Map of St Maarten Cruise Port

To discover some of Phillipsburg’s unmissable sights and attractions, simply continue reading.

St Maarten beaches near cruise port

1. Great Bay Beach

Great Bay Beach boasts powder soft, white sand and stunning turquoise water and is the perfect spot to enjoy a leisurely afternoon of swimming and sunbathing. As a bonus, Great Bay Beach features a scenic boardwalk which is lined with a variety of lively bars, where you can enjoy a fruity cocktail or a cold beer.
Alternatively, if you enjoy water sports, you’ll also be able to rent jet skis from a watersports kiosk which is conveniently located right on the beach. One of the advantages of renting a jet ski is that you’ll be able to explore Great Bay Beach at your own pace.

2.  Philipsburg’s  casinos

If you’re feeling lucky, you may want to consider visiting one of Philipsburg’s casinos, where you’ll be able to try your luck at a variety of casino games such as roulette and poker. If you’re interested the 3 largest casinos located in Philipsburg are Jump up Casino, Diamond Casino, and Coliseum Casino.

3. Fort Amsterdam

If you’re interested in learning a bit about St Maarten’s colorful history, it’s well worth visiting Fort Amsterdam which provides a gold mine of information about Philipsburg’s history. As an example, you’ll learn why half of St Maarten is Dutch and the other half of St Maarten is French.
As an added bonus, Fort Amsterdam boasts phenomenal views of Phillipsburg’s coastline and is the perfect spot to take a few scenic photos. So make sure that you have plenty of memory available on your smartphone!

4. Tour the Yoda Guy Movie Exhibit

If you’re a self-confessed sci-fi fan, it would be a shame to visit Philipsburg without spending a bit of time touring the Yoda Guy Movie Exhibit. What exactly is the Yoda Guy Movie Exhibit? The Yoda Guy Movie Exhibit was founded by Nick Maley, who was responsible for creating one of the Star Wars franchises most iconic characters, Star Wars. Not only does the Yoda Guy Movie Exhibition feature a plethora of genuine Star Wars props but it also features props from a wide variety of iconic blockbuster films. Examples of which include Men in Black and The Terminator.

If you’re more interested in history than movies, it’s still worth visiting the Yoda Guy Movie Exhibit as it also features the genuine face casts of a few well known historical figures such as Abraham Lincoln, Benjamin Franklin, George Washington and Vladimir Lenin.

5. Phillipsburg Courthouse

The Phillipsburg Courthouse is one of Phillipsburg most recognizable historic buildings and can be located on Front Street, which happens to be one of Phillipsburg main streets. If you happen to hear bells ringing whilst you’re exploring Phillipsburg, chances are high that the sound which you’ll hear will be coming from the Phillipsburg Courthouse as it’s bell tower features 25 historic bells.

6. Trolley train tour of St Maarten

If you’d like to tour the entire island, it’s well worth hopping on a trolley train tour of the island which departs from Phillipsburg multiple times each day. Examples of some of the sights which you’ll get to drive past on your tour include Fort Amsterdam and Orient Beach. One of the advantages of choosing to take a trolley train tour of the island is that each train carriage provides air conditioning, which will keep you cool even if you choose to visit St Maarten during the height of summer.

7. Snorkeling at Little Bay Beach

If you’re interested in hiring a snorkel and flippers and snorkeling to your heart’s content, you’re probably better off visiting Little Bay Beach over Great Bay Beach. Little Bay Beach is a sheltered beach, which offers the perfect conditions for snorkeling. As an added benefit Little Bay Beach is generally less crowded than Great Bay Beach.

So if you plan on visiting the stunning island of St Maarten in the near future, it’s definitely well worth visiting some of the sights listed above. Before popping into Joe’s Jewelry Store to shop for a souvenir or two!