Named after St Martin of Tours by Christopher Columbus, Sint Maarten/St Martin is administered by both Holland and France.
Marigot is in St. Martin on the French side–No border controls – don’t worry. I was in transit and there were no left luggage lockers at Princess Juliana airport, so I decided to hire a taxi for the duration of my stay.
Marigot is the largest town on the French side. There is a large outdoor market selling souvenirs and clothing. The Le West Indies mall is a small indoor shopping centre selling high-end cosmetics and designer label clothing.
Fort Louis is a 10-minute uphill walk from the mall and affords wonderful views over the town and the marina.
On my way back to the airport, my taxi driver took me to Phillipsburg on the Dutch side so I could see the cruise ship terminal and the salt pan, which has been destroyed by building the city rubbish dump too close to this sensitive natural feature.
Marigot is a far more interesting place and I would recommend it if you have a wait of four hours like I did.
Julian Worker has written articles on Middle Eastern and European architecture for the US magazine Skipping Stones. He has written travel articles that were published in The Toronto Globe and Mail, Fate Magazine, National Catholic Register, and Northwest Travel. Julian has also written articles for the In The Know Traveler, Go Nomad, InTravelmag, and Go World Travel websites. He has also taken many photographs that have appeared in travel guides by National Geographic, Thomas Cook and The Rough Guides. Examples of his work can be found at http://www.photographersdirect.com/sellers/details.asp?portfolio=13734
