It is not every day that it is possible to visit two countries in the same afternoon, but in saint martin (island of san martin in Portuguese), move from Netherlands to the France in a few minutes is an easy task.
That’s because the small Caribbean island of just over 95 km² is divided into two independent countries.
St. Martin , in the north, is French and corresponds to an overseas collectivity of the Republic of France; already St. Maarten in the south, is Dutch, being a country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
Despite the differences related to languages, cultures, hotel offer and nightlife, both territories share the same wonder: the crystal clear waters of the caribbean sea which here gain even more special shades of turquoise blue.
At 37 beaches of the island facilitate the task of relaxing on the sands along with time-consuming sea baths and are where the real dolce far niente resides – or rather, the joie de vivre!
Tourists, mostly North Americans, French, Dutch and from other parts of Europe, seek Saint Martin mainly when the cold sets in in the Northern Hemisphere.
They trade coats for swim trunks and bikinis from November to early April, the high season. But don’t worry, because regardless of the season, the island registers between 25°C and 32°C all year round.
Neighboring Anguilla, a less hectic island and a refuge for celebrities, Saint Martin can be accessed by Brazilians via a connection in Panama – the most common route and which lands at Princess Juliana International Airport, an attraction in itself.
The arrival
Landing in Saint Martin is already an experience in itself. Main gateway to the island, the Princess Juliana International Airport (SXM) it appears in the lists of the most famous and peculiar airports in the world.
The reason? The track is just a few meters from the beach sand.
Every day, tourists flock to maho beach to witness up close large planes that land a few meters above their heads or experience the strong gusts of wind caused by jet engines at takeoff time.
Both the airport and Maho Beach are on the Dutch side of the island, the beach being one of the essential sights on the itinerary – after all, who wouldn’t be seduced to take a beyond instagrammable photo with crystal clear waters in the background and huge planes in the center?
It is worth mentioning that the French side also has an airport, the Grand Case-Espérance Airport, but it is much smaller and operates regional flights to other islands.
French vs Dutch side
Interesting fact is that, unlike other countries in the world, the border between the two sides is only symbolic that is, there is no military or customs control on the line that separates the territories.
Not far from Princess Juliana Airport, a small obelisk from 1948 is the construction that symbolizes the division between the areas, where flags of France and Holland are hoisted in their proper markings.
A line on the road helps to give the dimension of which side is which and is unique opportunity to step on two countries at the same time.
Source: CNN Brasil
Johanna Foster is an expert opinion writer with over 7 years of experience. She has a reputation for delivering insightful and thought-provoking articles on a variety of subjects. Her work can be found on some of the top online news websites, and she is currently lending her voice to the world stock market.
