10 Day Eastern Caribbean Cruise From Charleston

It’s the largest of the three U.S. Virgin Islands, lying 40 miles south of St. Thomas and St. John. While its history is laced with tales of pirates and privateers, the island today maintains a slower, more quiet pace than its sisters to the north.

Columbus landed here in 1493 and had a rather unpleasant run-in with the indigenous Arawak Indians. Since then, the history of St. Croix is the history of European colonialism: sugar plantations, slave trading and, today, tourism. To walk this island is to enter history. There are beautiful beaches and many excellent resorts to enjoy.

Thirty seven sandy beaches, sparkling Caribbean seas, soothing trade winds, fine dining and incredible duty free shopping combine to make St.Martin/St.Maarten a true vacationers paradise.

Destination St. Martin is proud to represent a number of smaller hotels on the French side of the island; generally not the type of places found in the glossy tourist brochures but rather more intimate yet immaculate properties which allow the visitor to experience true island life. Accommodations are available on the beach in the beautiful French village of Grand Case, in Nettle Bay near the town of Marigot and at popular Orient Beach.

The smallest island in the world ever to have been partitioned between two different nations, St. Martin/St. Maarten has been shared by the French and the Dutch in a spirit of neighborly cooperation and mutual friendship for almost 350 years.

The border is almost imperceptible and people cross back and forth without ever realizing they are entering a new country. The only marker is a monument between Union Road and Bellevue, testifying to centuries of peaceful cohabitation and the treaty that made the arrangement possible.

All the same, each side has managed to retain much of the distinctiveness of its own national culture. The French tend to emphasize comfort and elegance. The beaches are secluded, the luxury resorts provide lavish accommodations, and the restaurants offer some of the finest dining experiences anywhere in the Caribbean. The latest French fashions can be found in many of the shops, and the smell of fresh croissants and pastries mixes everywhere with the spicy aromas of West Indian cooking. Small caf’e9s and charming bistros add a decidedly Gaelic and cosmopolitan flair to the place. On the whole the atmosphere remains very relaxed.