Philipsburg is the capital of Dutch Sint Maarten and the place most visitors see first: a compact grid of four streets on a narrow sandbar, with the curve of Great Bay on one side and the Great Salt Pond on the other. It was founded in 1763 and named after John Philips, a Scottish captain in Dutch service, and for two centuries it lived on the salt raked from the pond behind it.
Today it lives on cruise ships. On a busy day several of them tie up at the piers at Pointe Blanche, at the eastern end of the bay, and the town fills with passengers shopping for duty-free jewellery, watches, electronics and liquor on Front Street. Come on a day with one ship — or after about four in the afternoon — and you will find a pleasant Caribbean town with a long beach, a boardwalk of bars and a few genuinely old buildings.
It is also the island’s main ferry hub: boats to St Barths and Saba leave from the town’s marinas, and almost every island tour starts or ends here. If you are arriving by ship, see our cruise-day guide for timings.
Top things to do: Philipsburg
Walk Front Street and Back Street
Front Street (Voorstraat) is the duty-free artery: jewellers, electronics shops, linen and liquor stores, with narrow lanes called steegjes cutting through to the beach. Prices are negotiable in many shops and there is no sales tax, but know your home prices before buying big-ticket items. Back Street, one block inland, is where islanders shop for clothes and where prices are lower.
See the Courthouse and Wathey Square
The white, green-shuttered courthouse facing the pier was built in 1793 and is the emblem of the town; it has been a governor’s residence, a jail, a fire station and a post office, and it still serves as a court. The square in front of it is the natural meeting point and the place to get your bearings.
Spend an hour on Great Bay Beach and the boardwalk
The town beach runs the whole length of Philipsburg, backed by a paved boardwalk of beach bars and restaurants that rent chairs and umbrellas, usually with a bucket of beer in the deal. The water is calm and usually clear. It is not the island’s prettiest beach, but it is the most convenient one from a ship.
Taste guavaberry and visit the small museums
Guavaberry liqueur, made from rum and a wild local berry, is the island’s traditional drink; the Guavaberry Emporium on Front Street offers tastings in an old town house. The modest Sint Maarten Museum covers the island’s history from the Arawaks to Hurricane Irma, and film fans seek out the exhibition run by a make-up artist who worked on the original Star Wars films.
Climb to Fort Amsterdam
On the peninsula that separates Great Bay from Little Bay stand the low ruins of Fort Amsterdam, begun by the Dutch in 1631 and soon captured by the Spanish. There is little left beyond walls and cannons, but the view of the bay and the cruise ships is excellent, and pelicans nest on the cliffs. Access is through the grounds of the resort at Little Bay — ask at the gate.
Snorkel or walk under water at Little Bay
The sheltered bay just west of town is the base for two easy water activities: boat trips to a small underwater sculpture park and helmet walks on the sea floor for non-swimmers. Both are short enough for a port day.
How to get to Philipsburg
- From the cruise port: about 15–20 minutes on foot along a marked, level path, or a few minutes by water taxi across the bay to the town pier. The water taxi sells an inexpensive all-day wristband.
- From the airport and Simpson Bay: 20–40 minutes by taxi or rental car depending on traffic, which can be heavy around Simpson Bay and Cole Bay at rush hour.
- By minibus: shared minibuses with destination signs in the windscreen run from Maho, Simpson Bay and Marigot to Philipsburg for a couple of dollars. Flag one down on the main road.
- Parking: streets are narrow and one-way; use the car parks along the salt-pond side of town rather than hunting on Front Street.
Insider tips
- Check how many ships are in port. With four or more, do your sightseeing elsewhere in the morning and come to town after the afternoon lull begins.
- US dollars are used everywhere and prices are quoted in them. Cards are widely accepted in shops; carry small notes for beach chairs, minibuses and the water taxi.
- Many shops close on Sundays and public holidays unless a ship is in port.
- The best light for photographing the courthouse is in the morning; for the bay and the ships, late afternoon from the boardwalk or Fort Amsterdam.
- Want more than shopping? The half-day island tours that start here cover both sides of the island and still leave time for Front Street.
Best tours for Philipsburg
These well-reviewed experiences are the easiest way to see Philipsburg:
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
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
Underwater walk from US$110 SeaTrek Underwater Helmet Walk
A guided walk under the sea, designed so that non-swimmers can do it as comfortably as swimmers. No diving certificate needed.
- A guided underwater walking tour
- Designed for non-swimmers as well as swimmers
- Guided throughout
Snorkel trip from US$45 Underwater Sculpture Park Snorkel Adventure
A short boat ride from Little Bay to an underwater sculpture park, with gear and instruction provided. Quick, inexpensive and close to Philipsburg.
- Boat from Little Bay
- Snorkel over submerged sculptures
- Gear, instruction and park entry included
