By
Victoria BookStMartin
Most people staying on the French side of St Martin make the same mistake.
They drive all the way to Simpson Bay or Philipsburg to catch a boat tour — because that’s where Google sends them. Forty minutes in the car, roundabouts, parking stress, and a departure point that looks nothing like the island they came to see.
What they don’t know is that some of the best boat trips on the island leave directly from Grand Case or Anse Marcel. Five minutes from Orient Bay. Right on the water, with the French side’s coastline as your backdrop from the moment you cast off.
No long drive. No crowds. Just you, the boat, and the Caribbean.
A private charter from the French side is a different experience entirely.
No shared deck with twenty strangers. No fixed itinerary you didn’t choose. You decide where you go, when you stop, how long you stay. The captain knows these waters — you just have to show up.
From Grand Case and Anse Marcel, you can reach Anguilla in under thirty minutes, St Barts in about an hour. Tintamare, Pinel Island, Creole Rock — everything is close, everything is accessible, and the journey itself is half the pleasure.
Private charters work especially well for couples who want something more intimate, families with kids who need flexibility, or groups who simply don’t want to share their day with anyone else.
The boats range from sleek speedboats to full-day catamarans with crew. Budget varies accordingly — but the experience is consistently one of the best things you can do on this island.
✅ From $2800 · Up to 8 people · 8 hours · Departure from Marigot marina · Free cancellation
This is the most premium experience on this page. Full stop.
The AXOPAR 37 Brabus Line is not just a boat — it’s a statement. Sleek lines, high-end upholstery, premium sound system, and a level of finish you don’t expect until you’re standing on the dock looking at it.
You’re welcomed at the Boat’on Yacht Club with refreshments and a private briefing before you even cast off. From there, the day unfolds at its own pace — Tintamarre for swimming with sea turtles, Grand Case from the water, Maho Beach to watch planes land from the sea (a completely different experience from the beach), Baie Longue for pure silence and white sand.
Lunch is an optional extra, either onboard or at a carefully selected beach club. The kind of meal that makes the day feel even longer in the best possible way.
Eight hours. Private. On one of the most beautiful boats departing from the French side.
If you’re going to do one thing on this island — make it this.
⭐ 5/5 — Perfect score on every review.
✅ From $1700 · Up to 10 people · 7.5 hours · Open bar included · Free cancellation · From $1700
Anguilla is twenty minutes away. On a clear day you can see it from the beach at Grand Case.
Paper Boat Charter takes you there in style — private yacht, open bar, snacks, and underwater scooters for when you want to explore below the surface. The kind of day where the journey is already half the experience before you even set foot on Anguillian sand.
Once you arrive, the island delivers exactly what it promises — some of the most pristine beaches in the Caribbean, calm turquoise water, and a quietness that feels like the rest of the world doesn’t exist.
Seven and a half hours. Open bar. Private boat. Anguilla.
Book it before someone else in your group does.
✅ From $1700 · Up to 10 people · 8 hours · Departure from Anse Marcel Marina · Free cancellation · From $1700
Anse Marcel is one of the most beautiful departure points on the island. A protected bay, calm water, and you’re already away from everything before the engine even starts.
Paper Boat Charter runs this as a fully private cruise — meaning the itinerary is yours to shape with the captain on the day. Tintamarre for snorkeling with sea turtles. Creole Rock marine reserve. Prickly Pear if you want to push further. Rendez-Vous Bay in Anguilla for one of the most serene swimming stops in the Caribbean.
Everything is included — beverages, snorkeling gear, paddleboard, giant floating mat, and lunch at Pinel Island where two restaurants sit literally at the water’s edge. You order with your feet in the sand. It’s exactly as good as it sounds.
Eight hours. Private. Fully equipped. Departing from Anse Marcel.
✅ From $670 pp · Ti Punch · Up to 10 people · Full day, half day or sunset · Free cancellation · From $680/person
This is the most flexible option on the list — and the most fun if you want to move fast.
A semi-rigid speedboat with a local captain who knows every corner of the coastline. You leave from Grand Case or Orient Bay, and from there the itinerary is yours. Snorkeling stop at Creole Rock, a swing around Tintamarre, lunch anchor in a quiet bay — you decide, he drives.
