Other than the language and some of the names, there is little you could describe as characteristically Dutch about Dutch ST MAARTEN . This side of the island, measuring a mere 37 square kilometres, has seen a huge tourist boom since the 1960s, both in overnight and cruise-ship visitors, making it one of the most heavily touristed areas in the region. On the whole, St Maarten seems to be geared towards servicing its international visitors and it can be hard to discern much of an individual identity.

The heavily commercialized town of Philipsburg is the main draw for shoppers and cruise-ship passengers and has the best restaurants, sandwiched in between casinos, T-shirt and duty-free shops and fast-food joints. The town is built right on Great Bay, and has its own large beach.

Relatively few visitors stay in Philipsburg, however, and much of the recent development has been along the western end of the island, south of the giant Simpson Bay Lagoon, where a series of attractive bays indent the coast. Particularly worth making for are Cupecoy Beach and Mullet Beach in the southwest. Despite the fact that this side of the island can feel crowded, there's plenty of fun to be had on the good-quality beaches and at the multitude of lively bars and restaurants.