Unlike most Caribbean islands handed back and forth between France and Great Britain during countless conflicts, the small, mountainous St. Maarten/St. Martin was settled and divvied up by French and Dutch explorers in 1648. Governed by the Netherlands Antilles and part of the French West Indies, this island paradise has existed in relative harmony over the millennia.

A wondrous playground for vacationers, St. Maarten/St. Martin features 12 casinos, more than 300 restaurants, 37 sun-kissed beaches, 25 miles of hiking trails, a 135-acre private nature reserve, biking, diving, horseback touring, tennis, squash, golf, and even tandem skydiving. It’s also a “shopper’s paradise” where prices for duty-free/tax free goods are among the lowest in the Caribbean. You’re likely to find excellent liqueurs, French perfumes, German cameras, Irish linen, and choice designer goods at 30-50 percent less than U.S. prices.

And the cuisine? With more than 100 resident nationalities and hundreds of gourmet restaurants on both sides of the island, St. Maarten/St. Martin is famous for its infinite variety of world-class epicurean delights, including French, Dutch, Caribbean, Italian, Chinese, Indonesian, Creole, and American.

To learn more or book a vacation to this destination click here.