North America
Planes skimming the beach and duty-free streets on a busy island.
Sint Maarten is the Dutch southern half of an island shared with French Saint Martin. Philipsburg's Front Street is lined with shops and faces Great Bay, where cruise ships dock. At Maho Beach, jets land just above sunbathers on their approach to Princess Juliana Airport, and nearby Mullet Bay and Simpson Bay have calmer water and busy marinas.
It is the livelier side of the island, with casinos, beach bars and nightlife, and it is easy to hop across to the French side for lunch. Johnny cakes and guavaberry liqueur are local tastes. December to April is dry and breezy; September and October carry the highest hurricane risk.
January, February, March, April, December.