Grand Case is a single narrow street running behind a beach on a calm, west-facing bay in the north of the French side. Until the 1970s it was a fishing village with a salt pond behind it. Then one restaurant opened, and another, and today the Boulevard de Grand Case holds one of the densest concentrations of good restaurants anywhere in the Caribbean — the reason the village is routinely called the region’s gourmet capital.
The mix is the charm. At one end of the scale are white-tablecloth French dining rooms with terraces over the water; at the other are the lolos, open-sided barbecue stands in the middle of the village where ribs, chicken, lobster and fish come off the grill with rice and peas, plantain and coleslaw for a fraction of the price. In between: beach bars, bakeries, rum shops and a few galleries in weathered Creole houses.
By day Grand Case is quiet and the beach is lovely; in the evening the boulevard fills with people reading menus. It also makes an excellent, low-key place to stay.
Top things to do: Grand Case
Eat at the lolos
The lolos stand together on the beach side of the boulevard near the pier. You order at the counter, sit at a shared table and eat with a view of the bay. Plates of grilled ribs or chicken with several sides are among the best-value meals on the island; grilled lobster costs more but far less than in a restaurant. Most accept US dollars and euros, often at a favourable one-to-one rate in cash.
Book a proper French dinner
For a special night, choose one of the seafront restaurants and reserve a table by the water — in high season the best ones fill up days ahead. Menus are posted outside, so an early-evening stroll along the boulevard is the traditional way to choose. Expect French prices; service is included.
Swim off the village beach
The beach runs the whole length of the village, narrow in places but with calm, clear water that deepens gradually. Several beach bars rent loungers and serve lunch with your feet in the sand.
Snorkel Creole Rock
The Rocher Créole is a rocky islet off the northern headland of the bay, inside the nature reserve. It is one of the island’s best and most sheltered snorkelling sites, with schools of sergeant-majors, blue tangs and the odd turtle. It is too far to swim to: go by boat trip, or rent a kayak or small boat locally.
Come on a Harmony Night
On Tuesday evenings during the winter season the boulevard is traditionally closed to traffic for the Mardis de Grand Case, with craft stalls, street food, music and a carnival parade. Dates vary from year to year, so check whether they are running during your stay.
Walk to Happy Bay
From the next bay south, Friar’s Bay, a ten-minute footpath leads over a headland to Happy Bay, a palm-fringed beach with no road access and usually very few people.
How to get to Grand Case
- From Marigot: 10–15 minutes by car or minibus.
- From Philipsburg / the cruise port: 30–40 minutes by taxi; half-day island tours usually include a stop here.
- From Orient Bay: about 10 minutes by car.
- Parking: the boulevard is narrow and one-way. Use the car parks at either end of the village and walk; in the evening they fill early.
Insider tips
- Many restaurants close one day a week and a good number shut completely for several weeks in September and October. In low season, check before you drive over.
- Lunch at a lolo and dinner at a restaurant on different days is the way to cover both ends of the scale.
- The French side’s small regional airport is behind the village: handy for hops to St Barths and Guadeloupe, and the source of an occasional propeller overhead.
- Bring euros or small dollar notes for the lolos; cards are not always accepted.
- Sunset is over the sea. A table on the water at about six is the best seat on the island.
Best tours for Grand Case
These well-reviewed experiences are the easiest way to see Grand Case:
Snorkel cruise from US$65 Sand Dollar Half-Day Snorkel Cruise
A relaxed half-day boat trip from Simpson Bay up to the French side, with time to swim and snorkel and plenty of coastline to look at on the way.
- A run up to the French side
- Swimming and snorkelling
- Sightseeing from the water
Jet ski tour from US$169 per group Sunset Jet Skiing in Happy Bay
A jet-ski outing timed for sunset at Happy Bay, on the coast near Grand Case. Very few reviews so far, but all of them enthusiastic.
- Priced per jet ski for up to two
- Happy Bay at sunset
- A short ride
Island tour from US$53 St. Maarten Half-Day Tour of the French & Dutch Sides
The classic first-timer loop and one of the most-reviewed Sint Maarten tours on GetYourGuide: around the island by bus with a guide, across the open border to Marigot and Grand Case and back via the airport beach.
- Both countries in one loop
- Shopping time in Marigot and beach time at Grand Case
- A stop for the planes at Maho Beach
