Nightlife on Saint-Martin : Going out

Discover Saint Martin : Nightlife

Nightlife

Nightlife on Saint Martin is as rich and diverse as can be, a delight for night owls who like a good party. The island by night offers two faces, similarly to its divided nature in daytime.

Marigot and Oriental Bay are the centre of French nightlife, with an atmosphere resembling that of the mainland: form and style are of great importance, contacts are friendly and service is often professional and of high quality. Life is rather calm in these parts, especially the weekends….even too calm sometimes…. and places close quite early. An interminable night out ends at 2 a.m. the latest in French Saint Martin.

Partying on Sint Maarten is a totally different experience, and though bars are busier at the weekend, you are sure to find a place to go out and not get home until dawn even during the week. When the sun goes down the area is transformed into a miniature Las Vegas with its flashy neon lights and cosmopolitan clientele. Canadians, Americans, Dutch and Scandinavians browse about in Maho’s shops till 11 p.m., and the atmosphere in bars is often quite “hot” in the late hours. Service is acceptable, though less business-like than on the French part. If you’re not the fussy kind, you’ll definitely have a great night out on Sint Maarten. And if you’re single… you will not stay so for long. If you do not appreciate an Anglo-Saxon environment with more concrete than nature (which is not really the thing you’re supposed to be watching out for on a night out), then you’d be better off on the French side of the island, though.