4 minute read

Island Life

from Ensemble Vacations Fall 2019

by Ensemble

from Ensemble Vacations Fall 2019, page 61

Article from: Ensemble Vacations Fall 2019

A Fresh Spin on Tradition

By JasonMills

With quick and easy transfers to other islands, St. Maarten is an ideal destination for island-hopping.

**AERIAL VIEW OF MULLET AND CUPECOY BAYS, ST. MAARTEN**

We can all agree the beach is perhaps the one place where we can let go and release ourselves from the confines of daily life. In turning 40, with a strong need for self-reflection, I decided I needed to explore as many beaches as possible, and I finally settled on the island of St. Maarten.

With over 37 beaches to explore along 70 kilometres of coastline, St. Maarten is a treasure trove of opportunities to get lost in the magic of island life.

Settling in St. Maarten, my friend and I hire a local taxi driver to help us with our experience, and, each day, he takes us to new and more progressively spectacular seascapes. St. Maarten is best known for Maho Beach, the famous location where visitors can get a one-of-a-kind view of planes arriving at the Princess Juliana International Airport.

While not to be missed, we find the quintessential St. Maarten experience is in exploring its lesser-known beaches and bays.

Hugged by lush green mountains on each side, Anse Marcel is a tranquil bay – the ideal location for those looking to truly escape the hustle and bustle. The calm emerald waters and soft sandy beaches are perfect for snorkelling, swimming, and kayaking.

In the evenings, we join our fellow beachcombers and assemble at the water’s edge to watch the setting sun illuminate the skies in every colour imaginable.

DAY TRIP: PINEL ISLAND

With any visit to St. Maarten, a day trip to Pinel Island is a must. This tiny island, just a 10-minute ferry ride from the north end, is paradise. Ferries depart every 30 minutes for under $15 each way and bring you to a picture-perfect oasis.

We depart early in the morning with enough time to find an ideal location to base our adventures. The invitingly clear and shallow waters are perfect for spending the day snorkelling, and, in the afternoon, we set off on foot to explore the rest of the island. From up above, at the top of Pinel Island, we are able to soak in a 360-degree view of the surrounding bays and beaches.

An entire day can be spent exploring the beauty of Grand Case Beach on Pinel Island, which is lined with a plethora of gourmet restaurants, cafés and bars. We walk the length of the beach, enjoying espressos, and the French hospitality, wine and cuisine.

EXPLORING ANGUILLA

For the actual day of my 40th birthday, we decide to explore Anguilla. Just a short 30-minute ferry ride from Marigot and departing and returning every 45 minutes ($20 each way), this is an easy day trip to experience some of the most remarkable beaches in the world. With some planning (as we would come to learn the hard way), Anguilla is the perfect day trip.

Rather than take one of the many taxi’s available at the exit of the ferry terminal, we decide to try this island on foot. Within an hour, we find ourselves in the middle of nowhere, an incredible feat for being on such a small island and one achieved only through a blind misjudgment on our part. We wander for an hour and a half, sure that around each corner would be something, a town, a store, a person, but we were finding nothing.

“You lost?” a driver asks as he brings his car to a screeching halt. It must’ve been painfully evident to any local, two people wandering in 40-degree heat an hour from anywhere must have made a wrong turn somewhere. “Get in,” he says.

Looking at each other, and weighing our options, we decide our best option is to take up the offer of a stranger. We are out of bottled water, facing a blazing sun, and so, with sore feet and a feeling of defeat, we get in the car.

I explain that I’m celebrating my 40th birthday and decided to take a day trip from St. Maarten to explore Anguilla. The driver, Derek, laughs, puts the car into gear, and tells us he is going to give me the best birthday I have ever had. It turns out, he did.

Derek takes us on an impromptu full island tour of Anguilla, showing us views and vistas, beaches and bays, all the while telling us about his family, why he was there and why he loves his home so much. He takes us to the capital, called The Valley, and shows us historical buildings, explains the local economy, and gives us an authentic peek into Anguilla.

He drives us to Shoal Bay, to his friend’s restaurant and asks him to take care of us. We say goodbye to Derek and thank him for giving us his time, for sharing his story, his island, and his home with us. For the rest of the afternoon, we relax on what is, without question, the most impossibly beautiful beach we’d ever seen, eating local seafood and sipping drinks under a palapa.

I spend the day wandering the beach, swimming in the crystal-clear waters and contemplating just what had brought me to this tropical paradise. I started 40 quite literally lost and ended my first day found, with a renewed sense of purpose and a reminder: just be kinder. And I have the people of the Caribbean islands to thank.

This article is from:

Ensemble Vacations Fall 2019

by Ensemble