# Antigua > St. Martin w/ Kids?



## snmhanson (Mar 16, 2010)

I am on the verge of committing to a one-way Antigua>St. Martin charter next June with my family. It would be myself, wife, and three kids ages 14, 10 and 8 and we'd be on the boat for two weeks. We've done the BVIs many times and though we like them, they are getting fairly routine for us and we are looking for something new. Just not certain what to expect on a Antigua>St. Martin charter. In particular, will my kids have fun? Or are the islands on that route more suited to adults? We like beaches and snorkeling of course, but we also desire some good dining options and maybe a bit of shopping, not to mention some fun and interesting diversions to explore on land. For better or for worse, we are a bit of an ADD family and quick to move from one thing to the next, so variety is good. As far as sailing, we don't mind a challenge, as long as the conditions don't get too out of hand. However, seems like unless a storm rolls through, that downwind itinerary in June should be fairly straight forward. What I am really hoping is that in addition to this being a great trip, it will also be a good primer to some Mediterranean charters and maybe eventually cruising long-term on our own boat. That said, what I really don't want is for this to be a train wreck and to put my family off the path to chartering/cruising.

Any advice or insight into whether this might be a good trip for us?

Thanks,

Matt


P.S. I did post a similar question several months ago on a different board. And I did do searches for this topic across the internet. Figured I'd post here to get some input from the people on this board before pulling the trigger.


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## TQA (Apr 4, 2009)

Lots to see and do in Antigua. Spend a night in Indian Creek, visit Nonsuch bay and have a pizza at Tamarindos. Snorkel the wreck in Deep Bay etc. 

St Barts. Visit the hill overlooking the airport. Anse de Colombier and Ile Fourche are worthy snorkel spots. 

St Maarten is not my favourite island but Tintamarre is worth a visit providing nudity does not shock you or your family. 

Montserrat is worth a visit to see the devastation that has been wrought by the volcano. Joe Phillip is one recognized taxi guide. We used him and had a fascinating tour. But there is a downside about visiting Montserrat you are giving up easting and will have to beat back. Be aware of the weather coming in.


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## MarkofSeaLife (Nov 7, 2010)

Barbuda, St Barts, Monserrat's volcano (if any of the kids are being a pain in the neck you can chuck them in). Isle Forchue.


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## snmhanson (Mar 16, 2010)

Thanks for the replies. I put the deposit on the charter this morning so we are locked in. Now comes the excitement of planning the passages and where we want to go (and finding airfare). I think my first order of business though is to get a handle on the customs and immigration requirements. I need to figure out when checking in/out is required as well as locations it can be done. I believe that other than between Antigua/Barbuda and Nevis/St. Kitts it will generally be required, but I'm not sure of between St. Barts/St. Martin and between St. Martin/St. Marteen when we are traveling by land. Can anyone enlighten me on any of the requirements? Anything unique in terms of checking in and what we might not be allowed to bring (besides the obvious guns and drugs)? Any islands that make customs exceptionally tough and time consuming and maybe not worth it? FWIW, I am thinking of making our itinerary Antigua>Barbuda>Nevis/St. Kitts>St. Barts>St. Marteen>St. Martin. We will play Montserrat and the other islands by ear when we are down there.

Thanks,

Matt


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## GiantsFan (Jul 25, 2011)

Just back from week in St. Martin/St. Barts/Anguilla. No check in/out between St. Barts and St. Martin as they have common French customs. Sint Maarten (the Dutch side) is different so if you go into that side you will need to clear in/out. Anse du Columbier in St. Barts is beautiful. Gustavia on St. Barts has beautiful town/restaurants. Great food on St. Martin (Grand Case in particular).


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## Captain Canuck (Oct 20, 2014)

If you go to St Maartin, you must get some pastries. Best I've had outside of Europe. The 'Piece of Cake' is a favorite there. Get the Raspberry cake if they have it, it's the single most delicious dessert I've ever eaten.


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## bblument (Oct 22, 2012)

We've stayed in the French side, St. Martin, usually in Grand Case, many times and really enjoy it. The following comments all pertain to that area..

I don't know if you're into live music or not, but if you're in St. Martin on a Thursday night, check out the restaurant/bar Calmos in Grand Case. We've been going there for over 10 years, and there's almost always been this great Cubano band playing. The place gets packed, so get there earlyish if you want to get a table. Calmos is much less formal (you can eat directly on the beach, there's a sand floor throughout the place, etc.) than almost all of the (very expensive) restaurants in Grand Case, but their food is excellent, too. We always get the mixed grille; a couple different types of fish and some shrimp, all grilled perfectly (NOT dried out.. nice char on the outside, but warm and succulent in the inside). Make sure you choose the gratin as your side... it's great. The guys that tend bar and wait tables there are VERY friendly and REALLY hustle when it gets busy.. it's almost like a floor show watching these guys haul huge trays of food through the packed crowd!

