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The island of Sint Maarten is located in the Caribbean Sea and consists of two parts: the southern half is the independent country of Sint Maarten; the northern half is the French Overseas Community of Saint-Martin (also called Frans Sint Maarten), with Marigot as its capital. Until the year 2007, Saint-Martin belonged to the French overseas department of Guadeloupe. Saint-Martin has a tropical monsoon climate (type Am according to the Köppen climate system), with a rainy season that starts in mid-July/August and lasts until December. The months of February and March are the driest months of the year. On days when it rains during the dry season, the showers are shorter in duration and less intense than those that are active during the monsoon period. Saint-Martin is influenced by the northeast trade winds, which provide tropical depressions and possibly even tropical storms that can reach hurricane-force winds during hurricane season.

The temperature is between 23-24 degrees (minimum) and 29-31 degrees (maximum) almost all year round. Rarely does it get cooler than 22 degrees and hotter than 33-34 degrees is not common due to the influence of seawater and trade winds. Sun lovers will get their money’s worth in Saint-Martin with more than three thousand hours of sunshine per day.

Climate figures

The figures below are based on long-term average climate statistics. The temperatures are displayed in degrees Celsius (°C).

Best time to visit Saint-Martin

Do you want to know when is the best time to travel to Saint Martin? You can determine the best time to travel to a destination based on the weather and climate. In addition, there are other factors that are not directly related to the weather and that can influence the best travel periods for a travel destination. Think, for example, of holidays or festive periods, which makes traveling more interesting or not, because daily life comes to a standstill as a result. The Collectivité de Saint Martin is an overseas community of France. It occupies the northern part of the island of Sint Maarten. On the southern half is the country of the same name Sint Maarten, which is an independent country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Saint Martin is located in the Caribbean, so there is almost naturally a tropical climate. In the case of Saint Martin, it is a tropical monsoon climate. That is because there is a monsoon period and a drier season. That drier season is immediately the best travel period for a holiday in Saint Martin.

Most pleasant months

The best time to travel to Saint Martin is from mid-December to April. This is approximately the period in which there is the smallest chance of precipitation. Not only is the frequency of the showers lower, there is also less rain overall. The weather is mostly friendly. You will see regular clouds and it will even be heavily overcast from time to time. The sun, on the other hand, also shows itself frequently. Those who want to celebrate a beach holiday will have a great time during this period.

During the monsoon period, more and more rain falls. Temperatures are rising slightly. In January the maximum temperatures were on average still around 27 to 30 degrees, as soon as the wet season starts in May, it will be slightly warmer with maximums that are often just above thirty degrees.

Wind

The wind blows from the east in Saint Martin 95% of the time. This trade wind brings cooling, which is certainly welcome in the warmer months. It also ensures that there is more wind and more waves on the eastern beaches. For those who want to celebrate a beach holiday at Orient Bay or in Anse Marcel, this is useful to know. If you want to experience a holiday in the shelter, choose the western coast of Saint Martin.

The hurricane

As we unfortunately experienced in September 2017, Saint Martin is susceptible to hurricanes. Multiple hurricanes have moved towards Saint Martin over the years, but as destructive as Hurricane Irma swept across the entire island on September 6 was unprecedented. Unfortunately, this could happen again in the future. Statistically, most Caribbean islands have a pretty good chance of experiencing a severe hurricane at least once every 20 to 30 years. the hurricane season runs from June to early December.