Friar's Bay
Friar's Bay
4
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We rank these restaurants and attractions by balancing reviews from our members with how close they are to this location.
Restaurants
149 within 5 kms
Attractions
74 within 10 kms
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- TraceyPTBOPeterborough, Canada59 contributionsHidden Gem of a BeachBrilliant little beach away from the crowds. Three options for resto/chair/umbrellas, all with perfect spots to enjoy the day. Parking is easy and the rates very reasonable. The sand is soft as can be and the waters a beautiful blue.Visited December 2023Travelled as a coupleWritten 20 December 2023
- SherriModesto, California36 contributionsBeautiful and sereneBeautiful beach and so serene! We went to this beach on our first day and would go back every day if we didn’t want to try other beaches. This is definitely one of our favorites. The beach chairs and umbrellas we reaonabke and the beach service was perfect! The beach is one of the more secluded beaches we found and no locals bothering you selling their products. The water was perfect and the beach access was a oerfectly easy slope. Definitely one of the best beaches without having to take a boat ride off the island.Visited May 2024Travelled with familyWritten 8 May 2024
- Mark EMaryland69 contributionsGreat beach, calm waters and excellent snorkeling experienceThis bay is one of St Martin's best beaches as the water is generally calm and the snorkeling from the beach towards Pointe Nord de l'Anse Guichard and Happy Bay can be excellent. This is our second visit to this bay over the last several years. There are two bar/restaurants and we chose to rent two chairs and and umbrella from Friar's Bay Beach Cafe at rates of $10 if you buy food and drink at the restaurant, or $20 if you don't. The beach was not overly packed during our visits of May and October months. Today I saw and photographed numerous Cushion Sea Star (starfish), both yellow and red, schools of blue tang, parrotfishes, wrasses, a great barracuda, one large green turtle and some coral and sponges.Visited May 2024Travelled as a coupleWritten 28 May 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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4.0
449 reviews
Excellent
224
Very good
146
Average
43
Poor
21
Terrible
15
Colin S
Nashua, NH84 contributions
Sept 2022 • Couples
Great beach, we had heard great things about Friars Beach. We stopped at the 978 Beach Lounge, very friendly pretty good service… until it came time to pay. Cash only asked if we had Euro’s or US Dollars. When we got here Saturday the exchange rate was .98 to $1, today it was 1 for 1. The bill was 174 in Euro’s but they charged 1.25 exchange rate. Pushing the bill to $217. Really!!!! You know I could live with the exchange if I knew the money was going to their employees who work hard, and do a good job. The waiter volunteered to not take a tip or service charge, but we know it’s not him why should he suffer, because of the owners greed. We have shopped on the French and Dutch side have eaten on both sides and have not had an issue with exchange rate at all. Even the grocery stores which use the Anguilla rate process the exchange properly without hiking some exorbitant exchange rate. So unless you have Euros I would avoid the 978 Beach Lounge.
Written 8 September 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
AnLil
930 contributions
Dec 2022 • Family
Friar’s Bay past Marigot is an underrated shoreline: more accessible than Mullet and better than Maho Beach. It’s good for families with teens and couples. Nearby Happy Bay was recommended, but we prefer clothing not “optional” (nude). Although people spoke about the smell of outhouses before, I found the flush facilities just fine with no odour at Friar’s Bay. The beach has a sandy bar on the Atlantic side, only 7 minutes over the hill or curve from Front de Mer (Creole cooking in Marigot). Beach bars like 978 Beach Lounge make for a good deal: $20 beach chairs or $30 including mixed buckets. Visibility was limited like everywhere on the island, now, but body surfing was fun due to the waves. An umbrella would have been helpful, but we were there to check out the surf or water sports. With two reggae bar/food shacks to choose from and a sandy strip as long as Grand Case Beach Club, you’ll get the surf minus any prickly sea urchins (like at Grand Case and Creole Rock). Park your car at the big red ici billboard of Pointe Molly Smith, and you’ll have bopping good times at Friar’s Bay!
Written 23 December 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Michael H
Bethesda, MD119 contributions
Oct 2022 • Couples
This superb picture post card beach offers picture perfect food. There many fine places to dine by the sea on St. Maarten/Martin ( the island is the culinary capital of the Caribbean) but Vincent and his able crew out do the others in price and quality and quantity.
Service is friendly thanks to handsome servers with beautiful smiles like Roman and Coco.
The food never misses. Whether it’s a ( very large) salad of garden fresh greens or fantastic lobster sized shrimp or a gigantic, delicious Croque Monsieur or steak, every dish is carefully prepared, elegantly plated , and sensational!
