St Martin

The northern half of the smallest land mass in the world shared by two countries, the French half of St Martin is known for its charming colonial capital city of Marigot and its French cuisine. Less crowded and more serene than the pulsating Dutch half of the island, it's the perfect place to take a vacation from your vacation.

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The border between the French & Dutch halves isn't marked on some roads at all, on others there are commemorative obelisks like this one commemorating 320 years of peace between the two halves. My left foot is in France and my right foot is in the Netherlands as I take this picture.

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Suddenly all the signs are in French, all prices are in euros, and the car license plates look like they're from Europe. Even the island is spelled differently on each side. St Maarten becomes St Martin on the French side.

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Monument honoring emancipation and abolition of slavery on the island in 1848.

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The road up to Paradise Peak offers some stunning views.

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Heading to the north side of the island to Marigot, capital city of the French half of the island. Of course all the street signs are in French here.

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Most Caribbean islands are steeped in old colonial history, and most have old forts to prove it. Here is Fort Louis on the French side of the island.

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Gorgeous views of Marigot from the top of Fort Louis. I always love seeking out forts in the Caribbean because they always have the best views.

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Some visual evidence of how small St Maarten/St Martin really is. The Dutch island of Saba on the horizon. That island is prominently visible from the landmark Sunset Bar by the St Maarten airport as well, so the north (French) side of the island isn't really very far away from the south (Dutch) side.

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Uninhabited Tintamarre Island off the northeast coast of St Martin.

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Beach at Orient Bay, one of the prettiest stretches of sand in all the Caribbean.

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Orient Bay is famous for its nude beach. How very ... French.

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Not Adam and Eve, but Adam et Eve. No mistaking which side of the island this is.

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Lots of little beachside bars and eateries.

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I wasn't sure where to eat lunch. Until I saw this sign, that is. How could I not give it a try?

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The "Exotic Lobster Salad" at the Aloha Beach Bar Restaurant. Have to say I was very impressed.

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Several very expensive boats were anchored just a few feet offshore at Orient Bay
No people were onboard, so their owners were either swimming, dining, or shopping somewhere.

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Romance is in the air!

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A small island with each half using its own currency (and both halves accepting US dollars) can leave you with this mess at the end of the day if you're not careful: coins from the US, euros from the French side, and guilders from the Dutch side. Very confusing!