Grand Case Bay & Creole Rock
A calm crescent fronted by the Caribbean's gourmet village, with the nature reserve's best-known snorkel rock just offshore.
French coves and Dutch arcs, snorkel rocks and lunch bays — the island's coastline, stop by stop.
French and Dutch, calm lagoon and open coast, snorkel rock and lunch bay — Saint Martin's coastline offers more variety per mile than almost anywhere in the Caribbean. These are the stops our captains reach for most.
A calm crescent fronted by the Caribbean's gourmet village, with the nature reserve's best-known snorkel rock just offshore.
Shallow turquoise shallows off a sandy islet — swim, wade, lunch at a beach shack.
Wild, uninhabited, protected — a beach and snorkel stop with genuine castaway atmosphere.
A protected north-coast cove with the Port de Lonvilliers marina — calm and pretty.
Relaxed north-coast beaches a short hop from Marigot — gentle water, casual cafés.
The famous east-coast beach — a breezy, beautiful cruise-by or settled-day stop.
A shallow, reef-sheltered bay with bath-calm water — families and paddleboards love it.
The Dutch side's big sandy arcs — sociable swim stops and golden-hour cruising.
Pick your stops — or let the captain sequence the day around wind and water. Either way, the quotation comes first.
On the French side: the Grand Case bay area, Pinel Island, Tintamarre, Anse Marcel, Friar's Bay, Happy Bay and the Le Galion area. On the Dutch side: Simpson Bay beach, Mullet Bay and Great Bay. Orient Bay on the east coast is a classic pass-by on settled days.
Pinel is one of the island's best-loved boat stops: shallow, clear, protected water off a sandy islet with simple restaurants. The approach is shallow, so yachts stand off and tender or swim guests in.
Creole Rock, off Grand Case inside the nature reserve, is the island's signature snorkel stop — shallow reef with abundant fish. Moorings and reserve rules apply, and conditions are best when the north coast is calm.
Tintamarre is an uninhabited island in the nature reserve with a long beach, clear water and a wild atmosphere. Day stops are a charter classic; overnight mooring requires a request to the reserve at least three days in advance, and drones are prohibited.
Orient Bay is the island's famous east-coast beach — long, breezy and lined with beach bars. It faces the trade-wind swell, so it is typically a scenic cruise-by or a settled-day stop; your captain advises.
Two low-key north-coast beaches near Marigot: Friar's Bay has casual cafés and calm water; Happy Bay, a short walk further, is quieter and prettier still. Both suit a gentle coastal itinerary.
Le Galion is a shallow, sheltered bay inside the reef on the northeast coast — famously calm water popular with families and kite surfers beyond the shallows. A relaxed swim stop in the reserve's orbit, with its rules respected.
In character, yes: Simpson Bay and Great Bay are broad and sociable with beach bars and water sports; Mullet Bay is a beautiful natural crescent; the French side's stops skew toward snorkeling, islets and lunch. A good charter day often mixes both.
Yes, particularly inside the 30 km² Saint Martin Nature Reserve covering the northeast coast. Designated moorings, no-coral anchoring rules and activity restrictions (including drones) apply. Captains handle compliance as part of your charter.
Easily — the island is compact. A common route pairs a Creole Rock snorkel and Grand Case lunch with an afternoon off Tintamarre or Pinel, returning along the coast. Your itinerary flexes with conditions and your pace.