Maho Beach is a short, steep strip of sand at the western end of the runway of Princess Juliana International Airport. The threshold of runway 10 is separated from the beach by a narrow road and a fence, so arriving aircraft cross the sand at a height of perhaps 20–30 metres. Nowhere else can the public stand so close beneath landing airliners, and that has made a small beach on a small island one of the most filmed places in the Caribbean.
The spectacle is free. You stand on the sand or in the water, you watch a dot over the sea grow into an aircraft, and for two seconds it fills the sky. In between flights it is simply a lively beach with bars at either end, one of which chalks up the day’s arrival times.
The four-engined jumbo jets that made Maho famous no longer fly here, but wide-body jets from Europe and a steady stream of North American and regional flights still do. The busiest period is usually from late morning to mid-afternoon.
Top things to do: Maho Beach
Watch the arrivals
Find the arrivals board at the beach bar at the southern end, or check a flight-tracking app, and plan around the larger aircraft: the transatlantic flights from Paris and Amsterdam and the bigger jets from the United States and Canada generally arrive around midday and in the early afternoon. Small island-hoppers come and go all day and are just as fun to watch, if less dramatic.
Stay out of the jet blast
Departing aircraft line up with their engines pointing at the beach. Signs on the fence warn that jet blast can cause severe injury or death, and they mean it: people have been thrown into the road and the sea, and a visitor was killed here in 2017. Do not hold on to the fence. Watching landings is the thrill; standing behind take-offs is the danger.
Have lunch with a view of the runway
The bars and restaurants at each end of the beach have terraces facing the approach path, so you can watch in the shade with a drink. They are busy on cruise days; arrive before noon for a table at the rail.
Swim — with care
The water is beautiful but the beach shelves steeply and the shore-break can be strong, especially in winter swells. After storms the sand sometimes disappears altogether and returns weeks later. Keep an eye on children and on your belongings when the big jets arrive and everyone looks up.
Walk on to Mullet Bay
When you have seen enough aircraft, the far calmer and prettier Mullet Bay is about ten minutes’ walk beyond the Maho roundabout.
How to get to Maho Beach
- From the cruise port / Philipsburg: 30–45 minutes by taxi depending on traffic and the lagoon bridge openings. Taxi fares are fixed by zone — confirm the price before you get in. Organised transfers and island tours with a Maho stop are an inexpensive alternative.
- From Simpson Bay: 5–10 minutes by taxi or minibus; the road runs around the end of the runway.
- From the French side: about 15–20 minutes from Marigot via the Terres Basses road and Cupecoy.
- Parking: very limited at the beach itself. Park in Maho village and walk two minutes.
Insider tips
- Flight times change by season and day of the week. Check the same-day arrivals for SXM before you go rather than relying on a fixed timetable.
- Bring a strap for sunglasses and hats, and put phones in a pocket when a large jet lands — the wake turbulence arrives a second after the aircraft.
- Sand in the air is hard on cameras. Use a zoom rather than changing lenses on the beach.
- Cruise passengers: leave Maho no later than two hours before all-aboard. The road back passes the Simpson Bay bridge, and traffic there is unpredictable.
- For photographs, stand to one side of the centreline rather than directly beneath it; you get the aircraft and the beach in the same frame.
Best tours for Maho Beach
These well-reviewed experiences are the easiest way to see Maho Beach:
Beach transfer from US$28 Extreme Plane Spotting at Maho Beach
A no-frills round trip from Philipsburg to Maho Beach, where arriving jets cross the sand a few metres above your head. You get the ride and the time; the beach bars and the spectacle do the rest.
- Round trip to the airport beach
- Hours of free time under the flight path
- The lowest-priced tour on our list
Beach tour from US$46 Orient and Maho Beaches Half-Day Tour
Two famous beaches, one on each side of the island, with transport from the ship: Orient Bay and the low-flying jets of Maho.
- Pickup at the cruise port
- The French side’s liveliest beach
- Plane-spotting at Maho on the same ticket
Island tour from US$62 St. Maarten Top Ten Highlights Island Tour
A longer, fuller loop than the half-day tours: Orient and Maho beaches, a rum distillery, forts, viewpoints and local food stops, with morning departures. More stops, more hours, very good value.
- A complete circle of the island
- Orient Beach and Maho Beach
- Topper’s Rhum distillery and a Dutch cheese shop
