This month, the foundation Environmental Protection in the Caribbean (EPIC) completed a year-long project, to clear and map 10 hiking sites in Sint Maarten, place informational signs at trailheads and provide free guided hikes along the trails.
The project has proved to be very successful and gained support from the community. The work was made possible with funding from Tourism Cares and the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association as part of their efforts to support post-hurricane rebuilding, as many of the trails had been covered with debris.
EPIC selected a mix of urban, coastal, grassland and secondary forest trails. The trails give hikers the opportunity to enjoy the biodiversity and natural beauty of Sint Maarten. For example, in a dry, shaded area, hikers might find a Bearded Anole, found only on Sint Maarten and classified as vulnerable.
The hikes are also of differing difficulties and rated by a three-tiered scale as easy, moderate, or challenging.
Some trails are flat while others are undulating or steep ascents to high points on the island, giving spectacular panoramic views of Sint Maarten and neighbouring islands. The diverse landscapes include walking on beaches or by the Natural Pool of Guana Bay, allowing hikers to take a break and a dip in the sea to cool off.
The 10 trails are Billy Folly, Cay Bay to Little Bay, Fleming Property, Guana Bay, Fort Willem, Naked Boy Hill, Point Blanche, Sentry Hill, West Coast (Kim Sha) and Vineyard.
All the trails can be found and downloaded free from avenzamaps.com by searching for Sint Maarten or within the free Avenza app. There you can find out the difficulty of the trail – easy, moderate or hard; the distance and approximate length of time required to complete the trail; and you can download a map of each trail onto your phone which you can then follow as you hike the trail.
The first EPIC hike was led by Project Coordinator Cadula Jones in September 2018. Jones, whose motto is “Hike more, worry less”, says the hikes have been joyful events. “We’ve had children and older people, the Pathfinders church group and professionals, residents and tourists, and we have always smiled, enjoyed the beauty of Sint Maarten and taken lots of photos along the way! We are very easy going.”
Many hikes have been led since then with hundreds of participants, proving how popular the hikes are. EPIC partnered with TriSport to lead a “Hero Hike” during which volunteers collected 66kg of rubbish, mainly plastic from Geneve Bay, and then hiked back with it so it could be responsibly disposed of.
In March, DOET volunteers, including a Montessori class, helped to clean the Sentry Hill trail; and in August, the Dutch Marines helped clean up and install the trailhead signs.
Additionally, in May, the Dutch Representative’s Office made a donation to EPIC that will maintain three of the hikes for a year after the Tourism Cares funding finishes.
The two most popular hikes are Guana Bay – with its sweeping vistas – and Sentry Hill, which is one of the most difficult, with its rocky climb to the highest point on Sint Maarten. However, some might say the Naked Boy Hill hike gives you a run for your money, as the final ascent is very steep. Some participants enjoy easier routes, so the volunteer hike leaders alternate between difficult and easier hikes.
Everyone has their favourite: “I like the Fleming Property trail the best, especially during the rainy season when Sint Maarten is watered and green,” said one of the volunteer hike leaders. “I love that there is a section of forest canopy you get to walk through. There, I always feel I’ve left the world behind.”
Funding for the hikes has now been completed. However, a core group of volunteers, including Jones, has agreed to continue leading the EPIC hikes once a month. These will be held on the first Sunday of each month so they will be easy to remember.
The EPIC Facebook page, facebook.com/epicislands, will provide details on each event. And, of course, hikers can always download the maps and go anytime.
