Discover Maho Reef and find hotels

If you’re looking for a hotel in Maho Reef, you can start planning your trip with a simple question: Should Maho Beach, with its beach visits and plane spotting, be the main focus, or would you also like to take in the scenery and other destinations in the wider area? This distinction helps keep Maho Reef, the wider Maho area, and the broader destination of Sint Maarten separate.

Maho Beach and the wider Maho area

Maho Beach appeals to both plane spotters and beachgoers. On Sint Maarten, the beach lies on a deep-blue bay; swimming and sunbathing are possible there when local conditions allow. Check conditions before your visit. This lets you include both beach activities and plane spotting at this location in your travel plans.

Mullet Bay Beach, considered a scenic beach, is located in the wider area around Maho Reef. The wider landscape also includes mangrove areas in the Maho area. The name of the Maho area comes from the Maho trees that grow there as mangrove-like shade trees. This brings the area’s vegetation and namesake trees into focus alongside its coastal spots.

Maho Village is also in the wider area around Maho Reef and is known for its lively nightlife. The Mullet Bay Golf Course is considered the only golf course on St. Maarten and offers views of the Caribbean Sea. These places offer a different focus from the beach: nightlife takes center stage in Maho Village, while the golf course is all about the sea views.

More to explore on Sint Maarten

As a broader destination, Sint Maarten also offers cultural attractions in Philipsburg. The Sint Maarten National Heritage Foundation & Museum is located at 7 Front Street. A piece of the Point Blanche rock formation is on display in the museum. The layered rock formed through the crystallization of limestone and is about 15 million years old. Before visiting, check the latest visitor information directly with the museum and confirm whether the exhibit is on display at that time.

An exhibition at the museum features newspaper clippings, images, and eyewitness accounts about the effects of Hurricane Luis. Before visiting, check whether this exhibition is currently on display. Its subject differs from the geological significance of the rock: it focuses on documentary insights into the hurricane’s effects.

Hiking trails are also part of the wider Sint Maarten experience. The Point Blanche Hike Trail is in the Philipsburg taxi zone; confirm the zone assignment locally. Points of interest on the Natural Pool Hike Trail in Pointe Blanche include the Natural Pool and views of nearby islands. The two trails therefore have different points of reference: the taxi zone is specified for the Point Blanche Hike Trail, while the Natural Pool Hike Trail is noted for its pool and island views.

Discover more destinations: Lowlands, Philipsburg, Simpson Bay.

Go to the broader travel overview: Sint Maarten.