Sint Maarten: Phillipsburg

February 2026

I disembarked the Norwegian Epic to extremely variable weather. It was cloudy, rainy, and then suddenly sunny again - repeatedly. I hoped I could make it into town without getting wet.

According to destination information on Phillipsburg, it is one of the easiest ports to "just walk off the ship and explore town". Really? The town center looked very far from the ship. In fact, it was close only if passengers took the expensive water taxi from the cruise port. Walking to town was not only not clearly sign-posted, it was deliberately obfuscated. St Martin wanted people to take either a water or normal taxi.

Thank God for frequent cruisers who stopped there in the past. I just followed the crowd (and google maps).

A little "port village" was constructed right off the pier with shops and restaurants, but why would anyone want to spend time there when the actual town of Phillipsburg is quite lovely?

After a long and confusing walk, I arrived at the extreme eastern edge of town and could see the seafront buildings and a lovely beach. I had to admit Phillipsburg has both a beautiful town esplanade and a beach with white sand lapped by Caribbean blue water.

The main attraction of "things historic" in town is the old Dutch Stadthuys. It is well-preserved and marks the "center" of town. Just when I reached it - the sky opened for about five minutes. Luckily there are many shops to provide shelter.

Near the old courthouse (stadthuys) is St Martin's Church. St Martin was actually from Tours, France.

At the far end of the boardwalk is a nice fountain park with clean public toilets. The fact that the local government created space just for that shows their commitment to making the town a pleasant place for tourists. Many other destinations have not (yet) created public parks specifically for visitors (let alone restrooms).

A huge lagoon lies behind the main part of the old city, but it is mangrove-lined and I found no place to get a good view over it and the surrounding hills. St Martin does not have very high hills, but they are green and lush. At least the island is not pancake flat. I gave up on my quest to find a lagoon viewpoint (and noted no mention of such a place in "things to do in Phillipsburg").

One of the most famous (and kitsch) streets, "Old Street" is photogenic, but I felt underwhelmed.

Actually, not many original buildings remain in Phillipsburg. One of the few is occupied by the Tourist Office.

Another surprise find was the small Pasang Grahan ("guest house" in Indonesian) hotel. Apparently, it was the first hotel on the Dutch side of the island and is the oldest. I didn't venture inside (I didn't understand what it was - now it hosts a restaurant overlooking the beach). I only came to know after researching back on the ship. Apparently, back in the day, it used to be the chosen rest spot for royalty and the famous visiting the island. What Phillipsburg must have looked like then! I should have had a look inside.

On the walk back to the boat, I entered the marina and walked down one of the piers to photograph a cheery red and white lighthouse.

I returned to the ship tired. I had walked a lot (all those drinks and all that food on the ship were not going to evaporate on their own).

Summary:

For someone who wants town and beach "abroad", St Martin is the place. It is beloved of cruise lines (there were four ships in port), yet the island is actually large enough to absorb all the passengers. The place feels safe and is not hassly at all. St Martin is not cheap, but then again, it is no more expensive than usual city prices in the US or Europe. Regular ferries sail from St Martin to neighboring islands, too (St Barts and Anguilla). A dedicated vacation to St Martin would be "easy", but expensive.

I am not sure I would want to return. I feel like I have done the place. I saw its prime attractions on the first visit and its main city on the second. I am satisfied.

Sint Maarten - been there, done that.