For those who can only bear so much sun worshiping, St. Maarten/St. Martin boasts a huge array of activities to offer, for all ages and interests. Most of the island's hotels have an Activity Desk staffed by personnel who can help to arrange activities to fit your schedule and desires. Or browse www.StMaarten-Fun.com to learn about available activties and reserve them online.

For those of you who enjoy action on the water, St. Maarten/St. Martin truly qualifies as paradise. Her crystal clear waters are host to every type of water sport imaginable. Sailing, surfing, body-boarding, wake-boarding, jet-skiing, para-sailing, windsurfing, snorkeling, diving, kayaking, and now, the latest fad, 'Kite-surfing' or 'Fly-surfing'. For those who are inexperienced but have “always wanted to try it”, lessons are available for all activities.
For those who prefer to be airborne, why not do your first parachute jump over this beautiful Caribbean island? And closer to the ground there is horseback riding, hiking, mountain biking and numerous gyms and sporting clubs.
 
On the calmer side, there are many local and historical museums, art galleries and beauty spots to visit, and excursions leave several times a day to many of St. Maarten/St. Martin's neighboring islands. Whatever you decide to do on your visit to this island paradise, you will not be disappointed – though you may be a little tired!

The capital city of Philipsburg bustles with activity in its duty-free shops and glitzy casinos, but still boasts plenty of history. The town's Frontstreet has been a market since the 17th century, when Dutch traders brought their acquisitions to the island from as far away as Indonesia. Courthouse. The most distinctive structure in town, this green and white building was built in 1793 and renovated just a few years ago. It's a popular meeting site for shoppers on Front- street and the taxi stand is nearby.St.MaartenMuseum, 119 Frontstreet, Philipsburg. Housed in a re-stored 19th-century West Indian house in downtown Philipsburg,this museum features the history and culture of the island. Displays include artifacts from prehistoric to modern times. Open 9 to 4 week- days and 9 to noon on Saturdays.

Dutch Sint Maarten is distinctly more urbanized than its Gallic
neighbor, the result of over 40 years in the tourism industry.
Nonetheless, visitors find plenty of outdoor space to hike, bike, snor-
kel, scuba dive and, most especially, to boat.
Sint Maarten is on the southern side of the island, an irregular-
shaped body of land that's punctuated by salt ponds and the immense
Simpson Bay.
The eastern reaches of Sint Maarten overlook the Atlantic, from
beaches such as Oyster Pond and Dawn Beach. These beaches are
backed by roads that snake their way through a labyrinth of steep
hills. Most notable is Naked Boy Hill, named after the legend of a
former resident who lived on the hill and had nomeans of transporta-
tion other than walking. When he climbed, he took off his clothes so
he wouldn't get them sweaty.
All the east side roads eventually lead to the capital city of
Philipsburg, a narrow strip of a town tucked between Great Bay and
the Great Salt Pond. The town is long and composed of just a few
streets, primarily Frontstreet along the bayfront and Backstreet, one
block over. The streets are connected by passages lined with shops.
Expect traffic to be slow going through Philipsburg just about any
time of day.Narrow streets, plenty of cars and lots of pedestrians keep
things at a crawl.Most visitors should plan to walk fromshop to shop,
by far the easiest mode of transportation.