St. Martin
Was discovered by Christopher Columbus
Categories: St. Martin Lesser Antilles Caribbean
St. Martin was discovered by Christopher Columbus on November 11, 1493, the name day of St. Martin, is of volcanic origin and is located in the Caribbean. With a height of 424 m above sea level, Pic Paradis is the highest elevation on the island. A hike there is an experience worth seeing. With 87 square kilometers, St. Martin is the smallest inhabited island that belongs to two states at the same time.
© jessicakirsh / Fotolia
The larger northern part of the island with the capital Marigot belongs to the overseas territory Saint-Martin, the southern part with the capital Philipsburg to the autonomous country Sint Maarten, which belongs to the Netherlands. The currency on the French side is the Euro, on the Dutch side you pay with the Antilles guilder. The US dollar is accepted throughout the island. The border crossing between Saint-Martin and Sint Maarten is very easy.
Compared to its neighboring islands, Saint Martin is heavily populated with about 70,000 inhabitants.
The island has a tropical monsoon climate. From January to April is the dry season, from August to December the rainy season. In April the carnival takes place on the south side of the island for 17 days and nights, a great experience for tourists and locals alike.
St. Martin is a very popular vacation destination, especially for airplane lovers, as the island is famous for the fact that large planes land directly behind the famous beach at the airport and fly over the beach holidaymakers only a short distance away. A very special thrill.
On the beach there is a board on which the daily take-offs and landings are announced. Further attractions of the island are the Front Street in Philipsburg, a shopping street with numerous jewelry stores, boutiques and other small stores, which invites you to stroll and linger and is also popular with day visitors who arrive on the island daily with cruise ships.
Also for water sports friends and divers a vacation on St. Martin is worthwhile, as the many stalls offer enough offers to pursue the hobby in the water and enjoy the crystal clear water of the Caribbean. 
© vrstudio / Fotolia
Beautiful resorts with wellness areas and seafood restaurants provide for the well-being of the vacationers.
Guests can reach their hotels from the airport by cab or shuttle service. It is also possible to rent a car and explore the island on your own by car. The road network is well developed. Many big cities in Europe aim for flights to St. Martin. Depending on the departure point, the flight takes between twelve and fifteen hours. However, direct flights are not possible, usually a stopover in the USA is necessary.
