When you’re planning a trip to the Caribbean there are so many islands to choose from it can be overwhelming.
Here’s one of the ways you can alleviate that overwhelming feeling: don’t pick just one! Island hopping can really up your vacay game.
Some islands are easier to hop between than others. I recently just went to 2 Caribbean islands that NEED to be on your island-hopping bucket list.
First of all, St. Maarten and Saba are extremely easy to hop between. From takeoff to landing, the flight is less than 15 minutes—less than it takes most flights to deplane their passengers.
Of course, there are other ways to get there, like taking the ferry or a boat, but flying is definitely the fastest.
Why else should these two islands be included in your island-hopping itinerary?
You get the best of both worlds between stunning beaches and unique landscapes.
It would be a shame to travel all the way to the Caribbean and not enjoy the beach for at least one day.
Where better to do that than the island with some of the most beautiful beaches in the world in St. Maarten?
When you fly between St. Maarten and Saba you get to experience two of the most unique airports in the world. That alone was honestly one of my favorite experiences of the entire trip.
Have you ever seen those incredible pictures where it looks like a plane is landing on someone while standing on a beautiful beach? Have you ever thought those pictures were fake? I did – until I saw it first-hand.
Maho Beach on St. Maarten is right next to the SXM airport, and it really feels like the planes are about to land right next to you.
It was incredible to watch these planes flying straight above you.
I was lucky enough to stay at Sonesta Ocean Point Resort, which is right next to Maho Beach.
Not only was the resort beautiful, but you could watch the planes land from almost everywhere on the resort.
Every day I watched the planes landing from the oceanfront breakfast buffet, from dinner at their cliffside restaurant, Azul, from their multiple pools, and even from my very own balcony. I promise you, it never gets old.
The SXM airport is a major hub for the surrounding islands, including Saba. In fact, the only way to fly to Saba is through SXM with Winair.
We took a very small plane and I was able to sit in the very front. It felt like I was practically sitting in the cockpit with the pilots.
This was honestly one of the coolest experiences I’ve had so far and definitely the coolest flight I’ve ever taken.
Nothing prepares you for the dramatic view of Saba’s coastline on your approach to the island. The view alone is breathtaking, and then you see the world’s smallest runway.
For those of you who may get a little nervous during flight landings you might want to close your eyes for this one.
If you can handle it though, I highly suggest you keep your eyes wide open.
It was truly exciting and incredible to watch these pilots land on the super tiny runway.
Don’t worry though, these pilots are experienced professionals and make this flight so often they made it look way too easy.
If the flights aren’t adventurous enough for you, then you’re in luck! Both St. Maarten and Saba have a ton of amazing adventurous activities to choose from.
While we were in Saba, we went on a guided hike through Mt. Scenery, which was set up by the Trail Shop with “Crocodile” James Johnson.
If you take one thing away from this, please go on this hike with Crocodile James (the best tour guide I’ve ever had) along the Mas Cahones trail up to the most incredible view of the island.
Once you get to the top, you’ll understand why it’s called Mas Cahones trail. The view is 100% worth it, I promise!
To really appreciate the island of Saba, you need to see it from the ocean.
Sea Saba took us on a sunset sail around the entire island. Sure, the island of Saba is only 5 square miles, but we were still shocked to be back at our starting point at the end of the cruise.
The coastline is even more dramatically impressive from the water. It honestly felt like the island was straight out of a Jurassic Park movie. Saba is widely known for its scuba diving and snorkeling.
During the sail we were able to get out a snorkel. This was one of my favorite things from my entire trip.
The visibility was amazing, and we saw some amazing marine life, including an octopus, several sting rays, and my favorite fish the Yellowtail Damsel Fish.
If you like a little creativity and art in your life, then you need to visit JoBean Glass Art and sign up for one of her glass art classes.
This experience was one of the highlights of my trip, and I recommend it to anyone visiting Saba!
JoBean has such a fun personality that made our glass art class even more fun — plus, we got to make our own glass beads!
Now, back to St. Maarten for some more adventure.Did you know that St. Maarten has a Dutch side and a French side? The island is split almost in half and shared by both countries!
One of the best ways to see the island of St. Maarten is via UTV tour.
Xplore SXM took us on a guided UTV tour around the island where we got to see both the Dutch side and the French side.
