St. Martin

Saint Martin is the smallest land mass divided between two countries. It is a part of both the French West Indies and Netherlands Antilles. The northern, French side of the island, goes by the name "Saint Martin" and is under the administrative control of Guadeloupe. The southern, Dutch side of the island, goes by the name "Sint Maarten" and is under the administrative control of the Netherlands Antilles. Saint Martin/Sint Maarten is divided into two sections. The French side of the island (Saint Martin) takes up 20 square miles. The Dutch side (Sint Maarten) takes up 13 square miles

All the beaches of Saint Martin are fine for swimming and sun bathing. This being a European island, topless sun bathing is frequently seen. Completely nude sun bathing is also accepted but for the most part is limited to a section of Orient Beach on the French side of the island.

Beaches are a main attraction on the island of Saint Martin. It has 37 beaches total, with hotels holding property on most of them. Orient Bay, for example, has an underwater marine reserve where snorkeling and other water sports are available