Throughout all of my travels around the world, I have never once had the oppurtunity to leave the airport during a layover and explore, as I prefer direct flights or the fastest route possible. While there are direct flights from Charlotte to Saint Kitts and Nevis (our final destination was Nevis), they do not operate every day, such as the date we needed to depart. Thus, my husband and I decided for a five hour layover in Saint Martin, which was the perfect amount of time for a quick adventure in a new country!
As soon as we landed, we hailed a two-minute taxi to the legendary Maho Bay, a beach on the Dutch side of Saint Martin. It is famous for being located at the end of the runway of Princess Juliana International Airport. Arriving aircraft must touch down as close as possible to the beginning of the runway due to its short length, resulting in planes flying over the beach at minimal altitude. Watching airliners pass over the beach is such a popular activity that daily arrival and departure timetables are displayed in the nearby bars and restaurants. There is a danger of people being blown into the water, because of the jet blast from aircraft taking off, so most spectators hold onto the fence that separates the beach from the runway.
We chose to spend our entire layover at Bliss, a quiet and chic beach bar that has a fabulous pool and view of the runway. We immediately ordered some daiquiris and allowed the Caribbean sun to seep into our pores.
If Maho Bay is not on your Bucket List, it should be! Where else in the world can you get buzzed by 757s and fruity drinks?
Our layover seemed like the fastest five hours of my life and before I knew it we were inside a tiny eighteen-seat propeller plane headed toward Saint Kitts. The flight was less than thirty minutes and the aerial views were nothing short of magnificent.
We could have continued in the same plane over to Nevis, however we opted for a short boat ride instead. Our home for the next four nights was Nisbet Plantation Beach Club and we arrived just in time for dinner. Although, our first order of business was to ask for a bottle of champagne in celebration of being in a new country — a ritual that we started many years ago. Then we feasted on a gourmet three-course meal. If this was any indication of how good the food was at this property, we were in for the culinary time of our lives.
Since it was dark when we finally arrived to Nevis, we fell asleep not knowing what our surroundings would look like in the light of day. The element of surprise only added to the immense excitement we were already experiencing!
Your pic are AMAZING!!!!!!
Thank you!
Take me there now!
Wish I could!
Your photos are absolutely gorgeous! Looks like a dream.
Awww thank you so much!!!!
Beautiful !! Just added to my Bucket List . What kind of camera do you use?
I have a Canon 7D! One of the pics is from my husband’s GoPro. 🙂
Great shots!
Thanks!
I bet you woke up in an amazing place – if the the photos from the plane are any indication! Enjoy!
Hahaha I sure did!
Such beautiful shots Andi. Its nice to fit in that bonus time on a stop over to see somewhere you may not have seen otherwise.
Thank you and I totally agree! Going to try and make it happen more often if I can.
So good! I stayed at a place near the airport on my last night (and for only one night) on St Martin. I remember how loud the planes were, and it was more of a thrill and a rush than a bother. Such an exhilarating feeling to be so close to that kind of power.
Looks like you’ve had a great time, and glad to see some yummy food!!!
Love that you looked at it THAT way! Most people wouldn’t!!! And yes, the food was SO yummy!
I’m so obsessed with visiting Maho Beach! I love watching airplanes and I can’t imagine a better setting. Great photos!
You must must must go! It was such an awesome experience. Lucas and I were both in awe the whole time!!!
Ahhhhh! So amazing!!! I made the mistake of drinking too much at the airport in Kauai right before our short, 45-minute hop to Oahu. The stewardess was NOT pleased when I insisted I needed to use the lavatory. 🙂
Hahahahaha you’re so cute!
GREAT pics! Looks like an amazing place.
The photos of the 757s over the bay looks horrifying, haha!
Hahaha horrifying? I think it looks cool! 🙂 Thanks for the kind words re: my pics!
It’s so nice that you were able to get out of the airport and explore a bit of Saint Martin. It was my first ever Caribbean island and it’s probably still my favorite 🙂 And I LOVE your tradition of ordering champagne to celebrate being in a new country! <3
I definitely want to return to St. Martin and see more! I’ve heard really good things and really bad things. Which side did of the island did you like better, the Dutch or the French?