If you want to spend a lot of money on a gorgeous hi-end meal, our favorites have been Le Cottage, Le Pressoir, and L'Auberge Gourmand. Only had one really bad meal in all the times we've been to Grand Case, and that place isn't open any more, so no worries!

Some folks rave about the "Lo-Los" as a low-cost alternative to eating in Grand Case.. they consist of four small informal sidewalk-cafe style grill shacks all nestled up against one another right in the middle of the main drag. The one called "Talk of the Town" seems to get the most recommendations. To be honest, I don't really get it. The food, at best, is OK, and not really all THAT cheap. For a family of five, it might be fun to do one night.

Another lower cost option is the last restaurant on the ocean side (your right) as you're reaching the end of Grand Case heading south. It's a creole place, and the food is great.. try the conch or chicken fricasee... and not real expensive. Another decent place to take your family that's less formal. I can't remember the name of it, unfortunately.

A hike up Pic Paradis might be a fun thing to do; my wife and I did it once and enjoyed it, but it's not one of our "must do it every time" items. you'll need to get a cab or rent a car to get there from Grand Case.

There's a "butterfly farm" near Orient Bay that was much more interesting than I thought it would be. Haven't been there in many years, but when we went the guide on duty was great; she spent a lot of time with us, showing us all the different butterflies, cocoons, larvae, caterpillars, and plants they had there. She was also DROP DEAD gorgeous, with a beautiful lilting soft French accent which didn't hurt.... <grin>.. even my wife was captivated, and she's as "straight" as they come...Hmm.. maybe it wasn't the butterflies..

We love Tintemarre; a great place to get your "Gilligan" on. There's nothing there. Beautiful beach. If you're lucky, you may have pretty much the whole island to yourself, but usually, especially from late morning to mid-afternoon, it's a favorite day trip for a lot of other boat folks. If you're feeling adventurous, you can hike across the island at the narrow end, find a small beach on the other side, then hike all the way out to the highest tip of the island. Bring LOTS of water, good foot protection (not just flip flops.. there's some really tough stuff to walk on.. mind your ankles), sun screen, a GPS (or at least do a lot of advance planning so you know what you're getting into), and plan on about four hours all told to get there and back. We've done it once, and it was a great experience, but pretty grueling. Watch your kids carefully; you'll end up on a very high cliff with a gorgeous view, but there's nothing stopping you from going over if you get careless, and you won't live if you do.

Our third favorite beach on St. Martin is Baie Rouge. Again, it's a taxi ride or car rental from Grand Case (or Marigot, the biggest port on the French side), but it's really nice. Reddish sand, a small beach bar where you can also get some ribs cooked to order, and a nice place to snorkel to the right of the beach as you're facing the ocean.

I could tell you where our first and second favorite beaches are, but then I'd have to kill ya...  One of'em used to be deserted all the time, but the secret got out a few years ago and now it's not what it used to be.

Personally, I think St. Martin gets a bad rap from a lot of folks. Yes, there's some spots that aren't the prettiest, and yes, there's evidence of poverty, and yes, there's crime (primarily, folks stealing stuff out of rental cars, EVEN THOUGH YOU'RE TOLD IMMEDIATELY AND CONSTANTLY NOT TO LEAVE ANYTHING IN YOUR CAR... duh). It's a place on earth.. it's not some let's pretend Nirvana or paradise. Overall, the place is gorgeous, the people are friendly, there's lots to do, and it's got the biggest variety of beaches of all types in 34 square miles you'll find anyplace on earth. You can find proverty, crime, and imperfectly maintained neighborhoods anywhere in any country.. to discount all that St. Martin has to offer because of that seems hypocritical. In 13 years, we've had 40 dollars in cash and 40 dollars in traveler's checks stolen out of our car once (our first trip.. we didn't believe the warnings), but they didn't take our credit cards. That's it.. our only bad experience. I could write, non-stop for a month, about all of our wonderful experiences with the natural beauty of the island and the friendliness, helpfulness, and kindess of the people we've met and stayed with during our trips.

Sooo... there's that. I'm not, by any means, an expert on the island; just an addicted tourist who speaks just enough French to stay out of trouble. We'll be back this February.. can't wait.

All my best,

Barry


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