St Maarten Islands: Snorkeling & Speedboat Tour with Lunch

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Free cancellationTravelers' pick

1/14

Duration6h

GroupUp to 20

LanguagesEN · DE +2

Mobile ticketAccepted

Snorkeling with sea turtles and island hopping from St Maarten

You’ll jump between islands by speedboat from St Maarten, snorkel with sea turtles at Tintamarre Island, and relax over lunch on Pinel’s soft sand beaches. With a local guide leading your small group and drinks included onboard, expect laughter, new sights underwater, and those quiet moments only found out at sea.

Step-by-step itinerary

Speedboat tour with snorkeling and lunch

Depart for Tintamarre Island
Swim and snorkel at Tintamarre
Visit second beach on Tintamarre
Snorkel at Creole Rock
Stop at Pinel Island
Enjoy beachside lunch at Pinel
Relax or hike on Pinel Island
Optional BBQ lunch at Grand Case beach
View planes landing at Maho Beach

The Experience

I’ll be honest, I was a little nervous about the speedboat at first — not really my usual thing. But as soon as we left St Maarten’s harbor, the wind just sort of wiped that away. Our guide, Jean-Luc (he insisted we call him JL), had this way of making everyone laugh, even when he was explaining the safety stuff. The water out here is this weirdly clear blue — almost like someone turned up the color on a TV. JL pointed out Tintamarre Island in the distance and said it used to have its own king. I still can’t tell if he was joking or not.

The snorkeling at Creole Rock was wild — fish everywhere, darting through these coral shapes that looked like something from a dream. I kept getting distracted by the sound of my own breathing in the snorkel mask, but then a turtle just glided past me like it owned the place. I forgot about everything else for a second. The main keyword for me? Day trip to Tintamarre Island — that’s where you want to be if you’re hoping to spot sea turtles (and maybe stingrays, though I didn’t see one myself). JL handed out cold beers on board after, which tasted way better than they should have under that sun.

Lunch on Pinel Island felt like some kind of reward — toes in warm sand, grilled fish on my plate, and this salty breeze mixing with barbecue smoke from the restaurant behind us. There were families splashing in the shallow water, locals chatting in French at the next table, and someone’s dog chasing crabs along the shore. If you want to walk off lunch (I did), there’s a little trail over to quieter beaches on the other side of Pinel. Didn’t make it all the way because I got distracted by hermit crabs — they move faster than you’d think.

On our way back we slowed near Maho Beach just long enough to watch a plane come in low overhead — everyone scrambled for their phones but honestly it was more fun just feeling that sudden roar and watching people’s faces light up. It’s funny how much you can fit into six hours around St Maarten when someone local is steering you around. I still think about that turtle sometimes.

What’s included

Your day includes use of snorkeling equipment for both Creole Rock and Tintamarre Island stops, unlimited beer, soda and water while on board the speedboat, plus a relaxed lunch right on Pinel Island’s beach before heading back in time for your cruise departure.

Good to know

Moderate physical levelPublic transport nearbyNot for pregnant travelersNot for heart conditions

Operated by Captain Flint Boat Charters