More Fun Just A Few Miles Away: Island Hopping

By Montague Kobbe

Very close to St. Maarten/St. Martin, you’ll find four very quaint, welcoming islands that have their own celebrity. Whether because of its eco-offerings, its secluded beaches, its status among the affluent or its history, Anguilla, Saba, St. Barths and St. Eustatius are well worth a day trip (or two). It’s the perfect way to round out your visit to St. Maarten/St. Martin.

How To Island Hop

By Air: Flying to Anguilla from St. Maarten/St. Martin is the fastest way, and Winair (721-545-4237, fly-winair.com) offers daily flights there, as well as to St. Barths, Saba and St. Eustatius. Ferries run daily every 30 minutes from Marigot, St. Martin, to Blowing Point on Anguilla.

By Sea: From St.Maarten to St.Barths, the Rapid Explorer (Dutch side: 721-542-9762; French, 590-690-63-35-84) is the most direct ferry, taking about 35 minutes. The Edge I and Edge II high-speed catamarans (Aqua Mania Adventures, 721-544-2640) depart Pelican Marina in Simpson Bay for St. Barths and also call on Saba. Dawn II is based in Fort Bay, Saba, traveling three times a week to the heart of Philipsburg, to dock Sint Maarten. For reservations and information about this ferry service contact (607) 8-GO-SABA, locally at tel. 721-416-2299, by email at reservations@sabactransport.com, or visit the site for schedules and travel tips, www.sabactransport.com.

When planning to travel between the islands by ferry, you can arrive at the pier 30 minutes prior to departure, but it is strongly recommended that you make reservations and reconfirm a day ahead, have your passport handy and always plan some time to clear local customs and immigration.

Trips to Statia are best made by air since the island is 36 miles south of St. Maarten/St. Martin. There are daily flights out of St. Maarten to Statia’s Franklin D. Roosevelt International Airport.

Prickly Pear

To visit St. Maarten/Martin and miss seeing Prickly Pear Cay would be a shame. This perfect, teeny, speck of a Caribbean island in the British West Indies lies just a short distance off the coast of Anguilla. A long, white sandy beach beckons to explorers, as do the three reefs surrounding the island in the translucent turquoise waters. Prickly Pear's shallow waters are perfect for families with little children.

Aqua Mania Adventures (721-544-2640) offers trips to Prickly Pear every Tuesday and Thursday on the Lambada, a 63-foot sail catamaran equipped with seating, a walk-up bar and two restrooms. Guests are served cold drinks, French baguettes, Gouda cheese and apples en route.

You can also visit Prickly Pear with Bluebeard's all-inclusive charters (721-557-5935), which provide lunch and stops in Anguilla as well.