It may be small but its offer is grand.
 For an island with a big reputation for its restaurants, hotels, and energetic nightlife, St. Maarten is small only 37 square miles, about half the area of Washington, D.C. An island divided between the Netherlands and France, St. Maarten (Sint Maarten) is the Dutch half, and St. Martin is French.

 The divided island is the smallest territory in the world shared by two sovereign states. The only way you'll know you're crossing an international border is when you see the sign bienvenue partie française, attesting to the peaceful coexistence between the two nations. The island was officially split in 1648, and many visitors still ascend Mount Concordia, near the border, where the agreement was reached. Even so, St. Maarten changed hands 16 times before it became permanently Dutch.

 Returning visitors who haven't been to the island for a while are often shocked when they see today's St. Maarten. A sense of freshness and rejuvenation now permeates the island. Duty-free shopping has turned the island into a virtual mall, and the Dutch capital, Philipsburg, is often bustling with cruise-ship hordes. The nightlife is among the best in the Caribbean, with lively happy hours and casinos galore. Sunshine is pretty much guaranteed year-round on St. Maarten, so you can swim, snorkel, and sail almost any day. The island's 36 white-sand beaches remain unspoiled, and the clear turquoise waters are even more enticing.

 Despite its natural beauty, much has been lost to the bulldozer on St. Maarten, too. This is obviously not an island for people who don't like crowds, so if you want to get away from it all, we suggest heading over to the nearby Dutch islands of St. Eustatius (Statia) and Saba. Even the French side of the island would suit you much better. Nevertheless, problems like crime, occasional storms, traffic congestion, and corruption, St. Maarten continues to attract massive numbers of visitors who want a Caribbean island vacation with a splash of Las Vegas.

 The Dutch capital, Philipsburg, curves like a toy village along Great Bay. The town lies on a narrow sand isthmus separating Great Bay and the Great Salt Pond. The main thoroughfare is busy Front Street, which stretches for about a mile. It is lined with stores selling international merchandise—such as French fashions and Swedish crystal. More shops are along the little lanes, known as steegijes, that connect Front Street with Back Street, another shoppers' haven.

 The French side of the island has a slightly different character. It's been undergoing a building boom of late, with lots of new hotels opening, but for now at least, it's still much sleepier than the Dutch side. Most hotels here tend to be quieter and more secluded than their Dutch counterparts, and you won't be overwhelmed with cruise-ship crowds. There are no dazzling sights, there's no spectacular nightlife. Even the sports scene on St. Martin isn't as well organized as on many Caribbean islands. Most people come to St. Martin just to relax on its many white-sand beaches. Mostly they come to sample "France in the Tropics."

 French St. Martin does, however, boast some of the best cuisine in the Caribbean, with an extraordinary number of good bistros and restaurants. It has a distinctly French air. Police officers, for example, wear képis. The towns have names like Colombier and Orléans, the streets are rues, and the French flag flies over the gendarmerie in Marigot, the capital. Its advocates cite it as distinctly more sophisticated, prosperous, stylish, and cosmopolitan than its neighboring départements d'outre-mer, Guadeloupe and Martinique.

  French St. Martin is governed from Guadeloupe and has direct representation in the government in Paris. The principal town on the French side is Marigot, the seat of the sub prefect and municipal council. Visitors come here to shop and to enjoy the excellent food in the Creole bistros.

 Marigot is not quite the same size as its counterpart, Philipsburg, in the Dutch sector. It has none of the frenzied pace of Philipsburg, which is often overrun with cruise-ship passengers. In fact, Marigot looks like a French village transplanted to the Caribbean. If you climb the hill over this tiny port, you will be rewarded with a view from the old fort.