French side · The big beach
18° 05′ N · 63° 01′ W
More than a mile of white sand on the east coast, turquoise water, beach clubs right on the sand and a small village of café terraces: Orient Bay is the most famous beach in St. Martin, often called the Saint-Tropez of the Caribbean.
This is where you can spend the whole day without getting back in the car: loungers in the morning, lunch at a beach club, a kayak trip to Green Cay, then dinner in the village. Everything is walkable.
The bay faces the Atlantic and takes the trade winds: the sea can get rough, with waves and currents. On swell days, the sheltered beaches of Cul-de-Sac, Le Galion or Anse Marcel are just a few minutes away.
Updated October 2026
The beach first, then the sea around it: islets, kayaking and snorkeling in the Nature Reserve.
Orient Bay Beach stretches for more than a mile. Beach clubs follow one another along the bay, with their loungers, umbrellas and restaurants on the sand.
Jet skis, kitesurfing, paddleboarding, parasailing: this is also the water sports beach. Access is free and so is parking.
Free access · Free parking · Sea can be rough, currents possible
Each one has its own style. Bikini Beach, open since 1991, has its big pool by the sand; Waï Plage its red and yellow umbrellas at the north end; Coco Beach a menu by chef Laurent Saudeau.
Their loungers are not free: ask for the price before you settle in. The beach itself stays public and free.
This small rocky islet about 650 yards offshore is part of the Nature Reserve. People come for the crossing and the snorkeling around it, not to sunbathe: there are no facilities at all.
Gear is rented at the south end of the beach, near Coco Beach. The crossing takes 15 to 25 minutes depending on the wind: go early, on a calm day, with water shoes.
Nature Reserve · No facilities on the islet · Avoid in wind or swell
A few minutes’ drive north, the village of Cul-de-Sac is where the shuttle boats to Pinel Island leave: shallow turquoise water, two beach restaurants and a trail to the wild beach.
You can also paddle there: Caribbean Paddling rents kayaks and paddleboards right across from the island, for about half a mile of calm water.
Our picks in and around Orient Bay, from Cul-de-Sac to Le Galion, each with a full page on the site. Tap a number to see it on the map.
The big beach, with its beach clubs and water sports. The sea can be rough.
The Nature Reserve islet, 650 yards out, by kayak or paddleboard.
The calm-water island, by shuttle or kayak from Cul-de-Sac.
To the south: a shallow lagoon protected by the reef, great for families.
A wide natural landscape for walks and photos rather than swimming.
Beach club and cuisine by chef Laurent Saudeau, right on the sand.
The beach village institution since 1991, with its big pool.
A private beach with red and yellow umbrellas, lunch facing Green Cay.
On the Place du Village: Creole and Latin food, tapas and cocktails, where the evening starts.
A brasserie open from morning to night, at the entrance to Orient Bay.
A long-standing fine dining restaurant by the pool of the Esmeralda.
French and Mediterranean food around the pool of La Plantation, a little set back.
Up on Les Griselles, with a view of the whole bay.
An intimate fine dining dinner in Mont Vernon, a few minutes away.
A rum bar in Cul-de-Sac, with a fire pit and sharing plates.
Creole villas with private pools in a tropical garden.
A 4-star hotel right on the sand.
A Creole-style residence open since 1992, 50 yards from the beach.
Right on the beach, with the village on foot.
In Cul-de-Sac, a handful of suites facing Pinel Island.
Kayaks and paddleboards to Pinel, from the Cul-de-Sac pier.
The sea is often calmer in the morning: that’s the time for the islets. The rest of the day follows the rhythm of the beach.
8:30 am
Rent at the south end of the beach and cross on a calm sea. Snorkel around the islet.
12:30 pm
At Coco Beach, Bikini Beach or Waï Plage, then a nap on a lounger.
4 pm
A stroll around the village and its terraces, then one last swim as the sun gets lower.
7:30 pm
Tapas on the Place du Village at La Favela, or the bay view at Rancho Del Sol.
Upcoming events listed on our site.
6 Nov.
Stand Up Magic by Nicolas Ribs
from 6 to 8 Nov. | 20:00 · Theatre La Chapelle
26 Feb.
Please Stand Up by Arthur Gomez
from 26 to 27 Feb. | 20:00 · Théâtre La Chapelle
It is the most famous and the liveliest: more than a mile of white sand, beach clubs and water sports. For calmer or wilder water, also look at Pinel, Baie Longue or Mullet Bay.
Yes, but the bay is exposed to the trade winds: on some days, waves and currents make swimming tricky. On swell days, go to Cul-de-Sac, Le Galion or Anse Marcel instead.
By kayak or paddleboard from the south end of the beach, near Coco Beach: about 650 yards, 15 to 25 minutes. The islet has no facilities and the crossing should be avoided in strong wind.
Drive to Cul-de-Sac, a few minutes north, then take the shuttle boat (about €10 round trip) or rent a kayak at Caribbean Paddling.
Yes for beach club loungers: ask for the price before you settle in. The beach itself is public and free: you can lay your towel anywhere.
In the Parc de la Baie Orientale, walking distance from the beach: Esmeralda Resort for its villas with pools, La Playa and Orient Beach Hotel right on the sand, Palm Court 50 yards from the beach.
