Philipsburg and Isla Pinel, Saint Martin

We head over to Philipsburg on the Dutch side of Saint Martin for a lazy day on the beach.  There are no cruise ships in port today and we pretty much have the beach to ourselves.

Beach all to ourselves

Looking out over the water

We swim, walk the beach, enjoy lunch and, after a few hours, head back to our hotel on the French side of the island.  We do pass one note on the rebuilding after the devastating hurricane of September 6, 2017: 200 mph (322 kmh) winds, 400 miles (644 km) wide.

Hurricane note

A few days later, we visit Isla Pinel (Pinel Island), a small island a 10 minute boat ride from Saint Martin, facing Cul-de-Sac Bay.  A large parking lot at the end of the road is located next to the pier where shuttle boats leave every half hour or so.  We pay 10 euros each at the shuttle boat for the round trip, ride over to the island, and settle in on the sheltered sandy beach.

Shuttle to the island

Arriving at Isla Pinel

Shallow beach

A little wine

Relaxing on the beach

And in the water

Two relaxing days on two very different beaches at opposite ends of Saint Martin

Scoobi to Eastern Beaches of Anguilla

We hop on Scoobi for another cruise over to Anguilla.  The plan is to go to Prickly Pear Cays, two small uninhabited islands located six miles from the Anguilla mainland.  However, the winds and waves are too high, preventing us from passing through the channel between the islands and our captain instead takes us to the western side of Anguilla (the same thing happened last year, although that time the captain diverted to eastern Anguilla).

Anguilla features thirty-three gorgeous white-sand beaches along its coast.  The island is a British Overseas Territory is the northernmost of the Leeward Islands in the Lesser Antilles chain.  First settled around 3,500 years ago the island was claimed by Britain in 1650.

Leaving Saint Martin in stormy weather

Houses on the Anguilla coast

Four Seasons Anguilla

Our first stop is Little Bay, Anguilla, one of Anguilla's most remote beaches, accessible only from the water.  To get there, we travel up the western coast of Anguilla, past other beaches, resorts, and ships.

Along the coast

Ships at anchor

Little Bay

We swim to the small beach, return to Scoobi for lunch, and then head south along the coast to Road Bay.

Passing small islands off the coast

Road Bay is Anguilla's main port and harbor, with the small village of Sandy Ground and a wide beach lined with colorful bar shacks and restaurants.  We anchor, swim ashore, and stroll the beach (in a heavy surf that actually knocks us over as we walk along the beach on the edge of the water).

Road Bay

After more fun on the beach and in the water, we pull up the anchor and head back to Saint Martin.  A storm comes up as we depart Road Bay, with rain and blowing water invading all parts of the deck.  But, it quickly passes and a rainbow comes out as we cross the Anguilla Channel.

Storm developing

Channel crossing

Another great day on Scoobi!  We'll have to come back next year and hope the channel at Prickly Pear is passable.

Wandering Through Grand Case, Saint Martin

With the holidays over, the blog returns to Saint Martin in the Caribbean.  We stay on the French side of the island in Grand Case on the Anguilla Channel.  The town has a long white sand beach and is known as the "Gastronomic Capital of the Caribbean" due to its large number of high-quality restaurants offering a variety of cuisines on the mile-long (1.6 km) main street (Blvd. de Grand Case).

We get quick peeks of the ocean and the beach as we walk down Blvd. de Grand Case.

Glimpses of the sea

Blvd. de Grand Case

The street in the morning is quiet as restaurants prepare for service later in the day and the rest of us stroll or start a non-strenuous day.

Lazy morning

At the edge of town, the holiday decorations light up in the evening to greet the people who walk in and drive in for dinner and drinks.

Holiday greetings!

We return to Grand Case every year for the quiet, the beauty, the beach, the sea, and, of course, the food (upcoming blogs).