St. Maarten

Having been to St. Maarten before, we decided to book an excursion through Captain Bob’s Boat Tours. It had fantastic reviews on Trip Advisor, and offered something for everyone in a small group setting so we could get away from the cruise ship crowds.

After eating a quick breakfast on the boat, we walked down the dock and towards the main part of town. It was about a 10 minute walk, past some hurricane-ravaged areas and downed trees, before we found the marina. We met Captain Brett, applied sunscreen, and hopped onboard. Aly opted for the “VIP seat” next to the captain, which was perfect for her on the FAST ride. This speedboat was no joke. It had 900 (!) HP. Aly loved every second of the fast ride out to our first stop, Tintamarre, where we snorkeled with some sea turtles and stingrays.

Up next, getting some information on Hurricane Irma that directly hit the island in 2017 and the efforts to rebuild. Sadly, there were some areas and homes that may never recover. We then ventured out into the Atlantic Ocean, to Pinel Island, a beach only accessible by boat. There were a few shops and a restaurant and bar on the island. We took this opportunity to eat lunch while Aly got some beach time in. The Caribbean blue water around St. Maarten is my favorite color in the entire world!

Then it was back in the boat, for another snorkeling adventure, this time around Creole Rock, where we saw many different varieties of fish. This was a great snorkel spot, especially if you were brave enough to swim closer to the rock. Back in the boat again, for a quick ride over towards Maho Beach by Princess Juliana Airport. This is the infamous beach where slightly crazy people cling to the fence as the airplanes take off, trying to see if they get blown off the fence. I much preferred floating in the boat underneath the flyovers. As our tour wrapped up, it was back to the marina and then a quick stop at the Amsterdam Cheese Store for our free ice cream and a quick souvenir. I have yet to have a bad day in St. Maarten, and Captain Bob’s puts on a fantastic tour.

Long day on the boat makes for one tired Aly

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