The island of St. Maarten/St. Martin provides amazing opportunities for exciting day trips or even shorter excursions by boat. From the various ports of the island, daily trips can take you to the neighboring islands of St. Barths, Anguilla, St. Eustatius and Saba as well as more localized trips to many of the tiny uninhabited islets surrounding the island.

For those with sailing experience, it is also possible to hire your own boat for pleasure trips within the safe waters of St. Maarten/St. Martin.

The Simpson Bay Lagoon, the Caribbean's largest salt water lagoon with a surface area of several square miles, connects the Dutch side of the island with the Northern French half. The lagoon is large enough to allow full size yachts to explore its waters, but being well protected, is ideally suited for small boats. During the winter months, hundreds of yachts are at anchor here and transform the lagoon in a busy community.

On its South Eastern shore we find the bustling village of Simpson Bay. The former fishing settlement has been transformed into the entertainment and business center of Dutch Sint Maarten, only a mile away from the airport and the Maho district.

The lagoon is connected to the open sea by a channel, running under a draw bridge. This bridge opens several times per day, allowing yachts of up to 180 feet to make their way to the numerous marinas inside. Small boats have no problem passing under the bridge at any time. Boats can be rented from several companies in Simpson Bay.

Kayaks are available as well. Many bars and restaurants in this Dutch area can be reached by boat and allow docking.

Explorer Island is an enchanting sight in the center of the Simpson Bay Lagoon and is an ideal stop for a picnic or even a cocktail at sunset. This tiny, uninhabited island of a few acres has a lovely beach with palm trees and is occasionally visited by a pontoon tour boat.

Shopping is one of the big attractions on St. Maarten. The island's completely Duty Free status and the complete absence of any Red Tape for importing goods, guarantees great bargains for cosmetics, jewelry, liquors, cigars, electronics and much more.

Most cruise ship visitors enjoy a stroll up and down Front Street in Philipsburg, where a huge number of stores boast competitive prices. The capital of the French side, Marigot, has some very elegant shopping with original boutiques offering the sophisticated designs of Parisian couturiers.

Visitors spending an extended vacation on the island will be surprised by the excellent supermarkets on both the French and Dutch side. The Dutch shopping centers tend to supply mostly American brands, and the stores in Marigot present a huge variety.

If you are looking for local products to bring home as souvenirs, consider the unique Guavaberry Liquor, produced right here in St. Maarten. There are also several local musicians offering their own CDs, and artists with unique paintings to remind you of your stay on the island.

Alpheus Recommends Dive Safari for Diving in St Maarten. The two locations are as follows.

PHILIPSBURG - Located at Bobby's Marina in the capital of the Dutch side, the Philipsburg location is a great place to take care of all your diving needs. This store is just a short five minute walk from the cruise ship pier. From this location they offer daily dive trips, PADI courses, full retail store service and an air station.

SIMPSON BAY - Located in the centre of the Dutch side of St Maarten, the Simpson Bay location at La Palapa Marina on Airport Road is the only stop needed to meet all of your diving related needs. This full retail shop, includes a diving gear repair service, a filling station and also offer daily dive trips and PADI courses.

TYPES OF DIVES:

DOUBLE TANK DIVES - By far the most popular of their dive trips. The Dive Safari team offer a four hour tour which allow divers of any level to participate in two consecutive guided dives during which reefs and/or wrecks will be visited. Each dive lasts around 40 minutes and is separated by a 30 minute surface interval.

SHARK AWARENESS DIVE - A unique, once in a life time experience!

SHALLOW SINGLE TANK DIVE - This tour gives the chance to certified divers of any level to explore the Little Bay or Creole Rock dive sites on their own. Come and see the wrecks, corals and abundant marine life at this easy to navigate dive site where the water is always calm. This dive can often last more than the regular 40 minutes since the maximum depth is 30 feet.

Parasail with a difference -not from the water, not from the beach, but from the newest parasail boat on St Maarten.

There is the opportunity to learn to ski in St Maarten or improve your technique. Personalised instruction for all levels from complete to advanced tournament.