Caribbean Compass editor-in-chief Elaine Lembo is no stranger to this destination and looks forward to every opportunity to return. She had so much fun at the Caribbean Multihull Challenge in February 2024 that she stayed on for a month to gain a more complete view of this sailing favorite, the island spotlight Sint Maarten in the May 2024 issue. Here’s a recap of a few of her adventures.
A morning hike up to Fort Amsterdam above Little Bay, Dutch Sint Maarten, highlights the work of Environmental Protection in the Caribbean (EPIC) and the Nature Foundation Sint Maarten, two of several groups working to protect the site of the island’s largest nesting colony for the brown pelican.
The main features of this site are the ruins of buildings and fortifications, cannons, and nesting areas for the brown pelican, the island’s national bird.
This visit is a great way to get outside and learn some history about the Fort and the island, first named Soualiga, meaning “the land of salt.” Because the island’s salt pans and Great Salt Pond were so prized and sought out, the Dutch constructed Fort Amsterdam in 1631 to protect its interests. Over the years, the fort changed hands many times between the Dutch Republic, England and France.
From this vantage point, hikers even get a chance to spy the dayboats bringing snorkelers to the SXM underwater reef attraction, which contains more than 300 artificial reef sculptures placed along a trail in a corner of Little Bay.
An afternoon at the French café Orange Fever at the beach in Orient Bay, St. Martin, was far less challenging and instructive but fun, nonetheless!