One of my favorite things we did on the French side was stopping at one of the French bakeries and getting all sorts of incredible tasty French treats.
While on the French side of the island, we also stopped for a dip at the stunning beach along Orient Bay. If you’re feeling extra adventurous, they even have a nude beach right next door.
On our way back through the Dutch side of St. Maarten, we stopped in Philipsburg for lunch at Irie Gardens, which is right along Front St.
The plantain lasagna was insanely delicious. I know it sounds weird, but trust me, it’s so good!
Philipsburg has tons of restaurants and shops to choose from. They even have an Amsterdam Cheese Store!
For a little more of an intellectual adventure, you should check out the We Culture Museum, which takes you on an adventure through the Caribbean culture experience.
This experience highlights the fascinating history of the Caribbean Carnival and how it’s evolved over the years.
You get to see some incredible costumes up close and personal. The experience was incredibly interesting and interactive. My expectations were blown out of the water!
Don’t forget that St. Maarten also has amazing scuba diving and snorkeling!
If you’re anything like me, then you love trying incredible food when you travel. I have great news for you — the food on both St. Maarten and Saba is AMAZING!
St. Maarten has way too many incredible food options to mention, but here are a few that I tried and LOVED.
Our first night in St. Maarten we went to Bamboo House which is honestly worth a visit for the view and atmosphere alone. The restaurant used to be a home at one point, and part of the dining area sits right on top of a pool, with viewing areas open that you can still see through to the pool water.
The restaurant sits high up on a hilltop with an incredible view of the island (including the bay and airport). If that isn’t enough, then you’ll be happy to know that the food was delicious. I highly recommend the sushi and pad thai.
Our last night in St. Maarten we went to another one of my favorite go to restaurants on the island — Ocean 82. This restaurant is on the French side and the French food did not disappoint!
The escargot, pasta, and souffle were amazing. Ocean 82 also had an amazing view with a balcony that practically sat right over the ocean. The water below us was lit up at night so you could see all of the fish swimming around down below us.
Another place you should absolutely try is Kalatua Beach Restaurant. As promised in the name, this restaurant is located right on a beautiful beach and has sun beds you can reserve.
This place had such a fun and relaxing vibe, but even more importantly — AMAZING food and delicious drinks! You should definitely try the lobster, but you may want to share because it’s huge!
Again, there are so many great restaurants to choose from on the island, but if you stay at Sonesta Ocean Point Resort, you don’t even have to leave if you don’t want to! The food there is amazing, all-inclusive, and they have several restaurants to choose from.
Some of my favorite foods from the entire trip were actually at the resort!
Here are some of the must-try things at the resort: their Azul restaurant for dinner and buffet-style breakfast for the Johnny cakes.
You should also try the Ocean Terrace Buffet Restaurant for breakfast and lunch, but keep an eye out for the vegetable lasagna at their lunch buffet — one of my absolute favorites of the entire trip.
These are just some of the food options and restaurants they have on-site!
I hope you’re not sick of me talking about food yet because I haven’t even started on Saba’s food!
For such a tiny island, I was amazed at how amazing the food options were. My absolute favorite dinner was the Brigadoon Restaurant (located in the Windwardside village).
This restaurant had my favorite meal of the entire trip! You absolutely need to try TJ’s Chevre Normandy. You will NOT regret it.
Another great dinner spot is Tropics Cafe. Every Wednesday night they feature a documentary that highlights Saba’s flora and fauna narrated by Tom van’t Hof who has studied Saba’s nature for 35 years. He even happened to be sitting next to us the night we went! It felt a little like sitting next to a celebrity.
For lunch you should try Island Flavor (located in the village called The Bottom) or Hideaway (located in Windwardside).
If you stay at The Cottage Club Hotel then breakfast is included and really good! Apart from the breakfast, you should absolutely stay here because it is super cute and has an incredible view of the island and ocean.
Another breakfast option is Bizzy B, a cute little café in the Windwardside village that has pastries, sandwiches, etc.
These two islands are vastly different — one has stunning beaches, and the other has a dramatically unique coastline and landscape.
But these two islands also have several things in common: amazing food, unique airports, adventure, and most importantly — kind people.
It’s amazing how much of a difference it can make when the local people are incredibly kind and welcoming. The people are what make you want to go back to both of these beautiful islands.
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