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- Destinations
- Caribbean
- St Maarten and St Martin
- Philipsburg
Philipsburg
Philipsburg is the capital of Dutch St. Maarten and the only
town of consequence on the island. It has two main streets, Front
Street (
Voorstraat) and Back Street (
Achterstraat), connected by several bustling
thoroughfares, and filled mainly with duty-free shops, cafes,
hotels and courtyards overflowing with flowers.
The town has an unusual setting, sitting on a narrow stretch of
land between Great Bay, on the south coast of the island, and the
Great Salt Pond (a huge marsh). It is the port of call of hundreds
of cruise ships, filling the primary need of the day-tripping
passengers who come ashore mainly to shop for everything from
Italian leather goods and Japanese cameras to native crafts. The
town's nightlife is regarded as among the liveliest to be found in
the Caribbean.
Architecturally the town, founded in 1763 by John Philips (a
Scots captain in the Dutch navy), is quaint, with characteristic
pastel-coloured West Indian houses lining the streets, and a few
Dutch colonial landmarks, including Fort Willem, built in 1801, and
Fort Amsterdam, constructed nearly 200 years earlier.
Information & Facts
Climate
The weather is sunny and warm all year, with some cooling from
trade winds. Average temperature during the winter season is 80F
(27C), while in the summer it is several degrees warmer and more
humid. The average annual rainfall is 45 inches, most falling as
occasional showers in late summer and early autumn.
Language
Dutch and French are the official languages, but English
is widely spoken. Locals commonly use a language known as
Papiamento, a mixture of Portuguese, African, Spanish, Dutch and
English.
Money
On the Dutch side the currency is the Netherlands Antilles
Guilder or Florin (ANG), where one guilder is divided into 100
cents, but US Dollars are also widely accepted and prices are
usually quoted in Dollars as well as Guilders. On the French side
of the island the Euro (EUR) is the local currency, although
establishments will also accept US Dollars. There are numerous
bureaux de change and banks throughout the island and ATMs in the
main towns in both national sectors; travellers cheques and major
credit cards are widely accepted.
Time