When Visiting St. Maarten Experience Twice The Vacation, Twice The Fun!

St. Maarten is an island with a split personality, thanks to an international border between its two sides: Dutch St. Maarten to the south, French St. Martin to the north. Its capital, Philipsburg - a popular stop for cruise ships - began as a Dutch trading center, and forts around the city are reminders of its strategic importance in St. Maarten’s history. Fort Amsterdam, built in 1631, was the first Dutch military outpost in the Caribbean; the Spanish captured the fort soon after it was completed and kept it until 1648, when they abandoned it. Fort Willem, today topped by a television transmission tower, is great for a hike.

Today tourism is king; bustling Front Street in Philipsburg beckons bargain hunters with 500 duty-free shops. There are 36 sugary sand beaches to visit; one favorite strip is Cupecoy Bay Beach near the Dutch-French border, and windsurfers head to busy Maho Bay Beach, located near the airport. One of St. Maarten’s more private strands is Simpson Bay Beach. Simpson Bay Lagoon is enclosed, making the water a natural for water skiing. Dawn Beach, Oyster Pond and Guana Bay are favourites for snorkeling and windsurfing.

Paradise For Loungers, Hikers, And Divers!

Divers can explore an 1801 British frigate, the coral-covered HMS Proselyte, which sits a mile off the coast. Visitors can lounge on the beach or spend time mountain biking, horseback riding, hiking, playing tennis, or participating in watersports. Adventurers may want to try kiteboarding and operators on the island can also arrange for parasailing, windsurfing and Wave Runner excursions with instruction. Sailing is very popular; experience the thrill of the daily 12-Metre Challenge, a three-hour staged version of the America’s Cup race. Sailors of every skill level can serve as a member of the crew aboard the boats.

Caribbean And South American Animals, Plants, And Birds
Visit the St. Maarten Park, a part of the St. Maarten Zoological and Botanical Garden, filled with Caribbean and South American animals, plants and birds. Spot sleek ocelots and bush dogs, parrots, toucans and owls, boa constrictors and marine toads, even land crabs and giant land snails.

More Than 300 Local And International Restaurants!
After dark, dinner is an international affair, with more than 300 restaurants offering French, Dutch, Caribbean, Italian, Chinese, Indonesian, creole and West Indian menus. Later in the evening, consider visiting one of 12 casinos. Gaming on St. Maarten is “European mode,” quiet and sophisticated.

AIRPORTS/FERRIES/GATEWAYS/FLYING TIMES:
Airport: Princess Juliana International Airport. Gateways/Flying Times: Puerto Rico-.5hours or 1hour on Eagle. Dallas-4.5hours. Miami-2.5 hours. Montreal-5 hours. New York-3.5 hours. Atlanta-4.5hours. Charlott, North Carolina-3.5hours. Philadelphia-4.5hours. There are no direct flights from the UK. Air France fly from Heathrow via Paris, and KLM from Heathrow via Amsterdam. There are local connecting flights from Antigua. All international flights land at Juliana International Airport (SXM), St Maarten, and domestic flights at Aerodrome de L’Esperance (SFG), St Martin.

CLIMATE:
Mean temperature is 80 degrees F year-round; 45 inches of rainfall annually.

DINING:
Local. Fast food. Caribbean. International. Gourmet. Seafood. Steakhouses. Chinese. Italian. French. Mexican. Cuban. Indonesian, Japanese, Indian & Thai.

LANGUAGE:
Dutch is the official language. English and Spanish are also spoken.

NIGHTLIFE:
Dinner/Dance. Musical revues. Discos. Casinos. Concerts.

SIGHTSEEING:
Historic Courthouse-built in 1793 on Front Street. St. Maarten Museum. Baker’s Island Liquors. Guavaberry Shop. Historic Fort Amsterdam in Philipsburg.

***** WEDDING REQUIREMENTS IN ST. MAARTEN *****

Couples planning on getting married on St. Maarten must be at least 18 years of age. Requests must be submitted at the least 14 days prior to the scheduled ceremony to be conducted by the Registrar.

• The following notarized original documents must be submitted to the Registrar with your request:
• A full abridged birth certificate to prove the legality of the same. These documents should beprovided with an • "Apostille" stamp. The "Apostille Stamp" can be obtained at the Secretary of State's office in the various states in the USA.
• In Canada, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Dutch Consulate have to legalize said documents.
• Unmarried persons must present a declaration of marital status not older than 3 months.
• Persons must be 18 years of age.
• Address of both parties.
• Names of parents and maiden name of mother.
• Date and Place of birth of parents.
• Professions of bride and groom and of parents.
• 6 (six) witness if the marriage is performed outside of the Marriage Hall. Non-Dutch witnesses must present a valid passport or a birth certificate with a picture I.D.
• If widow(er), a death certificate.
• If divorced, a divorce certificate or a final judgment decree.
• For minors, permission of the parents is required.
• In the event persons are not of Dutch nationality, a valid passport is required.
• Original documents other than Dutch or English need to be translated into the Dutch language (i.e. a French or Spanish document must be translated into Dutch, not English).
• The cost for contracting foreign marriages is US$285.90 and includes civil ceremony, marriage book, stamps and certificate.
• Marriages will be performed after all documents are found correct by the Civil Registrar.

Questions can be directed to:
Chief Registrar
Census Office
Soualiga Road
Philipsburg, St. Maarten
Fax: + 599-542-4267

Please Note: Wedding requirements above are for information purposes only and may be out of date as of this print. Only use this information on this page as a guideline, and for more current and up to date information, please contact the countries Consular Affairs, Embassy, or the countries Tourism Bureau.