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Shopping in Sint Maarten

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Let's be honest! Studying abroad comes in handy with a good shopping culture! Everyone wants to get time to explore markets and pick a few goodies to add to the cart list! Shopaholics welcome to Sint Maarten, the land of beauty and charming crafts! This is where your shopping impulse is put to the test. With numerous shopping malls, stalls, shops, and supermarkets Sint Maarten will certainly take thy breath away!

St Maarten is renowned as being a shopper’s delight in the Caribbean, with lower prices than any other country in the Caribbean. Both the Dutch and French sides of the island have duty -free rates, so there’s no sales tax paid by buyers. This offers an extremely competitive shopping environment for luxury goods, such as jewelry, cosmetics, electronics, alcohol, and tobacco. Prices are around 15-30% cheaper than in the United States for these products.

The main shopping area in St Maarten is Front Street in Philipsburg. Here, you’ll find a mile-long strip of stores selling luxury items at competitive, duty-free prices. For clothing and general souvenirs, a great place to head is Back Street, which sells beachwear and island memorabilia.

All around this area of Philipsburg you will find food and snacks to buy, including at the open-air bazaar situated behind the courthouse, which is nestled in between Front and Back streets. Stores are normally open seven days of the week, from 9:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m., with a two-hour closing for lunch between 12:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m.

There is a branch of Cartier located at 35 Front Street, or for luxury watches and jewelry from Bell & Ross, and Pomellato, you can go to Carat at 73 Front Street. There’s also a branch of Tommy Hilfiger and Ralph Lauren clothing stores on Front Street at numbers 28 and 31 respectively. There is a fascinating souvenir shop at 8 Front Street called Guavaberry Emporium which sells items such as hand-painted bottles and liquor.

Spas and Wellness

With an amazing location and a tranquil setting, St Maarten is a highly  known spa retreat for visitors. There are several spas situated in the country, usually near the south-facing beaches. Some of the most popular include the Dawn Beach Resort & Spa near the airport, the Christian Dior Spa at the Cliff Hotel, and Serenity Spa at Maho Beach Resort. There are plenty of other picks, including the Good Life Spa and Spa St Maarten at Little Bay Beach Resort and Oyster Bay Beach Resort.

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