Gambling is legal on the Dutch side only. There are twelve casinos there.
Money
The legal currency of St. Martin is the Euro and the Netherlands Antilles florin or guilder (NAF) on St. Maarten, but the U.S. dollar is used on both sides of the island.
Demographics
Saint Martin's population is approximately 36,000, while that of St. Maarten's is approximately 41,000. In 1658, only some 300 people lived on the island.
Language
French is the official language in St. Martin and Dutch in St. Maarten, but English is spoken throughout the island.
Medical Services
St. Maarten Medical Center in Cay Hill and L'hospital General de Gaulle
St. Martin Hôpital Louis Constant Fleming-Concordia
Climate and weather
St. Martin/St. Maarten's average daytime temperature is around 80-81ºF.
Rains are frequent on the leeward side summits and hillsides, but the windward side remains relatively free of precipitation. Whatever the seasonal variations in rainfall amounts, the differences in the dry and rainy seasons are less pronounced than on islands such as Guadeloupe and Martinique farther south.
Recreation
The beautiful, white-sand beaches and blue waters make St. Martin/St. Maarten a tantalizing place for peace and relaxation. All together, there are some 37 beaches spread across both sides of the island.
Popular beaches on the St. Maarten side include Guana Bay, Dawn Beach, and Oyster Pond. Cupecoy Beach marks the end of Dutch territory on the west side of St. Marteen. The picturesque Simpson Bay Beach offers more privacy and solitude than most others on St. Marteen.
Nettle Bay, Fort Louis, Orient Bay, and Friar's Bay, a local favorite, are among the best on the St. Martin side.
The island also offers countless opportunities for water sports, especially surfing, windsurfing, parasailing, jet skiing, kite surfing, and sea canoeing. Deep-sea fishing is popular, with marlin, dolphin, and Wahoo some of the common fish caught. Boat rentals are also available.
Scuba diving enthusiasts as well as beginners will find delight in St. Martin's spectacular coral reefs and tropical fish, including angelfish, stingrays, eagle rays, parrotfish, and jack
Day trips by plane or boat are available to the nearby islands of St. Barts, Anguilla, and Saba and by plane only to St. Kitts and Nevis. The Marina Royale on the French side offers overnight trips to nearby islands and beaches. Sea trips out of Philipsburg are available to St. Bart's, Saba , Anguilla, and deserted Prickly Pear Island.
On the land side, biking, mountain biking, hiking, horseback riding, and paragliding are all available. Several hotels offer spa treatments.
Shopping, Dining, and Nightlife
St. Martin's open-air market, with more than 100 stands, is the largest of its kind in the Caribbean. Also popular is the West Indies Mall at Marigot.
The restaurants, bars, casinos, and dance clubs in Maho in St. Maarten make it a mainstay of nightlife on the Dutch side of the island.
Philipsburg, capital on the Dutch side, is the port to large cruise ships and has a vibrant main street filled with shops and a boardwalk of exquisite restaurants and bars.
The island is renowned for its cuisine. More than 300 restaurants serve a rich tradition of French, Dutch, Caribbean foods as well as Italian, Chinese, Indonesian, Creole and more.
Gambling is legal on the Dutch side only. There are twelve casinos there.
Cultural and Historic Sites
Fort Louis was constructed in 1765 to protect the French capital Marigot from the English. It offers panoramic views of Marigot and Marigot Bay, Nettle Bay, Simpson Bay, and even nearby Anguilla. Near Paradise Peak is Lottery Farm, complete with mountain landscapes, a rain forest, and numerous plant and animal species. The small, Creole village of Grand Case offers exceptional shopping and dining as well as local crafts and music. Mount Vernon Plantation in Orient Bay takes visitors back in time to teach the history of coffee, cotton, tobacco, and sugar production in the islands. At the Butterfly farm in Galion, visitors can stroll through a tranquil landscape in search of butterflies from all over the world. The Old House on the road to Quartier d'Orléans presents life in a sugar planter's house through many original objects, period furniture, and family portraits.
The zoo at St. Maarten Park has more than 150 animals from some 80 different Amazonian-jungle species.
At 424m, Paradise Peak, located halfway between Marigot and Grand-Case, is the highest point on the island. Mount Concordia, where the 1648 treaty formally dividing the island was signed, remains a symbol of French-Dutch co-existence and is a good place for some nice views of the islands. The observation stand at Cole Bay Hill, just west of Philipsburg, provides views of the nearby islands of Anguilla, Saba, St. Eustatius, St. Kitts, and Nevis.
St. Martin's most exquisite coral reefs can be found on the windward shore, outside the Baie de l'Embouchure, Orient Bay, and Grandes Cayes, as well as around the islets at Pinel, Green Caye, Tintamarre and Fregate near Grand Case.
Wildlife, Marine Life, and Flora and Fauna
Seabirds common to the island include Pelicans, Sterns, Seagulls, Frigates, Phaetons and Boobies. The plumed and cattle egrets, as well as the Green-Backed Heron Black-Winged Stilt and Osprey, reside in St. Martin's marshes and lagoons. The Scaly-Naped Pigeon, Zenaida Dove, Hummingbird, and American Kestrel can be found in St. Martin's forests.
Marine animals include the conch, starfish, sea cucumbers, and clam. Parrotfish, triggerfish, lobsters, fan corals, and sponges inhabit St. Martin/St. Maarten's coral reefs.
Coconut trees from Southeast Asia were first brought to the Caribbean in the early 1600s. The middle forest, at altitudes over 300 ft. in areas that were not cleared very often, is home to trees such as the gum, cabbage, and Guaiacum trees as well as the castor oil plant.
The St. Marteen park north of Philisburg features species of plants, animals, and birds from the Caribbean Basin and South America.
Festivals and Events
Residents celebrate St. Martin's/St. Marteen's Day every November 11th.
An exhibition for art lovers known as the Artists Corner is held every year in St. Martin's in mid-September. Les Mardis de Grand-Case "Harmony Nights" are held every year from January to May, during which time Grand-Case's main street comes alive with music, dance, and local arts and crafts. The island also celebrates Bastille Day each July 14. The Heineken Regatta, held every March, has taken place for more than twenty years. The annual Carnival, one of the island's most popular events, kicks off in February. A Billfish tournament has been held each June for the past eight years.
Music is an important part of life on St. Martin, as it is throughout the Caribbean. Mambo, Salsa, Calypso, and Reggae are some of the forms you will hear in the clubs, street corners, and restaurants of St. Martin. The most popular game in the Caribbean, dominoes, is also a favorite game in St. Martin. Bingo and cockfighting are also popular pastimes.
Radio
Radio Transat at 106.1, Youth Radio at 92.5, and Radio Calypso at 102.1 provide music and information to the St. Martin's community.
Links
Official Tourism Site of St. Martin
http://www.st-martin.org/us/index.php
Official Tourism Site of St. Maarten
http://www.st-maarten.com/introduction.htm
St. Maarten restaurants: http://www.visitsxm.com/restaurants/search.cfm
2005-2006 Calendar of Events:
http://www.st-martin.org/us/events/events0506.php
|
Caribbean Real Estate Showcase is a division of Caribbean Villa Owners Association 877-248-2862 804-693-5216 804-693-4856 | |||||||||
Disclaimer
Caribbean Real Estate Showcase, Dunham Young Inc. its owner, executives and employees act in good faith in the promotion of this web site but are in no way responsible to either property participants or potential customers or real estate purchasers for any loss of any kind howsoever caused. Continued use of this website indicates acceptance of this condition. Property purchasers should exercise caution and use independent legal advice when entering real estate transactions of any kind.
