Philipsburg
Sint Maarten · Americas
About Philipsburg
Philipsburgx]) is the main town and capital of Sint Maarten, a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It is located on the southern coast of Saint Martin island, between Great Bay and the Great Salt Pond. It serves as the main port of entry, with the major airport and port located in the vicinity. Tourism is the main economic activity, supported by extensive lodgings and cultural activities. As of 2017, the town had 1,894 inhabitants.
Philipsburg is the main town and capital of Sint Maarten, a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It is located on the southern coast of Saint Martin island, between Great Bay and the Great Salt Pond. It was founded around 1733 by Scotsman John Philips (from Arbroath, Scotland) to centralize trade in the islands. Two forts, Fort Amsterdam and Fort Willem were built in the 17th and 18th century.
Philipsburg has a tropical savanna climate (Köppen Aw), and is drier than most parts of the northeastern Caribbean due to a rain shadow from the island's mountains, drying the northeast trade winds. Due to its location in the Caribbean and the low lying coastal plains...
Philipsburg travel guide
Getting there
Most visitors in Philipsburg arrive via the AC Wathey cruise terminal, which is only a 10 minute walk from the town. Emmaplein bus terminal is the main bus terminal on island and right were cruise and ferry visitors arrive. Buses arrive / depart from here to Marigot, Maho (and airport), St Peters and French Quarter. At Bobby's Marina, many boats depart and arrive from surrounding islands. Voyager and Great Bay Express go to St. Barths from here. Makana Ferry runs services to Saba, Statia and St. Kitts from Bobby's Marina. There is also inter-island day trips and private yacht charters departing and returning to the marina, like PYC and Eagle Tours .
Getting around
Philipsburg is easy to explore and navigate. The beach, boardwalk and front street main street run parallel. Parking at Bobby's Marina or Dock Maarten (both paid parking) on its eastern end is easiest. If you are staying on the island for multiple days, don't be afraid to explore.
Do
There is a lot to in Philipsburg. Its key attractions are: Great Bay Beach along the full length of the capital the Boardwalk alongside it Front Street Shopping Street that runs parallel to the boardwalk. Monuments like the Courthouse and Fort Amsterdam A summary of activities around Philipsburg can be found on the visitstmaarten page.
Buy
Shopping is duty free on the island. Also see notes for St Martin. It is one of the reasons Philipsburg has the reputation of shopping capital of the northeastern Caribbean. Prices are often lower than on surrounding islands. Front Street (Philipsburg's main street) is particularly well known for upscale shops, varying from many branded jewelries to clothing stores. Backstreet, parallel to it, caters more to daily needs of citizens, though also visitors. Old Street is an often photographed alley in between.
Eat
The boardwalk has many restaurants for lunch. Various remain open after cruise ships leave like The Pier, Big Bastards, Sea View, Ocean Lounge and Aziana.
Drink & nightlife
Try local drinks such as Guavaberry Liqueur which is sold in most bars. Seaview and Dutch Blonde Beach Bar offer local craft beer. Ocean Lounge, Seaview, The Pier, Grumpy's and Aziana have a bar and are popular town venues for the evening, especially on Fridays.
Sleep
Philipsburg has many smaller hotels in between of Front Street and the boardwalk. Seaview, Horizon View, Holland House Beach Hotel and Pasanggrahan. At 15 minute walking distance from town, Divi Little Bay and Belair Beach Resort can be found.
Go next
From Philipsburg's Marina, boats depart for day trips or Caribbean island hopping to Anguilla, St. Barths, Saba and St. Eustatius.
Overview adapted from Wikipedia, travel guide fromWikivoyage (CC BY-SA)。Photography via Wikimedia Commons.