St. Martin

A sheltered crescent beach on the northwestern coast between Marigot and Grand Case, popular with locals for its calm Caribbean waters, good snorkelling just offshore, and two beach restaurants serving fresh fish and Creole classics.

The largest freshwater lake on the French side of Saint Martin, set in a volcanic crater amid lush hillsides, with a small sandy beach and a backdrop of forest that shelters egrets and hummingbirds.

The capital and main port of the French side, a compact Creole waterfront town with a bustling morning market, colourful fishing boats in the harbour, and the 19th-century church of St Martin at its heart.

The most popular beach on the French side, a long crescent of pale sand on the Atlantic-exposed east coast backed by beach bars, restaurants, and the ruins of a former Club Med, with steady trade winds that make it a windsurfer's favourite.

The highest point on Saint Martin at 424 metres, offering sweeping 360-degree views over the island's two coasts, Simpson Bay Lagoon, and on clear days the neighbouring islands of Saba and Saint Barthelemy.

A small uninhabited island off the eastern coast of Saint Martin, surrounded by one of the best coral reefs in the Lesser Antilles, with excellent snorkelling and diving, a long white-sand beach, and a rookery for brown pelicans and terns.