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Sint Maarten
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Philipsburg
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Tours & Activities
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St Maarten History Tour
4 h
About this activity
This History Tour starts at 8.30 am from a parking lot next to the cruise ship terminal in Philipsburg and takes 4 hours. Are you a cruiser and do you have concerns regarding timing? Please read below*. Hotel guests in Philipsburg and Oyster Pond enjoy a free pick up.
The first stop is at a viewpoint overlooking Philipsburg and Great Salt Pond, where your knowledgeable guide will tell you why the Dutch and the French came to St Martin, and how they ended up dividing this small island together. At this stop you'll also learn about St Martin's geography.
You'll stop at two forts: Fort Amsterdam in Philipsburg and Fort Louis in Marigot where you'll learn about the battles that have taken place between different nations who were fighting for the island's resources over the centuries. Please be aware that both forts are located on top of hills, visiting them involves a 10 minute uphill walk.
Touching on St Martin's colonial and slavery history you'll visit a former plantation, where you'll also have an iced tea or coffee break with homemade banana bread.
This tour is a great way to get to know the island, to see both the French and Dutch side and learn all about its fascinating local history and current politics. Group size is never more than 6 guests.
*FAQ from cruise ship guests concerning timing:
My ship arrives later than 8 am, can I do a tour with you?
Yes, when making a reservation please let us know what time your ship is scheduled to dock. If it’s later than 8 am we will adjust the starting time of our tour so we’ll be able to accommodate you.
Will I make it in time to your meeting point?
If your ship is docking half an hour prior to our starting time, then you will make it to our meeting point at Dock Maarten. Usually ships arrive at 8 am, so you’ll be in time for our 8.30 am start. Sometimes ships don’t announce very clearly that you can get off the ship, just proceed to the deck where you can disembark and you’ll see you’ll be let go.
Then also: don’t worry if the ship is not letting you off immediately. We know the ship’s in port, we know you’re on it, you’ve paid for your tour, so we wait till you get to our meeting point. We’ll start the tour when you get there, you’ll still get the full tour even if you’re half an hour late.
Will the tour be back in time for my cruise ship?
We have returned 100% of our cruise ship guests back to the ship on time. We're in business since 2014.
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The first stop is at a viewpoint overlooking Philipsburg and Great Salt Pond, where your knowledgeable guide will tell you why the Dutch and the French came to St Martin, and how they ended up dividing this small island together. At this stop you'll also learn about St Martin's geography.
You'll stop at two forts: Fort Amsterdam in Philipsburg and Fort Louis in Marigot where you'll learn about the battles that have taken place between different nations who were fighting for the island's resources over the centuries. Please be aware that both forts are located on top of hills, visiting them involves a 10 minute uphill walk.
Touching on St Martin's colonial and slavery history you'll visit a former plantation, where you'll also have an iced tea or coffee break with homemade banana bread.
This tour is a great way to get to know the island, to see both the French and Dutch side and learn all about its fascinating local history and current politics. Group size is never more than 6 guests.
*FAQ from cruise ship guests concerning timing:
My ship arrives later than 8 am, can I do a tour with you?
Yes, when making a reservation please let us know what time your ship is scheduled to dock. If it’s later than 8 am we will adjust the starting time of our tour so we’ll be able to accommodate you.
Will I make it in time to your meeting point?
If your ship is docking half an hour prior to our starting time, then you will make it to our meeting point at Dock Maarten. Usually ships arrive at 8 am, so you’ll be in time for our 8.30 am start. Sometimes ships don’t announce very clearly that you can get off the ship, just proceed to the deck where you can disembark and you’ll see you’ll be let go.
Then also: don’t worry if the ship is not letting you off immediately. We know the ship’s in port, we know you’re on it, you’ve paid for your tour, so we wait till you get to our meeting point. We’ll start the tour when you get there, you’ll still get the full tour even if you’re half an hour late.
Will the tour be back in time for my cruise ship?
We have returned 100% of our cruise ship guests back to the ship on time. We're in business since 2014.
Features
Tourism
90%
Cultural
75%
