Towns and Lagoon of Saint Martin

Why go

Philipsburg’s Front Street and Marigot’s waterfront market give two different town experiences, while Grand Case brings French and Creole cooking into the mix. Simpson Bay Lagoon shifts the focus from streets and dining to the water shared by both territories. Explore these areas in any order, selecting nearby combinations around your base and transport. Give town visits and the lagoon separate time rather than treating all four as stops on a single walking route.

Useful to know

• Choose the order around your base and transport; these places do not form a fixed walking route.
• Combine French-side town visits separately from a Philipsburg outing if you want fewer cross-island transfers.

The route, stop by stop

1. 01

   Optional · – min

   Philipsburg

   Explore Philipsburg for a town outing that combines Great Bay's waterfront with shopping streets and historic buildings. The Dutch-side capital offers several separate stops within a narrow coastal setting.

   Explore

2. Walk · 117 min · Estimated

   02

   Optional · – min

   Marigot

   Visit Marigot for Creole streets, a waterfront market and the option of a hilltop fort. Keep the town walk and Fort Louis climb as distinct parts of the outing.

   Explore

3. Walk · 78 min · Estimated

   03

   Optional · – min

   Grand Case

   Make Grand Case a food-focused village outing beside a long sandy bay. Restaurants and roadside grills provide the main choice; time on the waterfront need not depend on entering the water.

   Explore

4. Walk · 142 min · Estimated

   04

   Optional · – min

   Simpson Bay Lagoon

   Explore Simpson Bay Lagoon for the contrast between yacht infrastructure and coastal habitat. Choose a specific shore destination or boat outing: this broad water body has no single visitor entrance.

   Explore