Tintamarre

Ile Tintamarre lies about three kilometres off the eastern coast of Saint Martin, a low flat island barely above sea level and covered in sea grape and casuarina trees. It is uninhabited, has no facilities, and receives no management; yet it is arguably the finest natural environment in the entire Saint Martin/Sint Maarten territory, with a reef system that remains in better condition than those closer to shore.

The island is reached by small boat from Marigot harbour or from the beach at Anse Marcel on the French side. The crossing takes between twenty and forty minutes depending on the boat and sea conditions; on calm mornings the water is turquoise and you can see the reef outline from the surface before the boat slows for the shallow approach.

The reef that surrounds the island is a marine reserve, one of the oldest in the Caribbean, with parrotfish, surgeonfish, and eagle rays present in numbers that have become rare closer to the main islands. The coral itself is healthy staghorn and elkhorn, and the fish biomass per square metre is significantly higher than at Pinel Island, which receives far more visitor pressure.

The beach on the western shore is about 800 metres long, narrow at the waterline but widening to a dry sand flat backed by sea grape trees. It is a nesting site for brown pelicans and several tern species, and the seabird activity in the early morning is remarkable: dozens of pelicans diving for fish just beyond the reef and frigatebirds circling overhead.

Snorkelling is excellent from the shore along the western reef flat, where the water is waist-deep for the first thirty metres before dropping into a channel that runs parallel to the beach. Divers typically arrange a boat trip that includes two or three dive sites around the island, including a wall drop on the eastern side that descends to about thirty metres.

The island has no fresh water and no shade except under the beach-edge trees. The casuarina trees along the back of the beach create a sparse shade that is enough for a midday rest but not for extended protection from the sun. Visitors must bring everything they need, including fresh water, and take all rubbish back to the main island.

The experience of Tintamarre is fundamentally different from the beach bars and built environment of the main island. It is quiet except for the seabirds, the water is clear and alive with fish, and the reef feels genuinely wild rather than managed. Most visitors who spend a full day on the island count it as the highlight of their trip to Saint Martin.

The surrounding reef is one of the best-preserved in the Lesser Antilles, with significantly higher fish biomass than the reefs closer to the main island, and it is protected as a marine reserve.

The island is a major seabird rookery, with brown pelicans, royal terns, and sandwich terns nesting on the beach and cliffs, and the bird activity in early morning is among the most memorable wildlife experiences in the entire territory.

The white-sand beach and clear shallow water offer excellent snorkelling directly from shore, without the need for a boat or diving certification.