Best Time to Visit Saint Martin

Marigot is our only stop here

Saint Martin is a small island, and we cover one place on it: Marigot, the capital of the French side. The weather doesn't change much from one end of the island to the other. So what works for Marigot works for Grand Case, Orient Bay and the Dutch side too.

The best window is December to April. Days are warm, the sea is calm, and you can spend long afternoons on Orient Bay or Friar's Bay without watching the sky. Evenings are easy. You can eat grilled fish at the lolos, the casual roadside barbecue shacks in Grand Case, without a jacket.

High season and low season

December to April is also high season. Flights and rooms cost more, and Marigot's waterfront market, held on Wednesdays and Saturdays, gets busy when cruise ships and ferries arrive. Christmas and New Year are the busiest weeks. If you hate crowds, aim for late April, when the weather is still good and the rush is fading.

Carnival is the big event for the French side. It runs through the weeks before Ash Wednesday, with parades in Marigot and costumes and music in the streets. Expect packed hotels and slow traffic. The Dutch side holds its own Carnival in spring, around April, so check which side you're visiting.

The hot, wet months

September is the hottest month, at 29°C. October is the wettest, with 116 mm of rain. Together they sit in the heart of hurricane season, which runs from June to November. Storms are most likely in late summer and early autumn, so these months carry real risk. Some restaurants and hotels close for a few weeks in this period. Check before you book, and buy travel insurance that covers storms.

The upside? Beaches are quiet and prices drop. If you're flexible and don't mind a few rainy afternoons, you can have Marigot's Fort Louis lookout almost to yourself.

Travelling with kids? Stick with the dry months, when school holidays also line up with the best weather.