So many beautiful photos! What an amazing way to make the most of a layover!
Thank you so much darling!!!
Can’t wait to hear about your experiences on Nevis.
More to come soon I promise! 🙂
Wow, that airport is crazy! When I first saw a picture of this airport a couple of years ago, I could barely believe it! So cool that you got to see it in person, I hope I will one day as well! 🙂
I know I could barely believe it when I saw a pic of it as well and it’s even cooler in person!!! You have to see it one day!
Andi, you lucky duck! What a beautiful place to visit–truly blissful 🙂
Thanks for such a sweet comment!
Wow! Check out those shots from your plane window. Truly in awe.
I had the same experience arriving in Nevis. Landed at night, not fully knowing the breathtaking beauty that awaited us when we woke up the next morning.
Awww thank you, what a sweet thing to say that you’re in awe!!! Isn’t Nevis just amazing?
I’ve always wanted to go to Maho Beach! Also I LOVE your pictures. That pink sky is beautiful!
You need to go! Thank you sooo much!!! Loved the sunset that night.
Dude that plane is SO LOW! How cool! It was like that in Los Roques but the planes were teeny tiny so it was nearly as exciting…nobody getting blown into the water haha!
It’s SO low! I should have included the video that Lucas took with his GoPro. He was laying on the beach and shot the plane from underneath it. So awesome!!!
Wow! I’d take a layover here any day! I’m just like you, though, I like the quickest and fastest way to point B from point A. I never layover anywhere, but when that day comes, I’ll be sure to make the most of exploring the city I’m waiting in! I can’t believe those airplanes get SO low to that beach! I cannot get over that…crazy!
I’m glad I’m not the only person that prefers direct flights, because I always see my friends layovering in cities! Isn’t that beach/runway crazy????? I had to pinch myself when we were watching the first plane land!
I had never done a long layover either until a few years ago when I had a long one in Fiji. I LOVED it!! I’ve been doing that ever since whenever I can. 🙂
Ooooh now that’s a place I’d DEFINITELY have a layover in!!!
I’m off to Curacao in a couple weeks and cannot WAIT to see some of these Caribbean colors in person! Fantastic post, loved hearing about your layover adventure!
Have the best time! I would love to visit Curacao!!!
so jealous of this trip! That’s pretty crazy about the planes – almost seems a little scary!
Haha it is scary if you’re on the beach, but it’s also one of the biggest rushes you can ever imagine!!! 🙂
Now that is a layover I could deal with! I’m with you on the getting there in the fastest route possible, but somehow I keep picking destinations with multiple stops and long flights… I’ve heard great things about Nevis, can’t wait to see your posts!
Multiple stops and long flights ugh!!! Nevis was sooo amazing!!!
Wow what a layover – you certainly made the most of it. Very jealous.
Awww hope you can make it there one day too!
Gorgeous pics Andi!!!
Thank you sweetie!
The pictures of the planes are just gorgeous!
Thanks a million! I am in love with those planes haha!!!
I love those photos of Maho! Funny, we WERE in Saint Maarten for three days and didn’t make it there. You were wise to get in and get out, as the rest of the island was not the nicest place…
You were there and didn’t get to Maho? Why not??? It’s so funny that you say you didn’t like the island, because I have met so many people who claim that it’s there favorite island in the Caribbean!
I am so in love with St. Martin/Sint Maarten! Your pictures have captured its magical atmosphere! I so want to go back to it…NOW!
Thank you so much, I’d love to go back and see more!
Wow! These pictures are awesome! Especially the drink and last dessert ones! That place just looks so beautiful.
I LOVE these photos. Gorgeous. Pinning away.
Thank yooooooou! 🙂
Best layover ever!
Haha right???
What a fun layover! I had a 23 hr layover in BA once, which was obviously fun, but I’ve never had a single day mini-adventure like this. And it looks like the fact that you then arrived to a pink sunset would have been worth the stop even if you hadn’t been able to leave the airport.
Hahaha I love you, I so agree re: pink sunset. There is no way I could layover in BA, I would never go back to the airport!!!