The small beach is located adjacent to the airport. With the airport's landing strip literally…read moresteps away. The planes fly directly over your head to land! This is what the beach is famous for. A two way road sits between the beach and a gate around the runway. Every once in a while instead of landing, a plane will take off from said runway. If these planes are traveling away from the beach, their rear jets will face this gate. For some thrill seekers holding onto this gate and experiencing the jet blast is "a thing". The force of the blasts and visible plume of chemical gases, are beyond dangerous. The locals tell of a person who was blown from the gate right into the path of a car. There is clear signage that encourages folks not to engage in this behavior. The beach itself was clean and the waters clear. All beaches in St. Maarten are public and no lifeguards were present. Signage tells you to swim at your own risk. We enjoyed taking in the sun, taking dips in the Caribbean Sea and seeing the occasional plane land. Yeah, we stayed away from the gate.

Beautiful beach with very soothing water. Very clean and nice to relax in. Bring cash to purchase a…read morechair and umbrella.

Room 55 should come with a disclaimer…read more Within less than 24 hours of checking in, it became clear that this place is nowhere near acceptable standards. The second bedroom bathroom had visible stains in the bathtub from the moment we walked in--but that was just the beginning. When we actually turned on the faucet, it ran brown water. Not "slightly off," not "maybe it's the pipes"--brown. Naturally, we checked the primary bathroom, hoping it was isolated. Unfortunately, the water there was also questionable, which raises serious concerns about overall water quality. To make matters worse, the floors throughout the unit were visibly dirty upon arrival, making it clear that basic cleaning standards were not met. The entire space felt neglected and not properly maintained. We documented everything with photos and videos because this situation was that concerning. This is not just about aesthetics--this is about health and safety. We will be vacating immediately and pursuing a full refund. I strongly recommend future guests think twice before booking, especially if you're assigned Room 55. Also, the front desk manager, Roslyn was not kind with our request to vacate the property and continues to say that we have to be charged to penalty of an extra night for leaving early. Very disappointing.

Need a better solution for the flies. If you zoom you will see. Within 2 minutes of food being…read moredelivered to the table, a fly was in the food. It made it impossible to enjoy the great views or the food that should have been great. Rude to the chef for them to not figure out a solution.

It's all about the beautiful beach of Great Bay. It felt like we were the only ship in port that…read moreday which made it even more relaxing and enjoyable. The aqua blue water is stunning here. There's even a boardwalk that runs along the beach. Great Bay Beach is on a strip of land between Great Bay and Great Salt Pond. It's super easy to get to by water taxi (only $7 round trip). With that said, it's a very walkable part of Philipsburg full of local flavor. We walked from east to west, from Front Street to Back Street, so that we could learn as much as we could about the culture here during our shore day. The west side has many public art murals as well as a fountain square dedicated to a local legend, Walter "Plantz" Williams. His sculpted bust had been lost at sea during Hurricane Irma, but somehow made it's way back to the beach exactly 4 years later. The east side has shopping, restaurants, and charming passageways. A highlight for me was discovering a very unique sculpture in front of the Courthouse. One that has a mirror shaped like Africa that is placed behind the subject's head to reveal a Sankofa bird. The Caribbean woman in the sculpture represents "Oualichi" or "land of the brave and beautiful women." It's very moving, and especially after reading the interpretation of it on the plaque. So, it ended up not being just about the beach. We did find some gems along the way, and not just the jewelry kind. We had a great lunch on Old Street, and a cold gelato treat on Front Street as we made our way back to the water taxi pick-up point on the boardwalk. It was a hot & beautiful day in Sint Maarten!

Very nice beach, located in the city of Philipsburg, Sint Maarten. The Great Bay Beach is pretty…read morewell developed, with the Eastern portion covered with restaurants and bars that are also renting loungers and umbrellas, most often as a deal with a bucket of bottled beer for under $40 USD. There were plenty of chairs available, so one could get a good location with a bit of exploring. The beach also runs parallel to Front Street, where there are plenty of duty-free shops and attractions. The beach itself has an under-developed portion to the West, where if you brought your own towel or chair, you could hang out at the beach unbothered (pretty empty on this side on a Wednesday afternoon). The water is warm, the sand is fine, and the surf moderate...could easily be an afternoon at the beach if you have the time. I did walk to the end of the beach to the West and there is an abandoned beach hotel on that side (along with a few beach houses on the way, some being renovated)

As a child we used to be able to walk to this beach from my parents house on St. Louis Road. This…read morebeach always brings back fond memories, and the fact that I can continue to come here when I visit is a huge blessing. Today I'm frequently 978 Beach bar and restaurant owned by a lovely family who are friends of ours. They have a wonderful staff, amazing drinks and scrumptious food on the menu. Service starts at 10 AM when you can order drinks and the kitchen opens at 11:30. While I sip on my espresso martini and wait for the kitchen to open, I gladly take in the calming sounds of the waves and the beautiful scenery the beach and the 978 establishment has to offer. This is a must on the French side of the island!

A calm beach with lots of locals. We were able to enjoy the water with no waves! Lots of boats park…read morenear the shore therefore the views are gorgeous!

Overrall had a great experience. We arrive 40 mins before closing and were not rushed at all. The…read moreserver was attentive and made sure we were taken care of. Drinks were refreshing and food was fresh but lacked seasoning. The beach chairs were free and even though their beach club technically closed at 5, to outside guests, we didn't leave until 6pm

I frequent SXM 2-3 times a year and I ave been coming for 6 years now. I kept saying I have to…read morecheck out Mary's Boon. I came on a Thursday to enjoy the day, the beach and some good eats and drinks. I am disappointed I waited so long to come. The vibe, the music, the service was great. Shout out to Davia. Her margarita is everything. The food was amazing. We were treated with welcoming open arms. The water was a bit rough but the day was perfect. I loved the music. Prices are very reasonable and the value of what you get is well worth it. Please make your way here. I will definitely be back.

This is a stunningly beautiful and all natural, wild and undeveloped beach. Saline natural state…read moreis the reason we spend 8-10 weeks on Saint Barth each year.