A View With a Room
SEEKING SANCTUARY IN ST. MARTIN
BY GAVIN MANLEY
A now-forgotten travel blog recommends giving St. Martin a wide berth during the months of July and August. And while the heat and humidity may be a deterrent for some, St. Martin proved to be the perfect escape for this word-weary copywriter seeking a break from the grind last summer.
Sitting 186 miles east of Puerto Rico—and a quick four-hour flight from New York City—St. Martin is a tropical island in the Caribbean Sea. Officially speaking, the territory is split into two distinct parts, comprising the French Saint Martin to the north, which sits above the Dutch-owned Sint Maarten to the south.
My stay at La Playa Orient Bay, a luxurious beachfront hotel on the French side, began with the revelation that the photos on the hotel website—gorgeous as they are—do not fully capture the casual sophistication of the property itself.
Bright, open and airy throughout, this low-rise resort seamlessly blends into its natural surroundings—a fact not lost on the local population of wild donkeys who roam freely about the hotel grounds.
Often called "Saint-Tropez of the Caribbean," Orient Bay is renowned for its pristine, white sandy beach, laid-back lifestyle and delectable cuisine. There was something deliciously familiar about this spot too—a vibe that in part brought back memories of one unforgettable summer spent in Nice many moons ago. But those are stories are for another time.
With a short wait until my room was ready, I found my way to the beach bar where a small group of francophones had gathered to watch the knock-out stages of the Euros on TV.
“The relaxed, occasionally boisterous atmosphere was broken only by the gentle murmur of the surf beyond.”
As luck would have it, a last-minute cancellation translated to an upgraded room for yours truly, and the Deluxe Ocean Junior Suite on the top floor did not disappoint. A long, sprawling space, this en-suite room came with a nifty kitchenette and must-use terrace.
A vaulted timber ceiling leant a great sense of space to the room but the pièce de résistance was the view. Out across the bay, kiteboarders and paragliders competed for onshore gusts which cooled the sweltering heat of the mid-afternoon sun.
After dressing for dinner in something intentionally understated, I enjoyed a tall cold one at Peter McCools, the local tavern. Even in the low season, most of the restaurants in the adjoining Village D'Orient—a charming open-air plaza—were very much open for business. French, Mexican and even Asian Fusion were all on offer, but the ‘focacceria pizza’ at La Trattoria became a fast favorite. And they make a killer spicy margarita to boot.
Back at the room that night with the terrace door open, the hypnotizing sounds of gently crashing waves lulled this author into a deeply restorative sleep.
It would have been so easy to simply while away the hours, day-by-day basking on a sun lounger, but for this restless soul, long walks along the beach were the order of the day.
After all, the sheer brilliance of the shimmering sand contrasted by a thousand shades of blue never grows old.
The southern end of the beach at Orient Bay revealed remnants of the devastation caused by Hurricane Irma, which swept through this island and much of the Caribbean seven years ago. Charming beach chalets, once highly desirable for their proximity to the shore, now lie derelict and overgrown with weeds and brush. It was here too that ‘Club Orient’ could be found. ‘Nothing is Better’ the cheeky tagline reads on the website for this clothing-optional (i.e. nude) beach with warm, crystal-clear water. With a crowd consisting primarily of Americans over 60, here, there was an unmistakable congeniality among beachgoers.
“Zero fucks were given and there was very little peacocking on display, so why not join in the fun!”
Surprisingly, stripping off was much easier than you might think and as anyone who’s ever gone skinny-dipping will tell you, swimming butt-naked in the ocean is a truly life-affirming experience.
On my last day in St. Martin, I rented a kayak at the ferry port near Cul-de-Sac and made the short journey across the bay to Pinel Island. Paddling stealthily—even stopping for a time—prompted some of the resident turtles to surface near my boat. A local at the ferry port mentioned there are stingray in the shallows, but none materialized.
Lunch at Karibuni, one of two eateries on Pinel Island was a hectic affair with a clamor of tourists and a small army of iguanas milling about. The codfish fritters were tasty, and the lobster was fresh, albeit much smaller than we’re used to in the northeast.
Hopping back into the kayak after lunch, it felt good to be out in open water again, where the only sound was the faint chiming of mooring bells in the distance.
With its beautiful beachscapes, fabulous food and easy-going tranquility, there really is a lot to love about St. Martin.
Until next time, à plus!
Gavin Manley is an adventurous soul who works as a copywriter in New York City.
Image Credits: Julie Benz, La Playa Orient Bay & Gavin Manley