Marigot

Introduction

Marigot is the capital of Saint Martin, the French part of the Caribbean island that is shared with the Dutch. They call their part Sint Maarten, one of the Netherlands Antilles.

Events and Festivals

St Martin Day

Also known as Martinmas, this festival celebrates St Martin of Tours and is a traditional time for feasting celebrations. St Martin Island was named so by Christopher Columbus because he spotted the country on this saint’s feast day in 1493. The festival is celebrated on November 11 and is a public holiday so most stores close.

Alliance Race

This is another major racing event on St Maarten’s sailing calendar. The boats commence the race from Simpson Bay in St Maarten, setting sail for St Barts and then on to Anguilla before returning to Margot Bay in French St Martin to cross the finish line.

Weather

Marigot has a hot and humid tropical climate with average daytime temperatures between 28 °C and 30 °C and average nights around 23 °C. Most rain falls between June and October with a chance of hurricanes from August onwards. Therefore, the drier (and slightly cooler) December to April period is the best time to visit weatherwise. Unfortunately prices rise sharply during this period and the months of November and May still have good weather. So budgetwise these latter months may be a good option as well.

Getting There

By Boat

In season, ferries operated by the Anguilla Ferry System run between the islands of Anguilla and Marigot. They leave daily between 7:00am and 7:00pm roughly every 20 minutes between Blowing Point (Anguilla) and Marigot on the French part of St. Maarten/St. Martin.
There are possibilities to go by ferry from Marigot to Saint Barthélemy. The MV Voyager travels two times daily between Marigot to Gustavia, except on Wednesdays and Sundays, when it leaves from Oyster Pond on Sint Maarten. It takes about 75 minutes from Marigot.

Keep Connected

Phone

See also International Telephone Calls

External Links