Info about St Martin
Saint Martin culture and tourism
Although it is a small island, Saint Martin or Sint Maarten is one amalgam of people, traditions and customs. If you come here, you have to be prepared to meet a lot of different nationalities in a quite small location.
Even the name or the two names of the island are a clue about its richness when its comes to cultures. The island is shared between the French and the Dutch with an approximate percent of 60 to 40. However, there is no boundary between the two parts of the island and tourists can visit both of them without any effort. The territory of the island has been split like this for almost four hundred years, so it is nothing unusual for the locals.
Nevertheless, there are some differences between the French Saint Martin and the Dutch Sint Maarten.
The Duch side of the island reminds somehow of the free spirit of Neatherlands. It is renown for the active nightlife, great bars and clubs, jewelry, original drinks made with local rum, beaches and the great number of casinos. Here is a fact though: marijuana is not legal like in Neatherlands, so keep it cool during this vacation.
The French side is well, a lot more like.. France. Its cuisine is famous and gourmet dishes can be bought here at reasonable prices. Another attractions of this area are represented by shopping, nude beaches and clothes( Paris-France-Saint Martin?). Apart from the French cuisine, you can also try some quality Indian food here.
There are more languages spoken on this island. The official languages are French on the French side and Dutch and English in the Dutch area. However, the most frequently language spoken here is English as the local people have developed their own dialect of English. Other languages spoken here are Granch creoles, Spanish and Papiamento, a language spoken on more Carribean islands. Although the total population reaches a mere of 69,000 people, on Saint Martin island are present about 70 different nationalities.
Saint Martin or Sint Maarten represents a great holiday destination for the entire family. Apart from the pristine beaches and shallow waters, there are many options to spend your free time. First of all, there are all the water sports you can try such as windsurfing, kitesurfing, parasailing, wakeboarding, water skiing, diving, snorkeling and jet ski. After these you can consider many other activies among which you can include even hiking on the local peak Paradise.
Saint Martin or Sint Maarten is one unique place in the world. It is the smallest island on the globe to host two different countries and the impressive number of nationalities present here is even more impressive. Here you can find characteristics of two European important cultures, The French and the Dutch one and their elements are quite distinctive from cuisine to the energy of their parties. However, it keeps something of the Carribean spirit, so you are sure to have fun during your holiday. Come here and you will not regret your decision!