Dawn Beach

Dawn Beach lies on the east coast of Sint Maarten below the hills at Oyster Pond, facing the open Atlantic and the silhouette of Saint Barthelemy on the horizon. The name comes from the sunrises, which arrive straight over the water and are the reason many people book here. A coral reef sits a short swim offshore and makes this the best snorkelling on the Dutch side, though the same swell that feeds the reef can make the water rough. Resorts and beach bars line the sand without crowding it. The French border runs just north at Oyster Pond, where a marina shelters behind the headland.