Touching down at Sint Maarten Princess Juliana Intl Airport in St. Maarten places you close to cities like Philipsburg, Marigot, and Grand Case, all easily reachable. St. Maarten is a small island split between a Dutch side and a French side with no hard border, so you can have breakfast in one country and lunch in another. The mood is sunny and social, with beach bars, duty-free shopping, and a serious food culture on the French side.

Top things to do on St. Maarten: - Watch big jets roar in just overhead at Maho Beach beside the runway - Shop and stroll the boardwalk along Front Street in Philipsburg - Eat at a lolo, a roadside barbecue shack, in Grand Case - Book dinner along the restaurant row in Grand Case, the island's food capital - Climb up to Fort Louis for views over Marigot Bay - Take the short boat ride from Cul-de-Sac to Pinel Island for calm water and snorkeling - Swim at Orient Bay, the long beach on the French side - Zipline or hike at Loterie Farm on the slopes of Pic Paradis - Taste guavaberry liqueur, the island's traditional spirit

Since St. Maarten is an island, getting around means short drives on winding coastal roads, and nothing is more than about 45 minutes away. For more, ferries run from Marigot to Anguilla in roughly 25 minutes, and boats reach St. Barths and Saba for day trips. Plan around Carnival in spring if you want music in the streets, or come any time for sunset over the water.