Garden Villas on St. Martin Near Orient Beach
This report focuses on The Garden Villas near Orient Beach
YES! We've been to Garden Villas. Yes, we've visited St Martin often. Almost like being in Europe without crossing the Atlantic to get there.
This report focuses on The Garden Villas near Orient Beach
A more complete report on greater St Martin is available here
Another complete report on Club Orient here. NOTE: Club Orient was destroyed by the 2017 hurricane and never re-built. (This site is maintained more as a historical record for folks who still ask about this wonderful former piece of nude heaven in the Caribbean.)
Travel Alerts: A Passport is required, valid for 6 months beyond your departure date from St Martin. See St. Martin Tourist Office site for details about travel, health and documentation required to visit the island.
Resort Overview
A clothing-optional "mini-resort" called "The Garden at St. Martin" located just 5-10 minutes from Orient Beach at Mont Vernon is now open. The complex features five (5) luxury villas (3 with a private Jacuzzi) plus a tropical garden, a big swimming pool and new spa on site.
Every accommodation has a private terrace with direct access to the garden and the swimming pool. "The Garden" is a friendly place: in the clothing-optional common area, guests can relax, meet the others around the pool in the tranquility of the garden or with lounge music.
ALERT: This is an ADULTS ONLY property for COUPLES ONLY.
NOTE: The villa complex is not on the beach, but Orient Beach is very close.
To check villa rates and availability, click here to request a quote or send your dates of travel and villa preference to: info@castawaystravel.com
Photo: Lydia and Lionel, Owners of the resort, and Champagne, Castaways Travel.
Getting There
Location: Immediately adjacent to the north end of Orient Beach in the village of Mont Vernon. See map for location of Mont Vernon Village.
Garden Villas are 5 minutes from the main part of Orient Beach. The red circle and yellow highlighter spot the location of the Garden Villas compound.
Airports: The closest, a mile away at Grand Case is L'Espérance Airport which provides inter-island air to central Caribbean destinations. On the Dutch side, intercontinental service is located at Princess Juliana International Airport near Philipsburg.
For exploring the island, enjoying the dining and cuisine and enhance your access to Orient Beach, rent a car or hire a taxi for your jaunts.
The manager on duty can arrange transportation for you. Car rentals are nearby at the airports.
Taxis are available at each airport. Drive time from the International airport can vary widely depending on traffic on the two-lane road on the northern part of the island from 40 minutes to an hour but that's no guarantee. Traffic backups during rush hour and other occasions are legendary.
Taxi rates are fixed, and the taxi stands outside the terminal posts the rates.
Typical taxi rate from the airport starts at about 30 Euros but NOT guaranteed and WILL CHANGE without notice. Expect to pay in Euros to avoid overpaying if you try to pay the taxi driver in dollars or other currency.
NOTE: Each villa has a parking space for one vehicle.
From Lydia & Lionel, the Owners: From Lydia & Lionel - Owners
Coming from Brittany and together for 21 years, we discovered St Martin in 2001 to practice naturism.
And since that first stay, we came back every year once or even twice a year until October 2013, and we decided to put down our luggage and to buy this villa. We were looking for a place like here where meeting people, relaxing in a friendly atmosphere are the keywords.
It was THE place to create a clothing-optional resort. Feel free to tell us if you need somethin g during your stay or if you want to know our tips, our favorite places: beaches, activities, restaurants,…It will take you only 5 minutes to reach Orient Bay.and its beautiful beach, its restaurants, water sports, and its lively nightlife.
Also, it's 5 minutes to the Village of Grand Case, which offers gourmet restaurants, small "lolos" and their typical large barbecues, its small colorful bars.
Anse Marcel and Pinel Island are very close too. We hope you’ll fall in love like us with this I island that is aptly named: The "Friendly Island."
Here is a recent list of Orient Beach bars and restaurants which is subject to change without notice as new ones open, some are rebuilt some change owners and names:
L’atelier
Télégraphe
Bikini Beach Bar & Restaurant
One by K
Bubbles Shop
KKO Beach Bar & Restaurant
Kontiki
La Playa
In Orient Beach you will relax on a beautiful naturist beach in the south part of this long beach (where the former Club Orient was). You will find chairs, umbrellas and the “Perch bar” to have a drink (happy hour between 1:30 and 2:30 PM daily) and a tasty lunch. The staff is very friendly.
Even if this part of Orient Bay is the only official naturist beach, you can be naked on some other nice beaches like Happy Bay (especially during the week) and Cupecoy (Dutch side) under the cliffs which is an excellent spot to see the sunset in drinking something in Danny’s bar.
Anse Marcel Beach restaurant is still excellent and, with Coco Beach in Orient Bay, is one of the best beach gourmet restaurants
Services
Includes:
- A welcome cocktail
- Free wifi (high quality)
- TV -Satellite
- Household linen (towels, sheet set) changed once a week
- Beach towels and umbrella (on request)
- Towels for the swimming pool
- Airport transfer (with our car rental partner)
- Restaurants reservations
Ambiance
St. Martin's Dutch and French sides are probably the best combination of nightlife, dining, resorts, beaches, and casinos anywhere in the Caribbean. There is something for everyone from laid-back, no-nonsense resorts to the finest villas in the Caribbean.
