This stop completely changed our opinion of Sint Maarten.

The first time we visited, we honestly had no idea what we were doing. On our first extended stop back in 2025, we took the $7 per person all-day water taxi over to Phillipsburg. The moment you step off the ferry, you’re hit with an overwhelming amount of people selling trinkets, chair rentals, tours, and just about everything else. It was a lot, and not in a relaxing way.

This time around, someone gave us one simple piece of advice. Go to Big Bastards, and tell anyone who stops you that you’re on your way there.

Shockingly, it worked.

Once we started walking and saying we were headed to Big Bastards, people left us alone. No pressure, no constant interruptions, just a relaxed stroll down the beach. When we arrived, we rented chairs and an umbrella right out front and immediately felt the difference compared to our last visit.

We did have the occasional person stop by selling a bracelet or necklace, but politely declining was all it took and they moved along without issue. It happened far less frequently than in the busier beach areas closer to where we went the first time.

The chair and umbrella rental at Big Bastards came with a bucket of beer or water, or a mix of both, which was a nice bonus. It also included access to their Wi-Fi and use of their indoor restrooms, which were clean and well maintained. A quick note on the Wi-Fi: for safety reasons, it’s a good idea to use Private Relay or a VPN on your phone when connecting to public networks.

This experience completely changed how we felt about Sint Maarten. The beach day was calmer, more enjoyable, and actually felt like a place we could relax instead of constantly fending off sales pitches.

We know a lot of people head to Maho Beach to see the airplanes, and while it’s definitely a unique experience, it is extremely crowded. If you’re unlucky, you can end up stuck in traffic for over an hour trying to get back to the ship. If Maho is on your list, just make sure to plan carefully and leave plenty of buffer time.

For us, this visit proved that Sint Maarten can be a great stop if you know where to go. Big Bastards turned what was once a stressful day into one we would happily repeat.