St Martin
Where the Caribbean meets the French Riviera
Enquire Now →St Martin is the only place in the Caribbean where you can anchor off a beach club serving Château Pétrus and be back on the water before lunch. A single island divided between two nations, it manages the rare trick of being genuinely cosmopolitan without ever losing sight of what makes the Caribbean so compelling in the first place.
On the French side, St-Martin delivers Michelin-quality dining, boutique hotels and a refined, unhurried pace that feels closer to the Côte d'Azur than the tropics. Cross into Dutch Sint Maarten and the mood shifts entirely, livelier, more social, with a marina culture and nightlife scene that draws a committed international crowd. Between the two lies one of the most varied and rewarding charter grounds in the entire Caribbean: pristine anchorages, sheltered bays, world-class beach clubs, and waters warm enough to swim in year-round. For guests who want the full spectrum of Caribbean life,seclusion and sophistication, culture and coastline; St Martin delivers it all within a single, extraordinary island.
Enquire about St Martin →
More in The Americas & Caribbean
3 reasons St Martin
belongs on your charter list
Two Cultures, One Extraordinary Island
St Martin is the smallest island in the world shared between two sovereign nations, a division that dates to a 1648 treaty between France and the Netherlands and has shaped everything about the island ever since. The French side moves at a slower, more considered pace: Marigot's waterfront market, the shuttered colonial architecture, the instinct to linger over a long lunch. Dutch Sint Maarten brings a livelier energy — Philipsburg's bustling harbour, Simpson Bay's marina culture, and a cosmopolitan social scene that draws a genuinely international crowd. From the water, the transition between the two is seamless. In character, the contrast is everything.
Gastronomy at its best
Grand Case has no real right to be as good as it is. A single road running along a quiet bay on the French side of the island, it has quietly become one of the most celebrated dining streets in the entire Caribbean, a concentration of serious French-Creole kitchens, fresh seafood and wood-fired grills that would hold their own in any European city. Beyond Grand Case, the food culture extends in every direction: beach barbecues on Pinel Island, freshly caught lobster grilled at the water's edge, Marigot's morning market stacked with spices, tropical fruit and artisan cheeses. For guests who measure a charter as much by what they eat as where they anchor, St Martin is without rival in this part of the world.
Wind, Water & Open Sea
St Martin's geography creates conditions that suit almost every kind of guest. The sheltered lagoon between the French and Dutch sides offers calm, warm water ideal for paddleboarding, kayaking and leisurely swimming. The northeastern coast opens up to consistent trade winds that make it one of the Caribbean's premier kitesurfing destinations, with Orient Bay long established as the go-to spot. Below the surface, the waters around St Martin and neighbouring Pinel Island offer some of the most rewarding snorkelling and diving in the northeastern Caribbean — abundant marine life, clear visibility and a handful of wreck sites that add an extra dimension for the curious. Ashore, deep-sea fishing charters, beach clubs and water taxis to quiet offshore cays complete a picture of a destination that is as active or as restful as you choose to make it.
Selected Yachts for St Martin Charter
View full fleet →
The places that
define St Martin
Planning your St Martin voyage
Peak Season
The finest window for luxury yacht charter in St Martin. The northeast trade winds blow consistently, skies are clear, and the island is fully alive, Grand Case buzzing, Simpson Bay's marina culture at its most social, and the French side at its most Riviera-like. The division between two nations feels most vivid when both are operating at full stretch. 26–28°C
Shoulder Season
Warm, mostly dry, and noticeably quieter. The trade winds ease, anchorages open up, and the island retains all its character without the peak season crowd. Grand Case remains open and unhurried, arguably the best time to experience it properly. Good value, excellent conditions, and space to breathe. 27–29°C
Hurricane Season
St Martin lies within the Atlantic hurricane belt and the island has direct experience of serious storms. Most charter yachts relocate to the Mediterranean for these months. Swisspath can arrange a seamless Mediterranean itinerary for guests who prefer to stay on the water through the summer. 28–30°C
What our charter specialists say about St Martin
Is St Martin a good starting point for a Caribbean yacht charter?
It is one of the most strategically positioned and well-equipped charter hubs in the entire Caribbean. St Martin combines straightforward international flight access with full-service marinas, immediate proximity to some of the Leeward Islands' finest cruising grounds, and a dual-island character that means the experience begins the moment you step ashore. From here, itineraries can move effortlessly towards Saint Barthélemy, Anguilla, or further into the northeastern Caribbean depending on the duration and ambition of the charter. For guests seeking a seamless embarkation with immediate variety, St Martin is consistently the most practical and refined place to begin.
What islands can you visit from a St Martin yacht charter?
A well-designed one-week itinerary will typically take in St Martin itself alongside Saint Barthélemy and Anguilla, three islands of genuinely distinct character within comfortable sailing distance of one another. St Barths delivers its celebrated French atmosphere, refined beach clubs and exceptional dining. Anguilla offers something quieter and more elemental: long, undeveloped beaches and water clarity that is difficult to overstate. With ten days or more, itineraries can extend towards Saba, St Kitts and Nevis, or further south depending on cruising range and the pace the group prefers. The distances throughout are manageable, allowing for meaningful time ashore without demanding long open-water passages.
How does St Martin compare to St Barths for a yacht charter?
St Barths carries the headline name, but St Martin is where the region's charter infrastructure truly lives. Saint Barthélemy is smaller, more concentrated, and deeply seasonal in atmosphere — it is best experienced as a highlight within a broader itinerary rather than a base in its own right. St Martin offers greater marina capacity, more flexibility in vessel choice, and a far wider range of cruising options. Many of our most successful itineraries begin in St Martin and include St Barths as a natural centrepiece along the route. For guests seeking both refinement and range, St Martin is almost always the stronger starting point.
When is the best time to charter a yacht in St Martin?
The Caribbean charter season runs from December through April, with January to March widely regarded as peak. Conditions during these months are reliably dry and warm, supported by steady trade winds that make for excellent sailing throughout. December and New Year bring a particularly vibrant social atmosphere, especially around St Barths, while March and April offer equally fine conditions with a slightly more composed feel ashore. The official hurricane season runs from June through November, and while early winter remains the firmly preferred window, shoulder-season charters can offer greater availability for guests with flexibility on timing.
Is St Martin suitable for a superyacht charter?
Very much so. St Martin is home to some of the Caribbean's most capable superyacht facilities, including the marinas at Port de Plaisance and Simpson Bay, both of which offer the infrastructure, provisioning networks and technical services that larger vessels require. Its position at the centre of the northeastern Caribbean makes it a natural operational base for high-season charters, combining logistical efficiency with immediate access to some of the region's finest cruising grounds. For guests arriving with larger vessels and higher expectations, St Martin handles both with considerable ease.
Is St Martin suitable for a family yacht charter?
It is well suited to it. The region offers calm anchorages, warm clear water and a variety of beaches that work for different ages and temperaments — Anguilla's long, gently shelving beaches are particularly appealing for younger guests, while St Barths provides the cultural and culinary depth that older family members tend to appreciate. The relatively short cruising distances mean itineraries can flex around the pace of the group without anyone feeling rushed or confined. Ashore, the combination of French and Dutch hospitality creates an atmosphere that is relaxed, welcoming and instinctively family-friendly.
