Luxurious Resort on Private Peninsula in St. Maarten

Set on a small peninsula in St. Maarten, the expansive Divi Little Bay Beach Resort stretches in a half-moon shape around picturesque Little Bay, which is bordered by the resort’s own private beach. More like a small village than a hotel, Divi Little Bay is so large and its offerings are so comprehensive that you never have to leave the property during your stay. There's a grocery store, a shopping promenade, three freshwater swimming pools, and even a little history—a curving cobblestone path leads to the oldest military fort on the island.

Three restaurants—all with outdoor seating—serve casual meals, and one of them, Toucan's Café, offers candlelit dinners and weekly theme nights, including a lobster feast accompanied by live music. Each morning, you can load up on tropical fruit and pastries at Toucan's breakfast buffet. Afterwards, settle into a hammock suspended between palm trees or venture into the crystal-clear waters of Little Bay for a snorkeling expedition.

Each of the resort’s spacious one-bedroom suites features a large private patio or balcony overlooking Great Bay or Little Bay. Separate living and sleeping areas are adorned with tropical decor and wicker furniture. A fully equipped kitchen helps you whip up meals from provisions acquired at the onsite market.

St. Maarten: French and Dutch Cultures on Perfect Beaches

The 37-square-mile Caribbean island of St. Maarten is peaceably divided between its northern French half (called Saint-Martin) and southern Dutch half, Sint Maarten. The entire island is a beachgoer's paradise boasting picture-perfect sands, translucent blue water, and extremely lenient sandcastle-zoning codes. Chartered sailboats ferry aquatic explorers into the sea for snorkeling and diving excursions that provide glimpses of underwater coral reefs and tropical marine life. If you head north, don’t miss Pic du Paradis (“Paradise Peak”), the island’s highest point at 1,492 feet. From the observation areas, you can see all of St. Maarten and spot nearby Anguilla, Saba, and St. Eustatius as well. The French side is also home to the Butterfly Farm, whose hundreds of colorful residents range from South America’s blue morpho to Southeast Asia’s tree nymph.

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