Saint-Martin

Beach life is the main reason to come, and the French side has more good beaches than its size suggests. Orient Bay is the long, lively one, with sunbeds, water sports and a clothing-optional stretch at its southern end. On the leeward west coast, Baie Rouge, Baie Longue and Happy Bay are quieter. The water there is often calm and very clear, which suits snorkelling straight off the sand. Le Galion's shallow, reef-sheltered bay is the gentlest of all, and Pinel, a few minutes off Cul-de-Sac by boat, adds a small island beach.

The sea stays at around 26°C in winter and reaches 29°C in late summer, so swimming is good all year. The main season runs from December to April. The Atlantic-facing bays on the east side sometimes collect drifting seaweed, so in some months the western beaches are the safer choice.

For its size, the French side eats unusually well. Grand Case, a one-street seafront village, is the centre of it. It has a row of French and creole dining rooms over the water, and beside them the lolos: open-air barbecue stalls serving ribs, grilled lobster, johnnycakes and rice and peas at shared tables. Elsewhere you find bakeries with proper croissants and baguettes, French wine and cheese in the supermarkets, beach restaurants at Orient Bay and the lagoon-side spots around Marigot.

Saltfish, accras, conch and johnny cakes give the local cooking a clear Caribbean character. What the island lacks is depth: a week covers most of what is worth eating, and nearly everything outside the lolos costs French prices or more.

There is little to see beyond the beach. The ruins of Fort Louis stand above Marigot and give the best view over the harbour and the lagoon. Below them, the town has a few streets of painted creole houses with wooden balconies. A small museum covers the island's Arawak past and its colonial and salt-pan history, and a few old plantation sites survive in the hills. Most visitors see all of it in a morning.

On the French side, evenings are mostly long dinners and a drink afterwards. Grand Case is the liveliest place to be, with music on the street on busy nights in the winter season, beach bars along the sand and late-running terraces. Orient Bay has beach bars that draw a crowd at sunset, and Friar's Bay holds occasional beach parties.

For anything later, visitors cross the open border to Simpson Bay and Maho on the Dutch side, a short drive away, where casinos, clubs and bars stay open well past midnight. Carnival brings a few weeks of street parties and parades each year.

The interior is greener and hillier than many visitors expect. Pic Paradis rises to about 424m, and forested trails climb it from the Colombier and Rambaud valleys. There is a zipline and treetop park on its slopes, and the wider island has coastal walks to headlands such as Pointe des Froussards and around Baie Rouge.

Most outdoor time is spent on the water. The national nature reserve around Orient Bay and the islet of Tintamarre has turtles, rays and reef snorkelling at Creole Rock and Caye Verte. Orient Bay's steady trade winds suit kitesurfing and windsurfing, and the lagoon and bays are good for kayaking and sailing. It is a pleasant, active offer rather than landscape worth crossing the world for.

Day trips here mean other islands. Anguilla is a short ferry ride from Marigot and has long, quiet beaches and a calm, low-rise feel. St Barths is a longer crossing and has a different character: chic Gustavia harbour, boutiques and small, polished beaches. Saba and Sint Eustatius are further out, small volcanic Dutch islands reached by boat or a short flight, and better for one long day than a casual outing.

On the island itself, Philipsburg on the Dutch side makes a half-day out. Its Front Street shops and boardwalk are easy to reach, and Maho Beach, where planes come in low over the sand, is nearby. On rough days the crossings can be uncomfortable.

With young children, the strength is the sea. Le Galion's reef-protected bay is shallow and warm, Pinel's beach is calm and easy to reach by short boat, and Grand Case and Happy Bay are usually gentle. Villa and apartment rentals with kitchens and pools make family stays straightforward, and the French side is relaxed and generally easy-going with children.

There is little else made for them: a treetop and zipline park in the hills, glass-bottom boat and snorkelling trips, and the planes at Maho on the Dutch side, which older children enjoy. Families will need a car, as the island is not walkable, and the windier Atlantic beaches can have more swell than small swimmers like.

Distances are short, as nothing is more than about forty minutes' drive away, but almost every visitor hires a car. Private minibuses run along the main road between Marigot, Grand Case and Philipsburg, but they suit hops between towns rather than reaching beaches or villas. The roads are narrow and winding, and traffic can be heavy around Marigot, the lagoon bridges and the Dutch-side causeway, especially at rush hour.

The border between the French and Dutch sides is open and unmarked, so crossing it costs nothing more than a few minutes on the road. Towns like Grand Case and Marigot are pleasant to walk once you are there, but walking between them is not practical. Water taxis cover the short hops to Pinel and Tintamarre.

Shopping here is modest, but it comes in two kinds. In Marigot, the waterfront market sells spices, rum, local crafts and colourful fabrics. The streets and marina behind it have French boutiques, beachwear and perfume. Across the open border, Philipsburg's Front Street is a long run of duty-free jewellery, watch, electronics and liquor shops aimed at cruise passengers.

The guavaberry liqueur and local rums are the most characterful things to take home. Beyond those, most of what is on sale is resort clothing and souvenirs. There are no design districts or department stores of note.

This is an expensive place to spend a vacation, especially in the winter season. Hotels, villas and apartments in the popular bays charge high Caribbean rates. Restaurant meals cost French prices or more, and most visitors also pay for car hire and boat trips to the islets and neighbouring islands. The roadside barbecue lolos and supermarket picnics are the main ways to keep costs down. Rates ease noticeably in late spring and summer, outside the main season.

There is no theatre, concert hall or regular programme to attend. Live music means steel pan, zouk, soca and reggae bands playing at beach bars, at Grand Case on busy evenings and at hotels. Carnival is the high point of the year, with costumed parades and calypso and soca competitions. For the rest of the year, music is something you come across over dinner rather than plan an evening around.

There is no bathing or spa tradition here. Wellness comes down to spas in the larger resorts, some independent massage and beauty studios, and yoga classes at a few beachside spots. What the island does offer is ease. Days go by at a slow island pace, and a villa above Anse Marcel or a quiet cove on the west coast is a peaceful place to switch off, especially away from the traffic and cruise-day crowds around Marigot.