Sint Maarten is an island located in the Northeast Caribbean, approximately 300 km east of Puerto Rico. The island is 87 square kilometers and dually occupied by France and the Kingdom of the Netherlands. French and Dutch have lived side by side on Sint Maarten for hundreds of years with no borders or customs between them. The French side of the island has a more genteel ambiance, fashionable shopping and a continental flair. The Dutch side of the island tends to be less expensive and has more nightlife.
The capital of of Dutch Sint Maarten is Philipsburg, stretching approximately 1 mile along an isthmus between the Great Bay and the Salt Pond. The capital has five parallel streets with most of the village’s dozens of shops and restaurants along the narrow cobblestoned Front Street, closest to the Great bay. Phillipsburg is also host to one of the largest most popular Cruise Ship terminals in the Caribbean. Each year 1.8 million cruise passengers visit the terminal, making it one of the most popular cruise destinations in the Caribbean.