Our Circle-the-Island Tour is perfect for visitors who want to see the true St. Maarten, a seamless blend of rural,colonial past and metropolitan present.
Our DSTA drivers will show all the major districts of both Dutch side and French side in our three-hour, Circle-the-Island Tour. We also walk you through the history that is laced in each town on the island.

Starting in Philipsburg, our drivers show you the historic great Salt Pond. Our drivers then take you to Fort Amsterdam in Little Bay where the Dutch defended the island’s coast from other colonists hundreds of years ago before continuing the one of the best panoramic views on St. Maarten/St. Martin.

You then visit Harold Jack’s Lookout Point on Cole Bay Hill that overlooks the entire “over-the-hill” basin – Gibbs’ Bay, Cole Bay, Cay Bay, Simpson Bay and Cupecoy – in a magnificent panoramic fame, before our driver takes you to see Simpson Bay up close.

With dozens of bars, restaurants, nightclubs and other businesses, Simpson Bay is poised to become the island’s second town. There, you can see the world-famous Princess Juliana International Airport and Sunset Beach Bar. Our airport is the second busiest in the Caribbean. Sunset Beach Bar allows you a uniquely close view of airplanes landing that has earned St. Maarten’s airport a spot in the Guinness Book of World Records.

DSTA drivers then take you through the luxurious Maho restaurant and hotel district before going to the exclusive Cupecoy district.

All of this culture, history and fun you will experience before even entering French St. Martin.

Try not to blink as you cross the symbolic Dutch-French border into, literally, a whole, new world.

Starting with the upscale Lowlands district, our driver shows you the unique blend of people, places and history that makes St. Maarten/St. Martin the best place in the Caribbean to visit.

In Cupecoy, you can see dozens of multimillion-dollar villas in exclusive and mostly-gated properties. World-famous Harry Belafonte is among the many wealthy owners who have laid claim to this district.

Next is Sandy Ground, which is a rustic vestige of St. Martin’s past.
It is a close-knit town dotted with a few stores and commercial spaces. Enjoy the drive as you are led to Marigot, French St. Martin’s capital.

Spend some time shopping or strolling this busy-yet-peaceful town, in a 45-minute rest stop, before the tour continues to the hillside villages of Cripple Gate and Friar’s Bay, past Colombier and Rambaud, and to La Savanne, known for its fantastic view of Anguilla in the distance.

Next is the quaint Grand Case fishing village, which is two towns in one. Grand Case is the dining capital of French St. Martin. .

Our drivers take you past the regional airfield of L”Esperance Airport through the commercial and industrial French Cul-de-Sac district all the way to Orient Bay, with its famous Nude Beach. Enjoy the views of Pinel Island – just off the shore – and Flat Island (Tintemarre) in the distance in a 20-minute rest stop.

The tour ends with a journey through French Quarter (Quarter d”Orleans) into Dutch Quarter past the cultural and epicurean Belvedere Border Point. Our driver then takes you through Middle Region, Upper and Lower Princess Quarter and Sucker Garden back into Philipsburg.

There you get to decide whether to shop in town or return to the cruise terminal.

Want to get an up-close-and-personal tour of St. Maarten/St. Martin?
Want to see where residents live, shop and go to school?

Our City Tour takes you to the friendly, residential side of the island, away from large stores and bright nightlife.

Read more about this tour
Starting in Philipsburg, our drivers show you the Little Bay and Belair districts, and then to the Harold Jack Lookout Point on Cole Bay Hill.

Our drivers then take you to Cole Bay, one of biggest districts on Dutch St. Maarten or French St. Martin that’s both residential and commercial. Watch for the change.

Enjoy miles of undeveloped wild country in Bellevue as our drivers take you the French side’s Marigot capital.
Explore French boutiques, cafes and stores in Marigot as you immerse yourself in the perfect French Caribbean ambiance that only St. Martin provides.

Forty-five minutes later, the tour continues past the hillside villages of Cripple Gate and Friars Bay, past Colombier and Rambeau and to La Savanne, known for its fantastic view of Anguilla in the distance.

Next is the quaint Grand Case fishing village, which is two towns in one. Grand Case is the dining capital of French St. Martin.

Our drivers take you past the regional airfield of L”Esperance Airport through the commercial and industrial French Cul-de-Sac district all the way to Orient Bay, with its famous Nude Beach. Enjoy the view in a 20-minute rest stop there where you can soak in the views of Pinel Island – just off the shore – and Flat Island (Tintemarre) in the distance.

The tour ends with a journey through French Quarter (Quarter d”Orleans) into Dutch Quarter past the cultural and epicurean Belvedere Border Point. Our driver then takes you through Middle Region, Upper and Lower Princess Quarter and Sucker Garden back into Philipsburg.

There you get to decide whether to shop in town or return to the cruise terminal.

See The Friendly Island from its highest peaks in the Mountain-Top Tour, an excellent, two-hour trek to the most breathtaking sites on St. Maarten/St. Martin.

You get an eagle-eye’s view of everything worth seeing at once: the homes, the shops, the landmarks, the people – all with a knowledgeable DSTA driver as your guide.

Visit Point Blanche Hill, Little Bay Hill, Cole Bay Hill, Fort Hill, Orient Bay Hill, Oyster Bay Hill, Dawn Beach Hill, Sentry Hill, and of course, the highest peak on the island, Pic Paradis.

Many of these peaks allow you extraordinary views of nearby islands Saba, St. Eustatius, Anguilla and St. Barth’s, and on a clear. Sunny day, you can even see the rooftops on houses from here.

The Friendly Island’s hills are more than just eye candy, though.
History is everywhere once you know where to look.
Dutch St. Maarten’s Fort Amsterdam on Little Bay Hill is where Dutchman Peter Stuyvesant lost his leg in a cannon battle.
French St. Martin’s Fort Hill, once a major strategic post, towers above the port town of Marigot with its sidewalk cafes, open-air markets and duty-free shops.

Our driver takes you to the outskirts of Marigot and past the hillside villages of Cripple Gate and Rambeau past Paradise Hill and over to La Savanne with its fantastic view of Anguilla in the distance.

See slices of St. Martin’s past with roaming goats, sheep and other livestock in French Cul-de-Sac as you make your way to Orient Bay Hill and the famous Nude Beach. Take pictures or record the views of Pinel Island – just off-shore – or Flat Island (Tintemarre Island) in the distance.

The tour ends with trips to Oyster Bay Hill and Dawn Beach Hill, and then our driver takes you through the Middle Region neighborhood and to the Upper Princess Quarter lookout point. Get some of the most fantastic shots of Philipsburg as far as the A.C. Wathey Cruise and Cargo Facilities (the Great Bay Harbor), where your cruise ship is docked.

Our driver then takes you down the winding road through Lower Princess Quarter and Sucker Garden back to Philipsburg. There you can choose to stay and shop or return to the cruise terminal.