The smallest island in the world shared by two sovereign powers, Sint Maarten / Saint Martin enjoys the perfect blend of two European cultures with the beauty of a Caribbean Paradise.

Sint Maarten is 1,683 air miles south of New York & 144 miles east of Puerto Rico. Sint Maarten was discovered by Christopher Columbus on November 11, 1493. The island was named after Saint Martin of Tours, as the date of its discovery coincided with the feast of Saint Martin. The Dutch & French nationalities have co-existed happily in Sint Maarten/Saint Martin for more than three centuries.

In the 1630’s, the French & Dutch both settled on the island. According to legend, the boundaries were established in a walking contest in 1648 in which a Dutchman landed up with the southern portion of the island comprising of 16 square miles and a Frenchman landed up with the northern portion of the island comprising of 21 square miles.  In the early days, the island was a pirates haven; they found the coves & bays to be good hiding places.