For club hopping around Marigot, our fearless clients and explorers have suggested a fun little club near the airport called Club Cheri, for local entertainment earlier in the evening, including island talent, skits, and reviews. Many others are on the island, just ask Lionel or Lydia, the owners.
You don't lack for anything on this island.
Here's an informal list of the most popular sections of the beach from Mount Vernon on the north end to Club Orient on the south end. Boo Boo Jam area (had a fire in 2012), Palm Beach, Coco Beach, Waikiki Beach, Kakao Bikini, Beach Kontiki, Sun Beach and Club Orient. This list is subject to change and is not guaranteed as establishments.
Group Trips
Due to the shared nature of some of the standard facilities, the Garden Villas is an excellent location for "mini" group trips utilizing 2, 3, 4 or all 5 Villas. Contact us if you have several couples interested, and we'll see what we can put together for you.
Sightseeing
Discover St Martin and the neighboring and the most beautiful islands in the Caribbean (Tintamarre, Pinel Island, St Barth, Anguilla, Prickly Pear,…) How? Rent a luxury boat or yacht for the day or half day with a skipper for a nude cruise. The Manager on-site will handle all the details.
MORE? Tennis (world famous), kite-surf, windsurf, jet ski, fly board, kayak, paddle, snorkeling, boat rental, hiking, Pinel island.
In Orient Beach you will relax on a beautiful naturist beach in the south part of this long beach (where the former Club Orient was). You will find chairs, umbrellas and the “Perch bar” to have a drink (happy Hour) between 1:30 and 2:30) and a tasty lunch. The staff is very friendly.
A lot of nice and good beach restaurants all along the beach.
Even if this part of Orient bay is the only official naturist beach, you can be naked on some other nice beaches like Happy Bay (especially during the week) and Cupecoy (Dutch side) under the cliffs that is an excellent spot to see the sunset in drinking something in Danny’s bar.
Anse Marcel Beach restaurant is still excelent and, with Coco Beach in Orient Bay, is one of the best beach gourmet restaurants there.
Dining
At the villas, meals, and catered dining can be ordered from numerous bistros and cafes nearby. Shopping, supermarkets & the commercial center of Orient Beach 5 minutes away. Arguably, the finest set of restaurants and dining adventures is minutes away from Grand Case.
More Dining & Restaurant information
Eat-in or eat out as you wish. Terrific French and Dutch establishments are everywhere, so take your pick. Orient Beach resorts have on-site dining, snack shops on the beach and of course, villas include cooks. Papagayos Restaurant at Club Orient is an entirely nude restaurant, open-air and anchors the south end of the beach. You don't have to be a guest to dine there.
Restaurants
St. Martin has a terrific wealth of restaurants on both the French and Dutch sides of the island. Here are a few to consider, thanks in part to some recommendations from ISLANDS/CARIBBEAN TRAVEL & LIFE magazine.
NOTE: List is subject to change and is not guaranteed as establishments change hands, close or change cuisine.
On Dawn Beach, you will find Mr. Busby's Beach Bar for beaching and open-air burgers, plus it's a great place to start your snorkeling adventure.
At Oyster Pond, straddle the island's imaginary border between the men's room and the main restaurant at Captain Olivers, a nice place recommended by some of our friends who live there. Stop for cappuccino and croissants at any one of the French side's superettes, where excellent pate, fresh poulet roti (chicken rotisserie) and pastries are featured.
If you want to bar hop and do the tourist thing on Orient Beach, stop at the Bikini Beach Bar. In French Marigot, stop at La Parisienne for a sidewalk cappuccino.
For the greatest concentration of French bistros and restaurants, visit Grand Case, a small town north of Marigot on the northwest side of the island. Grand Case's main waterfront street is lined with the best restaurants on the island including Le Tastevin plus many others along the street.
Set above Grand Case Beach, lolos (food stalls) hold forth with local cuisine that competes taste-wise with the refined restaurants nearby on the waterfront. Choose from the following beachside fare: Conch stew, spare ribs, grilled or fried fish and numerous side dishes such as johnny cakes, stuffed christophene, macaroni & cheese, peas 'n rice, coleslaw, and fried plantain.
Plop your butt down at any of the BBQ lolo joints (you'll know them by the 55 gal drums used as BBQ grills). Including Sky's the Limit, Talk of the Town and many others where you can stuff yourself for $10 USD (or more...add on for inflation and the Euro).
NOTE: Small beachside bistros come and go so be prepared for the name or ownership changes.
At the other end of the spectrum, try Ric's Place in Dutch Philipsburg, a great sports bar for super burgers and fries.
Here is a list of dining selections reported by Caribbean Travel & Life Magazine. Note: This list is subject to change and is not guaranteed as establishments change hands, close or change cuisine.
St Martin - Island-wide (This list is subject to change and is not guaranteed as facilities change hands, close or change cuisine).
