"ritaomc" wrote in message
news:5d275fba.0311191725.547d9b6@posting.google.com...
> My husband and I are booked on a cruise NCL Sky - Southern Carib-
> first week of January.
> BUT need direction on the best beaches to simply relax and unwind in
> two ports 1.) Fort de France- Martinique and 2.) St Martin, Guadelope.
> We really enjoy a decent place to eat, (doesn't have to be 5 stars)
> quaint is good, maybe chairs, restroom, NO screaming kids, or 300
> million other cruisers.
>
> Beauty is important and some commercialism is expected, but we
> REAAALLLLYYY need to relax, (41 and 51 yr old business owners) read
> and enjoy the sorroundings. NCL ship arrives at 8:00 am every port
> and leaves at 6:00 so we can travel but would rather not rent a car
> and jsut want to keep it simple, no organized ship tours etc. I could
> live without a million vendors, but always enjoy beach shopping, just
> not every five minutes.
Beach vendors are NOT the style on the French islands. I can't speak for
the Dutch side of St Maarten/Martin. One or two vendors might come by in an
afternoon on a busy beach.
I haven't been to Martinique very many times, but the beaches near Ft de
France are third-rate, and by that I mean the beaches across the harbor
where the big hotels are at Point du Bout. The best beach I know of on
Martinique is at Les Salines, at the far south of the island, a long way
from your boat will dock. The one I've seen at Ste Anne, next to the Club
Med, was narrow and crowded. As a compromise, you might try the beaches
north of Ft de France. They will be closer, easier to get to, not crowded,
have real restaurants, quiet water. They are not brilliantly white.
The best beach I've seen on St Martin is Orient Bay. Most of it is rather
busy with beach restaurants, and may leave little room in front of them.
HOWEVER, even last January there was still a long undeveloped section to the
left as you face the water from the Esmeralda resort. That's the
highest-class resort facing the beach, so you might find their beach
restaurant OK. I've never eaten there. All these beach restaurants rent
beach beds w/ umbrellas. There is a collection of shops down near the Club
Orient end of the beach, and each restaurant has a shop of sorts.
Another possibility on St Martin is Friar's Bay; long, wide enough, not
crowded, and two respectable "local culture" restaurants. A short section of
poor access road keeps the timid away. I didn't particularly like Plumb
(Prune) and Long (Longue) Bays. And there is no food anywhere close. Baie
Rouge has a local beach bar/restaurant. The beach is ok. You sink into the
sand so I have trouble walking very far. There are only a few good entry
points to the water, because of coral at the water's edge. Orient Beach has
no coral at all.
The really really good restaurants on the island are at Grand Case, which
has a long narrow sandy beach. These restaurants are probably the best in
the Caribbean. The town has a full collection of small stores selling to
locals and visitors alike. ie: there is a respectable little magazine stand
/ book store / stationery combined store. Actually Grand Case might be your
best choice. The beach to the east of the Grand Case Beach Club (a hotel)
is pretty good and quiet, but a 10-minute walk from the center of town. If
you know just where, there is a passageway to the beach so you don't have to
enter through the hotel property. Anyhow, all beaches are public on the
French islands.
I hope this helps.
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