This article is adapted from the Lonely Planet guide to the Caribbean Islands. (I didn’t adapt it, but I did write the original content. Read more about my adventures in St-Martin and Sint Maarten here.)
At 96 sq km, St-Martin / Sint Maarten is the world’s smallest area of land that is shared by two countries. This Caribbean island is both Dutch and French, it’s true. It’s also a multicultural mélange that celebrates its deep-rooted Afro-Caribbean heritage and welcomes more than a hundred nationalities from around the globe.
Fondly known as SXM (for its airport code), the island is a breeding ground for fusion cuisine, musical mash-ups, cross-lingual communication and rich cultural commingling. Yet while SXM is proud of its melting pot of people and cultures, its two “sides” also maintain their own distinct identities. Despite their proximity, they feel like the two separate countries that they are.
Fortunately, there’s no border control between the two countries – just a set of flags at the side of the road. So it’s easy to experience all the facets of the aptly named “Friendly Island.” Read about the best things to do in St-Martin (and Sint Maarten) at Lonely Planet…
