Orient Bay

Baie Orientale stretches for nearly two kilometres along the Atlantic-facing east coast, its pale sand shelving gently into water that is rougher and cooler than the Caribbean side. The trade winds blow almost constantly, raising whitecaps in the afternoon and giving the bay its second identity as the island's windsurfing capital.

The northern end is the most built-up, with a cluster of beach bars and small restaurants within walking distance of the road. Sun loungers and parasols are available for rent at several points; service is informal and prices are posted on boards rather than menus. The middle section is quieter and backed by the overgrown grounds of a former Club Med, its skeletal concrete structures now colonised by sea grape and sea almond trees.

The beach bars at the northern end are social hubs as much as places to eat. They set out colourful wooden furniture on the sand, play French and Caribbean music, and serve grilled fish, lobster, and the local rum punch throughout the day. The atmosphere is relaxed Franco-Caribbean rather than glossy resort; most visitors are either locals from Marigot or independent travellers staying in the nearby guesthouses.

Water conditions are noticeably different from the Caribbean side: the Atlantic swell arrives from the open ocean, the bottom drops off more quickly, and the trade winds create a persistent chop. It is not a beach for children or weak swimmers in the afternoon when the swell is highest, though the early morning is usually calmer.

The bay faces east, which means it catches the morning light before the rest of the island and is shaded by the hills behind by mid-afternoon. Sunrise from the beach is a quieter pleasure than the crowded sunset spots on the west coast, and the beach is at its best in those early hours when the sand is cool and the wind is still light.

At the southern end, the beach continues past a rocky point to a small clothing-optional section that has been established informally since the 1970s. This section is quieter and popular with the island's gay community; it is tolerated by the local authorities but not formally managed as a nudist beach.

The ruins of the Club Med dominate the hill at the southern end, their white concrete shells visible from most of the beach. The resort closed in the early 2000s after hurricane damage and was never rebuilt; the site remains in legal limbo, which means the grounds are overgrown but the beach itself is public and accessible.

It is the longest and most popular beach on the French side, with a full range of services from informal beach bars to water sports operators, and a social atmosphere that is distinctly Franco-Caribbean.

The constant trade winds make it the best windsurfing and kitesurfing beach on Saint Martin, with a small but established community of instructors and rental shops.

The Atlantic setting gives the bay a different character from the Caribbean beaches — bigger waves, cooler water, and views across to the islands of Anguilla and Saint Barthelemy on clear days.