L'Escargot-Dutch St. Martin Philipsburg
Loterie Farm-Orient Bay
Lolos (food stalls) in Grand Case
Temptation-Atlantis Casino/Cupecoy
Rare-Atlantis Casino
Fusion-Philipsburg
Aura-Westin Hotel
La Vie en Rose-Marigot
La Samana-French side
La Santal- Sandy Ground
Big Fish-Oyster Pond
The Tides at Mary Boons
Top Carrot(vegetarian) - Simpson Bay
Belgian Chocolate BoxBakery La Sucriere
Jeff de Bruges Chocolate shop
Rituals coffee shop
Grand Case (the best of dining on the island)
Le Pressoir
Le Tastevin
L'Auberge
Gourmand
Le Ti Provencale
Spicy
Mai-Vietnamese
Marrakech (Moroccan)
Shop L'Epicerie de Marie
Rates and Reservations
Rates shown are in EUROS and will vary due to currency valuations. Rental price/night/couple. A 4% tax is extra.
To check villa rates and availability, click here to request a quote or send your dates of travel and villa preference to info@castawaystravel.com
From 180 Euros to 345 Euros/room/night from low to high season. The rate is for two people. A tax of 4% is extra. Maximum occupancy is a two-person villa. Each villa has a living area and patio, bedroom, fully equipped kitchen, and baths. Parking is available for one vehicle for each villa.
Villa Names are shown below with occupancy limit. Basically, the difference is the size of the living space. BBQ pits are available for the two largest accommodations: The Cottage and the Loft
O Purple 2 people (no hot tub)
IndigO 2 people (no hot tub)
StudiO Rose 2 people
Red PassiOn 2 people
Cottage Two people, in the living room, there is a sofa bed. The bath is between the living room and the bedroom with two doors, so it's possible to share for four people
Each Villa contains:
Air conditioning
One master bedroom with a king-size bed
The sheet set and towels
A sofa bed
A fully equipped kitchen (full-size refrigerator, dishwasher, washing machine, microwave oven)
Nespresso Coffee Machine
A hairdryer
A safe
iPod docking station
Flat-screen TV -Satellite
Free WIFI (high quality)
An outside dining area and two deck chairs
An outdoor dryer
A private hot tub (except the PatiO & IndigO Villa)
Gated Parking inside the property
Prices shown below are subject to change without notice.
Click image to enlarge
For availability& reservations: Request a Villa Quote Here or 800-470-2020 or (281) 465-4960
Impressions
Uppers-Downers
↔ St. Martin has lost some of its quaint, Caribbean ways: The island has morphed into a popular tourist mecca as traffic and crowds mix it up daily, especially when the big cruise ships visit. But St. Martin has held on to more of its traditional values than most of the other islands.
The Island is unique, offering the French, the Dutch and the Caribbean cultures all on one island. It defiantly represents a little traditional Dutch, a little traditional French, and a lot Caribbean. It's still a fun place to visit
↑↑↑ Food and restaurant selections are outstanding all over the island.
↔ Crowds seem to be everywhere in town when the cruise ships dock. Try the smaller villages around the island for meals, drinks, and entertainment.
↑↑↑ Try nude sailing charters while you're there.
↑↑↑ The beaches are still some of the best to choose from in the Caribbean, if not the world.
↔ The Villa compound itself can be quiet during the day and evening. There is no "nightlife" sponsored by the villa owners as the intent for most guests is to "get away from it all" and relax, which is one of the key advantages of your own private villa within the gated compound.
Grand Case village, however, as well as the commercial zone of Orient Beach is literally a few minutes in either direction from the villas so you're close to some action if you have a rental car.
Anse Marcel beach with more restaurants and an RIU Palace Resort is across the road and down the hill from your villa, too. Ask Lionel or Lydia for the admission procedure since some facilities, restaurants, and shops require access via a guard gate. A couple of restaurants are walkable, around the corner from the Garden Villas.
Best Time To Go
Be aware that late summer is hurricane season.
Fall, winter, and early spring are drier and a little cooler than the heat and humidity of summer.
Otherwise expensive resorts from December 15-April 15, you will find rates are embellished with all types of free night offers and incentives during the low season, especially August-November.
Wish List
• Build better roads through Marigot.
• Downplay the fast-food franchises, but progress marches on.
• Wish villas were right on the beach
Photo Album
Click on this link to view our PHOTO ALBUM of The Garden Villas. The photos were either shot by us, our clients or provided by the resort. If you have recently visited The Garden or St. Martin we invite you to send in your photos for us to display. To contribute your own photos (or trip reports), go to our Contribute Trip Report / Photographs page.
This report focuses on The Garden Villas near Orient Beach
A more complete report on greater St Martin is available here
Another complete report on Club Orient here
Trip Reports
Click on this link to view our TRIP REPORTS about St.Martin and The Garden Villas. If you have recently visited The Garden Villas or St. Martin, we need your trip reports. You can contribute to this section buy using our Contribute Trip Report / Photographs page.
For availability& reservations: Request a Villa Quote Here or 800-470-2020 or (281) 465-4960 or send your dates of travel and villa preference to info@castawaystravel.com
*********************************************
All reservations, payments and transactions are subject to Castaways Travel Terms and Conditions.