St Maarten Family Tour: Cheese, Fort Louis & Beach

Taste Dutch cheese, climb a French fort, and watch planes land at the island's most famous beach

A guided six-hour family tour of St Maarten hitting the island's mix of food, history and scenery. Start with free samples at Amsterdam Cheese Shop, move through the amusement park and a photo stop at Coral Reef overlooking the Atlantic, then climb Fort St. Louis on the French side for views across to Anguilla. Lunch and a drink come at Charlie's Bistro in Simpson Bay, where you watch mega yachts pass. The day ends at Maho Beach, where planes descend low enough to feel the engine heat.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time spent at each

1. Fort St. Louis30m · entry included
2. Simpson Bay1h
3. Maho & Mullet Bay1h · entry included

Explore St Maarten family highlights

• Visit Amsterdam Cheese Shop
• Enjoy St Maarten amusement park
• Take photos at Coral Reef
• Tour Fort Louis and view Marigot
• Watch rum making and try ice cream
• Lunch at Charlie's Bistro in Simpson Bay
• Relax at Maho & Mullet Bay beach

The experience

The tour strings together six stops that give a real sense of what the island offers without you having to plan the route or timing. Amsterdam Cheese Shop leads with free tastings of aged goudas, truffle blends and herb-infused varieties: the kind of Dutch imports you won't find elsewhere on the island. From there the day moves through an amusement park where you learn about local culture, then to Coral Reef, the island's top photo spot, where the Atlantic stretches out below and St. Barts sits clear on the horizon.

Fort St. Louis sits on the French side and carries real history. The views from the fort look out over Marigot and across to Anguilla. A rum distillery stop lets you watch how local rum is made and try ice cream before you land at Charlie's Bistro in Simpson Bay for lunch and a drink. You sit waterfront and watch the big boats move past while you eat. The tour closes at Maho Beach, where the runway is so close that planes landing at the airport pass almost directly overhead: low enough that families get the full sensory hit of arrival and departure without leaving the sand.

A live English-speaking guide leads the whole day, and pickup is included from your hotel. The six-hour pace means you move through each stop without lingering so long that younger kids lose interest, yet long enough to actually taste the cheese, climb the fort steps and feel the plane noise at the beach.

What’s included

• Lunch and a drink at Charlie's Bistro.
• free cheese samples and tastings at Amsterdam Cheese Shop.
• entry to the amusement park.
• access to Fort St. Louis.
• rum distillery visit with ice cream tasting.
• Coral Reef photo stop.
• Maho Beach time.
• live English-speaking guide.
• hotel pickup.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 09:00

Book up to1d before

AgesAdult (25 to 59 years) · Senior (60 and older) · Youth (15 to 24 years) · Child (4 to 14 years) · Infant (1 to 3 years)

GroupUp to 30

Live guideEnglish

Audio guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.You can choose from 4 pickup points.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated yesterday

Good to know

Low physical effortInfant seats availablePublic transport nearbyNot recommended during pregnancyNot recommended with heart problemsNot recommended with back problemsInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Red Rose Island Tours

Is this one for you?Book this tour if your family spans ages one and up and you want one guide handling all the stops and timing: the mix of food, history, beach and plane-watching keeps different ages engaged without anyone having to coordinate separate activities.

Traveler reviews

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Youth (15 to 24 years); Child (4 to 14 years); Infant (1 to 3 years).

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

What's the Amsterdam Cheese Shop stop actually like?

The shop stocks aged goudas, truffle cheese, smoked varieties and herb-infused blends that are hard to find elsewhere. You get free samples, learn how the cheeses are made, and can buy souvenirs. They also carry mustards, spreads and gift sets.

Can I really see planes landing from Maho Beach?

Maho Beach is St Maarten's number one beach for plane watching. The runway is close enough that you feel the engine heat as aircraft arrive, making it a unique vantage point you won't get from anywhere else on the island.

What does lunch include at Simpson Bay?

Lunch and a drink are served at Charlie's Bistro, a waterfront restaurant in Simpson Bay where you sit and watch mega yachts sail past while you eat.

Is Fort St. Louis hard to walk up?

Fort St. Louis is on the French side of St Martin and offers views over Marigot and Anguilla. The tour is suitable for all physical fitness levels, though the fort does involve some climbing to reach the viewpoint.

What's included in the rum distillery stop?

You watch how local rum is made and get to try ice cream as part of the experience: a quick, hands-on look at one of the island's traditional products.