Driving routes, distances and day-trip ideas nearby.
A ready week, day by day: highly rated places, lunches, tours and trips out of town. Ratings and opening hours come from Tripadvisor, distances are real driving distances.
An unhurried first day: the centre on foot, one landmark and a quiet dinner near where you're staying. Don't plan anything far — after travelling, getting your bearings matters more.
All day
A free day — the market, the waterfront, the next neighbourhood over.
Hotel check-in is usually from 2pm — if you arrive earlier, most places will store your luggage.
The fullest day: two or three key places back to back. Start early — queues build by midday at the popular ones, and the light is better for photographs after lunch.
All day
A free day — the market, the waterfront, the next neighbourhood over.
Up to 29 °C in the days ahead — do the walking in the morning and spend midday indoors.
A day for what needs time and attention: museums, historic quarters, and lunch somewhere locals actually go.
Afternoon
4 Hour ATV Guided Tour
5.0· 68from €107
4 Hour ATV Guided Tour — rated 5 from 68 reviews.
Many museums close on a Monday or Tuesday — check the opening hours before you set out.
Get beyond the city: the nearby towns and countryside are usually what stays with you. A rental car is the practical way — public transport on these routes is slow and infrequent.
All day
Simpson Bay
Simpson Bay is 3 km from Cole Bay, about 6m by car. Leave in the morning so you're back before dark.
Book the car ahead: in season there is little left and the counter price is higher.
Rent a car in Cole BayA free day. Go back to wherever you wanted to linger, and add one or two places from the list you haven't reached.
Afternoon
Yoho Pirates Premium Self Drive Speedboat Tour
5.0· 23from €223
Yoho Pirates Premium Self Drive Speedboat Tour — rated 5 from 23 reviews.
Carry some cash for markets and small cafés — cards are not taken everywhere.
A good day for a guided tour: a guide tells you what the signs don't, and takes the driving off your hands.
All day
Marigot
Marigot is 3 km from Cole Bay, about 8m by car. Leave in the morning so you're back before dark.
Book the car ahead: in season there is little left and the counter price is higher.
Rent a car in Cole BayA calm finish: a favourite spot once more, some shopping, a late lunch. Leave yourself room before the airport.
Afternoon
Skip the Line Caribbean Carnival History Admission Ticket
5.0· 17from €36
Skip the Line Caribbean Carnival History Admission Ticket — rated 5 from 17 reviews.
Allow twice what the map says for the airport run — it is never the quiet hour when you need it.
Within a ~2.5h drive of Cole Bay.
Where you can drive from Cole Bay.
Tap a place for photos, opening hours and reviews
Top attractions
Restaurants and cafés
4 Hour ATV Guided Tour
€107
Yoho Pirates Premium Self Drive Speedboat Tour
€223
Skip the Line Caribbean Carnival History Admission Ticket
€36
St Maarten Family Deluxe Tour
€143
Le Martin Boutique Hôtel
from €351 / night
Bleu Emeraude Hotel
from €531 / night
La Playa Orient Bay
from €265 / night
Grand Case Beach Club
from €210 / night
Source — Tripadvisor
excellent value, not walkable to commercial areas
i thought the rooms and the value were incredible. I loved being on the little island. The staff was very professional in resolving an issue I had with the room. My only issue was it's not close to a commercial area, resulting in needing taxis to get to and from the resort
GREAT TIME WITH SXM DIVERS
Had a great time diving with SXM Divers. It’s a solid operation that only takes out small groups. OPERATION: During our week there, we never went out with any more than seven divers, usually less. The prices were very reasonable in comparison to other options on the island, and I was given a discounted rate for bookin…
Culinary Experience(s) Done Well
So when your claim to fame is the "Culinary Capital of the Caribbean", a destination needs to live up to it. And funnily enough, while a vast variety of restaurants on island definitely aligns with this reputation, foodie experiences beyond those are limited. But Creole Culinary Classroom makes the difference by putt…
Old broken boats
Terrible experience. The equipment is very old from the life jackets with the foam coming out and broken zippers to the boats that are old and faling apart. We have 6 members of our family and needed 3 boats. 2 out of the 3 boats would not go more than idle speed and could not keep up with the group. Management at…