With the New Year, WEEKender offers a new column to set new goals. “Playing tourist” is meant to encourage us all to appreciate our island anew. Consider the tens of thousands of people who save their money, dreaming of a trip to our shores. They take in the beauty with wide eyes and explore aspects we are often “too busy” to do. Anyone who says there is nothing to do on St. Maarten is walking around with blinders on – and ear plugs too! So for our first attempt at playing tourist on The Friendly Island, we rented an ATV with SXM Rally Tours.
Here’s how the day went:
We gathered at 9:30am at the home base of Rally Tours, at Bobby’s Marina between the Greenhouse and the 12 Meter Regatta. After registering and paying, we were given our vehicles. The Polaris “side by side” All Terrain Vehicles (ATVs) have room for four and are equipped with seat belts and safety bars. Best of all, they offer great views for all and although they are powerful, they don’t take much skill to drive. It seems like these babies can go anywhere, but unlike the quads (straddle-riders), they are not at all scary, and actually pretty comfy!
We met our fellow travellers briefly, loaded up the dune buggy-ish cars and away we went. Odin, our tour guide, led the group towards Guana Bay but instead of the normal roads, we ended up on a dirt road high on the south side of the bay. We got out to admire the rugged cliffs and birds flying overhead; that’s when we noticed the grey clouds rolling in. In no time at all, we were getting sprinkled and by the time we were in Oyster Pond, the rain had caught us with a vengeance. We holed up in a little store that was very accommodating to our plight. Note to self: Bring a raincoat when going on an ATV adventure, especially this time of year.
Once the rain eased, we headed out again, along Coralita Road and off Coralita Road, too! We were in full on explorer-mode, going where I had never been, in the wild and lovely hills above the coast between Oyster Pond and Orient. Next stop was Le Galion, but not the beach, the rocky coastline and the dunes behind the beach. We were making good time, working our way up the east side of the island. The rain was long forgotten and the sun was warm and pleasant.
We quickly blew by Orient Beach and headed for Grand Case for lunch at the Lolos. We enjoyed ribs, chicken fish and all kinds of sides at “The sky’s the limit.” Then back into the ATVs and we were on our way to Pic Paradis!
I’m ashamed to admit that it’s been maybe 15 years since I went to the top of our little island – that’s too long! The ATVs made the journey very easy and fast. They may have ruined me for hiking! The view is truly breath-taking at the top and at every bend along the way. From such a vantage point, one can contemplate all the blessings our lives have to offer: natural beauty, family, friends, health and always hope for the future. That’s a perspective worth finding, even if you have to go to the top of a mountain to get it!
After the “peak experience” it was mostly a matter of getting back to the base – we took the long way home, past Marigot Harbour, Low Lands and Cupecoy. We breezed by the Maho Beach scene where we turned many an admiring head, and heard comments like, “That looks like fun,” to which we answered, “It is!”
Want to find out for yourself? Contact SXM Rally Tours at 721-524-5381 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. They have two options: the ’Round the Island tour (which I did) costs $300 per vehicle (up to four people each) or you can just rent a vehicle and find your own way around for $250 per day. Another option is the “Surf and Turf” tour where you do half day in the ATVs and half day on a boat! For locals, the costs are negotiable week by week, depending on demand, etc. Give them a call and find out the details for your turn to play tourist!
Shared by Lisa Davis-Burnett
