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Philipsburg Review
Read our St. Martin and St. Maarten sights reviews. Or post your own.
Philipsburg
- Category: Towns
- Location: St. Maarten
Fodor's Review:
The capital of Dutch St. Maarten stretches about a mile (1 1/2 km) along an isthmus between Great Bay and the Salt Pond and has five parallel streets. Most of the village's dozens of shops and restaurants are on Front Street, narrow and cobblestoned, closest to Great Bay. It's generally congested when cruise ships are in port, because of its many duty-free shops and several casinos. Little lanes called steegjes connect Front Street with Back Street, which has fewer shops and considerably less congestion. Along the beach is a newly constructed 1/2-mi-long (1-km-long) boardwalk with restaurants and several Wi-Fi hot spots.
Wathey Square (pronounced watty) is in the heart of the village. Directly across from the square are the town hall and the courthouse, in the striking white building with the cupola. The structure was built in 1793 and has served as the commander's home, a fire station, a jail, and a post office. The streets surrounding the square are lined with hotels, duty-free shops, fine restaurants, and cafés. The Captain Hodge Pier, just off the square, is a good spot to view Great Bay and the beach that stretches alongside. The Sint Maarten Museum hosts rotating cultural exhibits and a permanent historical display called Forts of St. Maarten-St. Martin. The artifacts range from Arawak pottery shards to objects salvaged from the wreck of the HMS Proselyte. 7 Front St., Philipsburg. 599/542-4917. Free. Weekdays 10-4, Sat. 10-2.
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