The St. Maarten airport is not only the busiest airport in the region, but also famous as a huge attraction to aviation fans.
Have you ever wondered why 'insiders' shorten St. Maarten/St. Martin to SXM? You are seeing this abbreviation everywhere, even a popular bumper sticker is using it. Well, there is not much mystery behind it: SXM is the Dutch-side international airport code.
St. Maarten Airport, Princess Juliana International (SXM)
The Princess Juliana International Airport is the busiest airport of the hemisphere. Regular jet service from most metropolitan centers in the United States turns travel to the Caribbean into an easy 2 to 3 hour commute from most cities on the US east coast. Jumbo jets also arrive from Europe, mostly Paris and Amsterdam.
Smaller commuter planes are connecting less developed islands, with the St. Maarten airport as the hub.
St. Maarten Airport Is Famous for Maho Beach Landings and Take-Offs
Where to Watch the Airplanes at St. Maarten Airport?
Maho Beach at the St. Maarten airport has become one of the island's leading attractions: this is where the runway almost meets the beach, separated only by a narrow road and a flimsy fence. The location is also a great place to watch the sunset, and home to St. Maarten's largest and most successful hotel complex, The Sonesta Maho Reef Resort and its neighbor, The Royal Islander Hotel. The beach itself is framed by two beach bars: Sunset Bar & Grill and on the other end the Driftwood Boat Bar.
So, get out your camera! Nowhere else in the world will you get this close to a landing jumbo jet as at the St. Maarten airport. You can lie on the beach, catch some rays, and photograph the underbelly of a 747 just a few yards above your head. What a rush!
If you're not quite that daring, you can watch the planes take off and land at The Sunset Beach Bar; they're located at the other end of horseshoe shaped Maho Beach.
Go to the Driftwood Boat Bar (the number one spot for the team producing this website!) close to the Royal Islander Resort, where you could rent chairs, order delicious cocktails and enjoy lunch or an early dinner with great pizza and other snacks.
Cruise-Ship Visitors: How to get to the 'Airport Beach'?
Visit Sunset Beach Bar or Driftwood Boat Bar and the 'Airport Beach' as part of a complete island tour. These tours are times so that you will be there at the right time to see the big jets land and take off.
JoJunie Tours offers affordable tours to Maho Beach >>>
Grand Case-Espérance Airport (SFG)
The town of Grand Case on the French side of the island is home to the second airport. Though more modest in size, there are regular international flights from this airport to Puerto Rico (a US territory) and the Dominican Republic. The other French islands of St. Barths, Goudaloupe and Martinique are also served with frequent flights, which are - of course - considered in-land flights, as they are within French territory.
