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| When the Spanish
closed their colonial fort on St. Maarten in 1648, a few
Dutch and French soldiers hid on the island and decided
to share it. Soon after, the Netherlands and France
signed a formal agreement to split St. Maarten in half,
as it is today. Philipsburg displays its Dutch heritage
in its architecture and landscaping. The island offers
endless stretches of beach, beautiful landscapes and
great shopping. |
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| Be sure to learn more
about this exciting port. |
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| The One Thing
You Don't Want to Miss |
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| Compete in an actual race on an
America's Cup shortened course. Grind a winch, trim a sail or
just sit back and enjoy. Professional sailors will give you a
quick lesson, then you're off to compete on Stars and Stripes,
one of the most famous sailboats in the world. |
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| Other Fun
Things to Do |
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Rendezvous at one of the newest and trendiest
restaurants in French St. Maarten. Explore Orient Bay,
the French Riviera of the Caribbean, with over 1 1/2
miles of white-sand beaches. |
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Admire the delicate nature and dazzling colors of
hundreds of butterflies as you tour St. Maarten's
popular Butterfly Farm. |
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| Sporting
Adventures |
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Tour the saltwater lagoons by kayak, and discover
egrets, plovers, heron and pelicans. |
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Discover the undersea world of coral reefs and
exotic fish as you take a snorkeling expedition through
Shipwreck Cove. |
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| Shopping for
Bargains |
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| There are about 500 duty-free shops
on St. Maarten with prices 25% to 50% below those in the U.S.
The selection of jewelry and watches is premier on the Dutch
side of St. Maarten. Friendly competition between merchants
guarantees excellent prices on emeralds, diamonds, rubies,
sapphires, pearls, gold and silver. St. Maarten offers a wide
selection of fine jewelry and watches from such well-known
designers as C2K, Caribbean Hook, Honora, House of Tanzanite,
John Atencio, John Hardy, Kabana, Roberto Coin, Starnight, White
Diamonds, Alfex, Concord, Faconnable, Gucci, Maurice Lacroix,
Michele, Movado, Wenger, La Nouvelle Bague and more. Be sure to
try a bottle of St. Maarten's own guavaberry liqueur. The
guavaberry is exclusive to this island. |
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| Local Currency
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| The official units of currency are
the Netherlands Antilles guilder (ANG) and the Euro (EUR).
However, U.S. dollars, traveler's checks and credit cards are
widely accepted. |
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