Things To Do St Maarten Cruise Port – Airplane Beach + More

Are you cruising into the St Maarten Cruise Port? St. Maarten is a beautiful island located in the northeastern Caribbean. The island is divided between two countries, with the southern part belonging to the Netherlands and the northern part being a French territory. St. Maarten is known for its stunning beaches, crystal-clear waters, and vibrant culture. Visitors can enjoy a wide range of activities, including snorkeling, diving, and exploring the island’s rich history. The island also offers a unique culinary experience with a blend of Dutch, French, and Caribbean influences. St. Maarten is a popular destination for tourists seeking relaxation, adventure, and a taste of island life.

If beautiful St Maarten (also known as St Martin or Saint Martin) is on your cruise itinerary, this post will help you decide which excursions are the best options. Keep in mind that if you are cruising into the island, you will arrive on the Dutch side of St Maarten, though you are free to explore the French side of the island on your visit. The island is a fairly small island with only 37 miles, you could travel from one end to the other in less than an hour. 

The St Maarten Cruise Port welcome over 490 cruise ships in 2023, across two piers. The Harbour Group of Companies recognized the draw to this beautiful country in the early 2000’s and added an additional pier to host more ports at once. While this is great for cruise itineraries, it’s helpful to know just how many ships are in port during your visit. As some areas, tours and beaches can get crowded quick if there are over 10,000 people in port in one day. You can check the cruise ship schedule here. 

Things To Do in St Maarten

• Take a water taxi to a nearby beach or city. There are three water taxi options to take you to different areas of the island- Bobby’s Marina, Captain Hodge Piere and AC Wathey Square, and Walter Plantz Square Pier. 
• Walk to the Town of Philipsburg in ~10 minutes from the cruise terminal. Go shopping on the main streets of the town- Front Street, Backstreet, and Old Street, walk the boardwalk, visit the courthouse, and explore Walter Plantz Square. You will find great duty-free shopping for jewelry, some souvenir shops, and plenty of bars for drinks along the way. 
• Walk to the closest beach in less than 10 minutes! Great Bay Beach is a very short walk from the port, which is very unusual if you have experienced cruise before. We love the option to walk to a beach rather than hiring a taxi driver or booking an excursion. You will find bars and restaurants, stands to rent a beach chair, a playground, and a beautiful white sand beach. 
• Visit the famous Maho Beach, also known as Airplane Beach, while visiting. There is a lot to know about making this a great experience, so head to the below portion of this blog post for all the tips and tricks! 

• Go ziplining! This is a popular attraction in St Maarten because of the incredible views. I would book the earliest time possible and then head to the beach! 
• Take an Island Tour via boat or jet ski. There are plenty of adventurous and fun water sports excursion options that can be booked through your cruise line or separately. Depending on your comfort level, booking separately is usually a better value. 
• Book an ATV tour to see more of the island.
• Go snorkeling or scuba diving! This is a very popular interest in most Caribbean Islands because of the beautiful blue waters, and it’s worth it while visiting the island! You could bring your own gear, book an excursion or find stands near your beach of choice. Look for the multiple shipwrecks off the coast! 
• Visit the Yoda Guy Movie Exhibit if you are a Star Wars fan. This museum is focused on the work of Nick Maley, a special effects make-up artist, and is sure to give fans a behind-the-scenes glimpse into his work. 
• Spend the day at Loterie Farm Nature Reserve. Across 135 acres of land you can zipline, swim, hike, and enjoy an amazing meal with an incredible view. 
• Visit destinations on the French side of the island. Orient Beach is a beautiful beach with restaurants and beach clubs, 
• Walk around Port St Maarten. This is one of the busier ports, with bars, restaurants, shops, and more. We ended our day here with incredible guavaberry cocktails!  
• Book a luxury excursion. This Five-Hour luxury catamaran tour will give you a glimpse of the stunning oceans, beautiful beaches, and tropical fish. 
• See the rugged side of the island by opting for a more adventurous experience with an eco-tour. 

Visiting Maho Beach

Are you planning on visiting Maho Beach in Maarten? Excited to see the airplanes take off and land right above you? Don’t buy the excursion!! Take this advice instead and enjoy more time on the beach! If you aren’t as interested in the airplanes and want to get a glimpse of the island, head to the bottom of this post for insights on what you should do instead.

Before diving in, in case you don’t know about Maho Beach- Maho Beach in St. Maarten is a world-famous beach known for its unique experience of watching airplanes take off and land right above the beach. Located near the Princess Juliana International Airport, it’s a popular attraction for tourists. The beach offers an exciting and memorable experience as visitors watch large planes fly low overhead. Maho Beach is a must-visit destination for Caribbean cruise passengers and beach lovers alike.

If you’re cruising into the port of Maarten, you’ll notice there are several excursion options. Food and drink tours, ATV tours, catamaran tours, etc. but the main draw for many people is airplane beach and for good reason…it’s incredible! If you are visiting Maho Beach, you will be on the Dutch side of the island. 

Cruise lines have minimal options for excursions to Maho Beach. You’ll likely see $79-$159 per person excursions that involve a few hours on a boat and a quick stop at the beach or a food tour that includes 45 minutes on the beach. Don’t buy it! 

If you want to see Airplane Beach, do this…

1. Walk off of the cruise ship and towards the port exit 👉🏽 
2. Look for an orange sign that says “land taxi dispatch area”. You’ll then see a big blue sign that says “taxi dispatch.” 
3. Under the blue sign, you’ll meet some very friendly tour operators. They charge around $16 per person for round-trip service to Maho Beach (Airplane Beach). They will give you a wristband, load you into a shuttle, and off you go! 

You are now on your way to a great day visiting Maho Beach!

To make the most of your day visiting Maho Beach (Airplane Beach), you should prepare in a few ways.

• Before your trip, look up which planes will land during your arrival at Maho Beach. The local restaurants have chalkboards, but they only listed about five of the 20+ we watched fly in! 
• Disembark from the ship as early as possible! You want to get to the beach as soon as you can because it gets very busy very quickly. We arrived around 9:15 am and left the beach at 1 pm. It was nearly empty from 9:15-10 am. 
• Hop on the taxi from the port (as mentioned above!) and grab a spot on the beach as soon as you arrive.
• Send someone in your group to grab drinks from Sunset Bar & Grill. Drinks are between $8-$16 depending on the size and what you’re getting. We also bought a fresh coconut for $5. They also have a small pool, gift shop, restaurant and bathrooms! It’s $1 to use the bathrooms. 

VERY IMPORTANT: Be extremely careful in the ocean; the waves and rip currents are intense and very dangerous. 

Also important: the tide comes in quickly!! Keep your stuff towards the road on the back of the beach. 

We had a great day visiting Maho Beach with planes landing every 15-20 minutes. We heard from a few people that this isn’t always the case, so double-check before planning a full day on the beach.

If you want to avoid Airplane Beach, the beaches, restaurants, and small towns in St Maarten are stunning! There is far more to do and see outside of Airplane Beach, so if you have more time, check out all the country has to offer!

No matter how you spend your time in Sint Maarten, you will be sure to have an amazing experience. Its a very friendly island, easy to get around due to diverse transportation options, and a focus on cruise passengers.