After hearing about “Airport Beach” in St. Martin for years, I finally went and had a blast! As an Acupuncturist on a cruise ship, I caught a taxi with my friend. Overall, we spent a couple hours there. It offered many opportunities to do some serious plane-spotting on the lovely Caribbean beach. I love sharing information. So, read on and discover my Maho Beach plane-spotting tips.
Maho Beach lies on the Dutch side of the Caribbean island of Saint Martin. It’s across the street from the Princess Juliana International Airport. The beach is famous with tourists and plane-spotters here for the rush of being less than 100 feet underneath the plane as it lands on the runway. However, the jet blast is potentially dangerous. So, it’s safest to stay away from being directly below the plane as it lands. Runway 10 is particularly dangerous and its gate is blocked off from plane-spotters.
The beach provides a stretch of narrow white sand that has eroded from jet blast and hurricanes. Numerous restaurants and bars are nearby, such as, the Sunset Beach Bar Sxm and The Morgan Resort. Most of them post airline timetables, so you can plan and be ready for taking photos and videos.Â
Six Maho Beach Plane Spotting Tips
1. How to get to Maho Beach
Taking a taxi is the fastest way to get to Maho Beach from the cruise terminal. The traffic can be bad, increasing time for trip. Our taxi took about 45 minutes, costing about $30. Public buses also stop at Maho Beach.
2. Check the timetables at the bars and restaurants for plane arrivals/departures
3. Check on the 747 planes for more excitement vs small charter planes
4. Use caution when being directly below the airplane, as the jet blast can be dangerous
5. Avoid busy times of day to miss crowds
6. Enjoy a drink or meal at one of the beach bars or restaurants
Check out my YouTube Video!
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