THE CLOSEST BEACH TO PHILIPSBURG CRUISE PORT (YOU CAN WALK THERE!)
If you’re docking in Philipsburg and want a beach day without taxis, tours, or stress, you’re in luck. Just a short walk from the cruise terminal is Great Bay Beach — the closest beach to the port and one of the easiest beach days you’ll have in the Caribbean.
It’s lively, convenient, and surprisingly good value, making it a popular choice for cruise passengers who want sun, sea, and a cocktail without venturing far from the ship.
Nearest beach to Philipsburg cruise port
The nearest beach to Philipsburg cruise port in Sint Maarten is Great Bay Beach. You can reach the first section of the beach in around 15–20 minutes on foot from the cruise terminal (approximately 1.5 km).
Great Bay Beach stretches for about 1.5 km, so while it would take longer to walk to the far end, you don’t need to go far at all to find sand, sea, sun loungers, and a bar or two.
Is Great Bay Beach nice?
Great Bay Beach isn’t the most wild or untouched beach on the island — it’s very much a town beach. That said, the sand is clean, the water is warm and clear, and the sea is usually calm. In fact, it’s so calm that some bars have tables set directly in the water, where you can enjoy a drink while standing in the ocean.
The pros
- Extremely easy to visit — just a 20-minute walk from port
- Very affordable sun loungers by Caribbean standards
- Lively atmosphere with a long promenade of bars and restaurants
- Great people-watching and a fun, social vibe
John loved this area and felt it had a similar feel to European beach towns, especially places we’ve visited in Spain.
The downsides
- It’s not an “idyllic” or secluded beach
- You can still see the cruise ships from the sand
- It’s popular and can get busy
That said, because the beach is so long, it never really feels crowded, even when thousands of cruise passengers are in port.
How much are sun loungers on Great Bay Beach?
If you’re cruising around the Caribbean, the prices here will likely come as a pleasant surprise. Great Bay Beach has some of the cheapest sun loungers you’ll find on the islands — and the deals often get better the further you walk along the beach.
You can usually expect to pay $15–$20 for:
- Two sun beds
- An umbrella
- A few drinks included (sometimes even a bucket of beers)
Many beach bars also offer free Wi-Fi, which you can use directly from your loungers.
Some bars offer unlimited drinks packages with loungers for around $100 per day. One example is Big Bastaard’s Bar.
Are the bars on the bay worth visiting?
Great Bay Beach is lined with lively, entertaining beach bars — many with memorable names like Blue Bitch, Dirty Sanchez, and Big Bastaard’s. The vibe is fun, playful, and unapologetically geared toward cruise passengers looking for a good time.
Honestly, these are the kind of bars we might normally avoid on a European beach — but in the Caribbean, what could feel tacky elsewhere just becomes part of the fun. We couldn’t resist.
Prices are a little higher than you might expect (around $5 for a beer), but for the atmosphere, music, convenience, and proximity to the ship, we think it’s well worth it.
Written by Emma
Wine Lover. Yogi. Hiker. Writer.
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