Dave & Judy's Sint Maarten 2027

Trip at a Glance

Detail	Info
Destination	Sint Maarten / Saint-Martin
Airport	Princess Juliana International (SXM)
Dates	Wed Jan 27 – Tue Feb 2, 2027
Nights	6 (2 French + 4 Dutch)
Travellers	Dave & Judy
Base 1 (Jan 27–29)	Hevea Hotel, Grand Case 🇫🇷
Base 2 (Jan 29–Feb 2)	Flamingo Beach Resort, Billy Folly Rd 🇳🇱
Vibe	Food, beach, explore & easy pace

🌴 Two bases, one island
Starting on the French side puts you in Grand Case — the island's gourmet heart — for your first two nights. Then you move to Flamingo Beach on the Dutch side (Billy Folly Road, Kim Sha Beach area) for four nights of beach bars, Maho plane-spotting, and easy island living. Best of both worlds.

📅 January is peak season — dry weather, warm seas, busy on weekends. Restaurants on the French side fill up fast; reserve a day or two ahead.

✈️ Confirmed Flights

✅ All flights booked — American Airlines, confirmation COQCYH / HECXJR

Segment	Flight	Departs	Arrives	Aircraft	Seats
TPA → MIA	AA 3767	Wed Jan 27 · 6:00am	7:08am	Embraer 175	—
MIA → SXM	AA 3055	Wed Jan 27 · 8:20am	12:29pm local	Boeing 737MAX 8	15A (Judy)
SXM → MIA	AA 2842	Tue Feb 2 · 5:29pm local	8:05pm ET	Boeing 737MAX 8	—
MIA → TPA	AA 1970	Tue Feb 2 · 10:05pm	11:21pm	Boeing 737-800	21F & 15F

⚠️ Departure day timing: AA2842 departs SXM at 5:29pm. Checkout at Flamingo Beach is 11am. You have the full afternoon — leave for the airport by 3:30pm. SXM is 5 minutes away.

🏨 Confirmed Hotels

✅ Hevea Hotel — Grand Case BOOKED

Boutique hotel on the restaurant row of Grand Case, the French side's gourmet village. 163 Boulevard de Grand Case. Walk out the front door and you're on Grand Case's legendary dining strip with beach access steps away.

🇫🇷 French Side — Grand Case 📅 Check-in: Wed Jan 27, 4:00pm 📅 Check-out: Fri Jan 29, 11:00am 🛏️ Flamboyant Superior Double Room — Garden View 👥 2 guests

Google Maps French Side Guide →

✅ Hilton Vacation Club Flamingo Beach — Sint Maarten BOOKED

Hilton Grand Vacations property on Billy Folly Road, Pelican Key — directly on Kim Sha Beach. Steps from Buccaneer Beach Bar and the Simpson Bay strip. The Dutch side's liveliest and most convenient beach location.

🇳🇱 Dutch Side — Pelican Key / Kim Sha Beach 📅 Check-in: Fri Jan 29, 4:00pm 📅 Check-out: Tue Feb 2, 11:00am 🏨 Hilton Grand Vacations (HGV) — confirmation 9021844134

Google Maps Dutch Side Guide →

Route & Day Plan

The logic: French side first — Grand Case is the most food-forward neighbourhood on the island and perfect for settling in. Two nights there, then cross to the Dutch side (10 min drive) where Flamingo Beach puts you on Kim Sha Beach for four easy days.

Day	Date	Base	Focus
Day 1	Wed Jan 27	🇫🇷 Hevea, Grand Case	Land 12:29pm · check in 4pm · first lolo dinner on the boulevard
Day 2	Thu Jan 28	🇫🇷 Hevea, Grand Case	Orient Bay · Marigot market · Grand Case restaurant row for dinner
Day 3	Fri Jan 29	🔄 Move day	Check out Hevea 11am · check in Flamingo Beach 4pm · catamaran day trip in between
Day 4	Sat Jan 30	🇳🇱 Flamingo Beach	Maho Beach plane-spotting · Mullet Bay · Karakter sunset drinks
Day 5	Sun Jan 31	🇳🇱 Flamingo Beach	Kim Sha Beach · Philipsburg · Front Street · easy beach afternoon
Day 6	Mon Feb 1	🇳🇱 Flamingo Beach	Free day · beach, snorkel, or day trip back to French side
Day 7	Tue Feb 2	🇳🇱 Flamingo Beach	Checkout 11am · final swim · depart SXM 5:29pm (AA2842)

Weather — January & February

Late January through early February is the heart of dry season — the single best time to visit. Trade winds keep it comfortable, rain is rare, and the sea is warm and calm.

