As described in the official web site, the smallest island in the world to have been partitioned between two different nations, St. Martin/St. Marteen has been shared by the French and the Dutch for almost 350 years. The borders are almost imperceptible and people cross back and forth without ever realizing they are entering a new country.
What is interesting about the island is that while the Dutch side is being heavily developed in recent years with high-rise condominiums and hotels, casinos and American-like structures, the French side has remained quaint.
On the Dutch side you can find more people who speak English, US power outlets, and large supermarkets that resemble the layout and choice available in our neck of the woods. The Juliana International Airport is on the Dutch side, as are many of the properties ruined by past hurricanes and never rebuilt. They and the dilapidated roads give this side of the island a rough image. The Dutch have gone grand scale. They are building to attract more cruise ship passengers visiting the capital, Philipsburg, on their next vacation.
On the opposite side are the French. With their little boutiques, small markets and bakeries where you can buy fresh baguettes wrapped just like in France. If you go in the summer, you will meet many French students who were able to get a job at a hotel or a shop for the season. The police force headquartered in Marigot are also detailed to the island from the parent country. And, as hard as it is for me to admit it, the French side has better roads and definitely better restaurants. In fact, there is a whole town on the north side of the island, Grand Case, where the sights may be very local and somewhat impoverished, but the food is just amazing. The boutiques in Marigot may rival those of a French town and its market is filled with the life and color you'd expect from a European/Caribbean experience. I even made friends with a Portuguese who makes silver-amber fine jewelry who introduced me to her Italian friend in Grand Case.
The French have preserved a lot of the local color on their side of the island and added just enough European flavor (including the wonderful French cheeses and pastries) to make it appealing and still provide a local experience and service. La Baye Rouge and La Baye Longue are two of my favorite beaches.
This island provides a perfect example of how small is the new big, as Seth Godin says, Caribbean style. Parlez-vous français?
[photo courtesy of Olivier Goujon]