Shopping in St. Maarten and St. Martin
Shopping in St. Maarten / St. Martin
Shopping here focuses on these locations:
Dutch Side:
- Front Street, Philipsburg: This is where you'll find what's
arguably the largest concentration of jewelers in the Caribbean --
dozens! Deals are great because of volume; quality is
excellent. We give away Gift Cards for several jewelers to members of our JMB Website Supporters Island Discount Program; check it out. FYI We are currently doing a SEVEN SXM VACATION GIVEAWAY including several jewelry prizes; for details, subscribe free to our SXM Weekly News at sxmweeklynews.com. Walk along Front Street not just for jewelry, but also for...
- Souvenirs/Beachwear: The top place for many years has been RIMA, with two stores west of the center of town on Front Street. The first is on the Great Bay side of Front Street, opposite Coliseum Casino. It has thousands of beachwear and souvenir items from colorful tropical shirts to pareos, hats, sweatshirts, white cotton dresses, and tons more -- it's a not-to-be missed one-stop souvenir emporium. Diagonally across the street a short walk to the west is their other three-story store, with tens of thousands more items.
- The Boardwalk / Great Bay Promenade in Philipsburg may be the most popular place
to stroll and relax. On the beach next to Front Street, it's loaded with
restaurants and some shops and gives you a quick respite from Front Street shopping. Most
popular restaurant: Taloula Mango's / Blue Bitch Bar, which usually has entertainment in
season. Coffee lovers: don't miss COFFEE LOUNGE which has lots of varieties of fresh-roasted coffee, breakfast, lunch, and High Tea starting after 2pm. Also visit the Flamboyant store -- lots of unusual, one-of-a-kind items.
- Porto Cupecoy, Cupecoy Beach, Dutch Side, ample
parking, neat shops, and very good restaurants -- especially Mama Pizza which has much more than pizza.
- Marina Plaza, Simpson Bay Resort, Simpson Bay: Very scenic area (bring your camera); enjoy La Patrona (authentic Mexican, an outstanding restaurant); the new Bovin Steakhouse; Replay Sports Bar -- pizza, sushi, burgers and more are available at Replay.
- Supermarkets: Carrefour has two stores, one near Philipsburg and the
other in Cole Bay, both Dutch Side; it's closest to American markets in
content / layout. Cost-U-Less, near the Philipsburg's Carrefour, and Divico, in Cole Bay of the Union Road, are the island's only warehouse stores. (Prime exists in the nearby industrial area but it is primarily wholesale though open to everyone. Most markets carry
Etna ice cream which you must try when you're here -- unimaginably creamy
with rich flavors. See www.etnaicecream.com.
French Side:
- Le West Indies: It's a small (by US standards) but ostentatious
mall on the waterfront in Marigot. Almost everything is priced high
in part because one Euro costs about $1.10; only the French Side uses Euros, so the
Dutch Side is a bit cheaper. Nonetheless, there are neat cafes here plus fun shopping.
- Tijon Parfumerie in Grand Case is one of the few places on the planet where you can create your own perfume, a great experience. Extensive shop with fragrances, soaps, more souvenirs. See www.tijon.com for details; do not miss the opportunity to make your own perfume (by appointment).
- The One by K Store in Hope Estate near the Super U in Anse Marcel has its iconic "One Love ... One Life ... One Island" t-shirts. Pricey but great quality sold only in their one store.
- Most of the businesses mentioned above also offer discounts to our JMB Website Supporters members. About 300 businesses island-wide offer discounts. See this page for details.
Updated 12/10/23
Tags:
St. Maarten and St. Martin Shopping