Month	High Temp	Low Temp	Sea Temp	Avg Rain	Sunny Days	Conditions
January	82–84°F (28°C)	73–75°F (23°C)	79°F (26°C)	~1.7in (43mm)	~22/31	Dry, breezy, perfect
February	83–85°F (28–29°C)	73–75°F (23°C)	79°F (26°C)	~1.5in (38mm)	~22/28	Driest month of year

🎒 Packing for Late January

Light linen / quick-dry clothing — shorts, sundresses, light shirts
2–3 swimsuits (you'll use them daily)
Reef-safe sunscreen SPF 50+ — the Caribbean sun is intense
Water shoes or flip-flops for rocky entries
Light cardigan or wrap for air-conditioned restaurants

Rash guard or SPF shirt for long beach / boat days
Snorkel mask (or rent on island ~$10/day)
Waterproof phone case or GoPro
US plugs work on both sides of the island
eSIM or T-Mobile / Verizon international plan

Budget Estimate

Flights and hotels are confirmed. Remaining items to budget for:

Category	Low	High	Notes
✅ Flights (2 pax, confirmed)	$877		AA — $438.71/person
✅ Hevea Hotel (2 nights, confirmed)	$426		Chase Travel booking
✅ Flamingo Beach (4 nights, confirmed)	$629		Hilton Grand Vacations
Airport taxi (arrival + departure)	$30	$50	SXM is 5 min from both hotels
Transfer: Grand Case → Flamingo Beach	$25	$40	~15 min taxi on move day (Jan 29)
Catamaran / boat day trip	$130	$300	Book via Viator — $65–$149/person
Local taxis (6 days)	$80	$180	~$20–35/trip, 3–5 trips between locations
Food & drink (6 days, 2 people)	$540	$960	Lolos + beach bars + nicer dinners
Splurge dinner (Grand Case, Day 2)	$150	$250	L'Auberge Gourmande or Le Pressoir
Attractions, shopping, misc	$100	$600	Beaches free; duty-free shopping optional
REMAINING TO SPEND	~$1,055	~$2,380	Food, transport, activities, shopping
TOTAL TRIP (all in)	~$3,017	~$5,312	Both people including confirmed bookings

🗺️ Island Orientation

One island, two countries, no border check. Sint Maarten (Dutch) and Saint-Martin (French) share the island — you cross freely on the road north. The border is just a "Bienvenue en Saint-Martin" sign. Grand Case (your first base) is on the French side's north coast. Flamingo Beach (your second base) is on the Dutch side at Pelican Key / Kim Sha Beach. It's a 10–15 minute taxi between the two.

🇫🇷 Your French Base — Grand Case

Grand Case restaurant row — best dining on the island
Lolos behind the main strip — authentic Caribbean BBQ
Grand Case Beach — calm, charming village beach
Easy access to Orient Bay (20 min) & Marigot (15 min)
Pinel Island day trip departs nearby (Cul de Sac)

Full French Side Guide →

🇳🇱 Your Dutch Base — Flamingo Beach / Kim Sha

Kim Sha Beach on the doorstep — Buccaneer Beach Bar steps away
Simpson Bay strip — nightlife, restaurants, live music
Maho Beach — 5 min taxi, legendary plane-spotting
Mullet Bay — 10 min, best calm-water swimming on Dutch side
Philipsburg / Front Street — 20 min, duty-free shopping

Full Dutch Side Guide →

💳 Cashback & Credit Card Portals

Flights and hotels are confirmed — focus portals on activities and tours now.

Rakuten

Use for Viator and GetYourGuide activity bookings. Often highest cashback rate on bonus days.

Rakuten.com

CashBackMonitor

Compares all portal rates for Viator, GetYourGuide, etc. Check here first.

CashBackMonitor.com

Capital One Shopping

Good baseline for activity platforms when Rakuten isn't at elevated rates.

Capital One Shopping

📱 TripIt — Your Live Itinerary

✅ TripIt is already tracking your trip

Flights and both hotels are confirmed in TripIt. As you book the catamaran tour and any restaurant reservations, forward confirmations to plans@tripit.com to keep your live itinerary complete. Ask Kiro to "update the plan with my latest TripIt bookings" at any time.

📋 Remaining Bookings

What	When	Status	Action
✅ Outbound flights (AA3767 + AA3055)	Jan 27	Confirmed	Done
✅ Hevea Hotel, Grand Case	Jan 27–29	Confirmed	Done
✅ Flamingo Beach Resort	Jan 29–Feb 2	Confirmed	Done
✅ Return flights (AA2842 + AA1970)	Feb 2	Confirmed	Done
⛵ Catamaran / snorkel day trip	Fri Jan 29	Not booked	Book via Viator 2–4 weeks out
🍽️ Grand Case dinner reservation	Thu Jan 28 eve	Not booked	Reserve 5–7 days ahead

🌴 Personal note: The two-base split is the smartest way to do this island — Grand Case for the food immersion, then Flamingo Beach for the laid-back Dutch Caribbean beach life. The move day (Jan 29) with the catamaran trip in between is a great way to bridge the two halves of the trip. Have a brilliant time.