Ideal for a small group who wants to cover a lot of ground without the formality of a bigger charter. No deck to share, no fixed schedule, no compromise.
Book the full day. You won’t want to come back early.
✅ From $640 per group · Up to 6 people · 2 to 7 hours · Departure from Boat’on Yacht Club, Marigot · Free cancellation
⭐ 5/5 — 12 verified reviews
Not every private charter needs to cost $1,700. This one proves it.
Captain Laurent runs a tight, personal operation aboard his Jeanneau Cap Camarat — a 24-foot open boat, fast and comfortable, with everything included from the first drink to the last drop of fuel. Homemade punch, rosé, snorkeling gear, towels, sunscreen — it’s all there before you even ask.
The itinerary is yours to shape. St Martin coastline, hidden coves, Pinel Island for lunch, or push further to Anguilla if you have your passport. Laurent knows the waters, knows the best lunch spots, and according to Jill from Texas, was flexible enough to reschedule an entire day trip when her flight got cancelled. That’s the kind of captain you want.
Full day, half day, or sunset cruise — three options, one boat, zero compromise on the experience.
Private charters are wonderful. But sometimes the best days on the water happen when you’re surrounded by other people who are just as excited to be there as you are.
The group tours departing from the French side are a different energy — more social, more spontaneous, and considerably easier on the budget. Same destinations, same turquoise water, same stops that make you forget what day it is.
Anguilla, Prickly Pear, the St Martin marine reserve — all accessible without chartering an entire boat. Just show up, climb aboard, and let someone else handle the rest.
✅ From $205 · Small group · 8.5 hours · Departure from Anse Marcel or Grand Case Beach Club
⭐ 4.9/5 — 54 verified reviews · Top Rated
Anguilla has a reputation. The beaches are real — powdery white sand, shallow turquoise lagoons, the kind of water that doesn’t look real in photos and looks even better in person.
Scoobi gets you there in style. You board at Anse Marcel or Grand Case Beach Club at 8:30, open bar starts immediately, and the Caribbean breeze does the rest. The southern coast of Anguilla — known as the new playground for people who’ve seen everything — is about an hour’s sail away.
Once there : swimming, snorkeling, beach chairs at a pristine beach club, and lunch at a seaside restaurant with proper Anguilla vibes.
Then, because this is Scoobi, they serve a French cheese platter on the way back. On a catamaran. Sailing back from Anguilla.
That’s the French side for you.
✅ From $181 · Small group · 8 hours · Departure from Grand Case Beach Club or Anse Marcel · Free cancellation
⭐ 4.6/5 — 23 verified reviews
Scoobi is something of a legend on the French side. The catamaran has been running this tour for years, and it shows — in the way the crew works, the way the day flows, and the way people talk about it afterwards.
Three stops. Eight hours. Everything included.
Tintamarre first — an uninhabited island with powdery white sand and the kind of snorkeling where sea turtles show up uninvited. Then Pinel Island for lunch, shallow calm water, and a nature walk if you feel like it. Finally Creole Rock, the marine reserve just off Grand Case, where the underwater life is dense enough to make you forget you were supposed to be back on the boat twenty minutes ago.
Open bar throughout. Lunch included. SUP boards, floating mat, snorkeling gear — all on board.
Pickup from Grand Case Beach Club or Anse Marcel Marina. Drop-off same.
The kind of day that becomes the reference point for the rest of the trip.
✅ From $205 · Small group · 8 hours · Departure from Anse Marcel or Grand Case Beach Club
⭐ 5/5 — 3 verified reviews
Prickly Pear is one of those places that doesn’t need much explanation. A small island just off Anguilla, with water so clear you can see the bottom from the boat before you even anchor.
You board at Anse Marcel or Grand Case at 8:30, open bar from the moment you step on deck, and Scoobi’s crew handles everything from there. Snorkeling, paddleboarding, floating mat, white sand — the morning takes care of itself.
Then lunch. And this is where Scoobi earns its reputation. Grilled mahi-mahi and chicken, fresh salads, homemade ratatouille, cheese and bread, seasonal fruit platter — all cooked on board with a French-Caribbean touch that you don’t expect from a catamaran tour and definitely don’t forget.
The afternoon is yours — more snorkeling, more paddleboarding, or just horizontal on the deck with a drink watching the water change colour.
✅ From $128 · Small group · 4 hours · Departure from Anse Marcel or Grand Case · Free cancellation
Not everyone has a full day. Scoobi knows that — and built this half-day specifically for it.
Four hours on a 53-foot catamaran, two stops, and enough included to make it feel like a full experience. You leave Anse Marcel or Grand Case in the morning, sail through the protected Marine Reserve along the coastline, and anchor at Tintamarre for swimming and snorkeling in some of the clearest water on the island.
Then Creole Rock — the marine reserve just off Grand Case, where the coral formations and fish density make every snorkeling stop feel like the best one yet.
Back on deck between stops : open bar, cheese and fruit platter, champagne, snorkeling gear, paddleboard, floating mat. For four hours, it’s a remarkably complete package.
Home by early afternoon. Enough time for lunch in Grand Case and a beach sunset. Not a bad day.
It depends on what kind of day you’re after.
A shared catamaran from the French side is perfect if you’re a couple, a solo traveler, or simply open to meeting people on the water. You board at Grand Case or Anse Marcel, the crew takes care of everything, and somewhere between Tintamarre and the cheese platter on the way back, you end up having lunch next to people you didn’t know three hours earlier. That’s half the experience. From $127 per person for a half day, it’s genuinely hard to beat for what you get.
A private charter is a completely different proposition. Your boat, your group, your pace. You decide when to anchor, where to swim, how long to stay. No fixed itinerary, no shared deck, no compromises. If you’re traveling as a family or a group of friends who want the Caribbean to themselves for a day — this is the answer. Budget from $663/person for a speedboat up to $1,700 and beyond for a full yacht experience.
Most travelers who’ve done both say the same thing : shared for the energy, private for the freedom.
Most tours on this page depart from Anse Marcel Marina or Grand Case Beach Club — both on the French side. No need to drive to Simpson Bay or Philipsburg. You're on the water in minutes.
Private charters from the French side start around $663/person for a speedboat and go up to $1,700 and beyond for a full-day yacht or catamaran experience. The price covers your entire group — not per person — which makes it surprisingly good value for families or groups of friends.
It depends what you're after. For a full day with snorkeling, lunch, and open bar on a group catamaran — Scoobi is the reference. For something private and premium departing from Anse Marcel — the Axopar Brabus with Boat'on Yacht Club is hard to beat. Both leave from the French side.
Yes — and it's actually the most natural departure point. Anguilla is twenty minutes away from Anse Marcel or Grand Case by boat. Several tours on this page go there directly, both private and shared.
Yes. Anguilla is a British Overseas Territory — you'll need a valid passport to enter. Make sure to bring it on the day. Most operators will remind you when you book.
Shared tours are perfect if you're a couple or solo traveler who wants a full day on the water without the private charter budget. Private charters make more sense for families or groups of 6+ who want flexibility and their own space. From $127 per person for shared, from $663 for private.
Yes — especially between December and April. Scoobi's Anguilla cruise and the private charters fill up weeks in advance during high season. Book as soon as your dates are confirmed.
The most popular tours tend to fill up quickly, especially during peak season.
If you see a tour you like, don’t wait.
The most popular are often gone months in advance.
Planning your full stay? Browse our selection of hotels on the French side and vacation rentals in Orient Bay — or rent a car to explore the island at your own pace.
I've been living on this island for 25 years. I know which beach is empty on a Tuesday morning, which restaurant in Grand Case is worth the wait, and exactly why you should never book the first car rental counter you see at the airport.
It started with food — SXM Epicure Club, a culinary blog I ran on Facebook for years, connecting locals and visitors around the best tables on the island. Over time it became something bigger.
BookStMartin was born from the same idea : connecting people with the real St. Martin. Not the brochure version. The one we actually live in.
Everything on this site comes from that — 25 years of knowing this island the way only a local can.
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