The entry to this fabulous beach is a bit of a challenge but the rewards of scenery and memorable dining is so worth a whole or two along the way.
Service is friendly thanks to handsome servers with beautiful smiles like Roman and Coco.
The food never misses. Whether it’s a ( very large) salad of garden fresh greens or fantastic lobster sized shrimp or a gigantic, delicious Croque Monsieur or steak, every dish is carefully prepared, elegantly plated , and sensational!
The entry to this fabulous beach is a bit of a challenge but the rewards of scenery and memorable dining is so worth a whole or two along the way.
Written 30 October 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jet436904
Las Vegas, NV4 contributions
June 2022 • Family
We have been here many times, but not in a few years. I wish we had believed the reviews about the sewage smell. It was awful. $5 a chair or $10 a chair if you don’t buy food. We lasted about 20 minutes before the smell drove us away. I hope they fix it, this was such a nice place.
Written 27 June 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kalisa P
6 contributions
Feb 2020 • Family
I thought this beach was beautiful. It was a little of a rough ride getting there but it was short and nice to drive right up. Soft sand and great calm water. It was nice to have a restaurant right there too. It wasn't crowded at all when we were there but we did have a few topless sunbathers that our kids had lots of questions about, but we didn't mind. We had a nice quit day there. Only downside was the bathrooms were gross.
Written 14 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sherri
Modesto, CA36 contributions
May 2024 • Family
Beautiful beach and so serene! We went to this beach on our first day and would go back every day if we didn’t want to try other beaches. This is definitely one of our favorites. The beach chairs and umbrellas we reaonabke and the beach service was perfect! The beach is one of the more secluded beaches we found and no locals bothering you selling their products. The water was perfect and the beach access was a oerfectly easy slope. Definitely one of the best beaches without having to take a boat ride off the island.
Written 8 May 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Eddie
1 contribution
July 2022
Friars bay is a small, beautiful, quiet beach that locals tend to go to. The pond gets sewage dumped into it and as the pond dries up the smell can become very intense. The best time to go to the beach is when the pond busts open to the ocean and fresh water comes in. The flushing of the pond into the ocean eliminates a lot of the smell. I highly recommend checking out Happy Beach right next to Friar's Bay. Happy Beach is one of St. Martin's hidden jewels. It's almost like having your own private beach for the day.
Written 14 September 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Bobbie W
Warwick, RI1,770 contributions
Mar 2021
It’s a bit of a drive, especially if you’re staying on the Dutch side. But the ride was really worth it. The water color is breath taking as is everything else. You can bring your own chairs, but they do have chairs and umbrellas to rent. You can also bring your lunch or eat at the lovely cafe there, right on the beach!
Written 19 March 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Mary H
Evansville, IN91 contributions
Jan 2020
Always went to this beach at least once or twice during our two week stay. Perhaps it was the hurricane, but something has changed. Use to sit out by Kahki’s and always have a delicious lunch. A lot of their beach area is gone. I actually laid in a chair down the beach at the Friar Bay Beach Club with a promise to the guy that I was going to eat lunch there. When I wondered into the restaurant area for lunch, no one paid any attention to me...so I left. When I decided to leave for the day, I stopped by the beach bar of Kalhi’s for a drink and ribs. The old man working the bar was downright surly. My ribs were okay, but on the dry side and the rice and peas was bland.
Be watching of the beach here. There is small rocks at the edge of the surf. It can be difficult to walk in or out, and an undertow may knock you down. I was drug several feet across those stones and had quite the bruise on my bottom.
Be watching of the beach here. There is small rocks at the edge of the surf. It can be difficult to walk in or out, and an undertow may knock you down. I was drug several feet across those stones and had quite the bruise on my bottom.
Written 23 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jenn V
16 contributions
Oct 2024 • Family
This beach is the hidden gem of the locals on the French side of the island. It was absolutely beautiful. Calm waters, friendly people, best piña coladas we’ve ever had. HIGHLY recommend for a chill beach day. Be mindful that the food, drinks and chairs/umbrellas are cash only.
Written 11 October 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Is this beach topless or clothing optional, being that it is on the French side?
Written 19 March 2019
Yes but not as much full nudity as say orient beach. Really only a couple of women go topless and they seem to do it away from the busy areas.
Good place for kids too.
Written 16 August 2019
Just checking to ask if the amazing beach restaurant was back. We look forward to our amazing days with you in a few weeks time !
Written 14 March 2019
Can you get to friars bay from the cruise port via public transportation?
If not how much would a taxi be?
Written 18 December 2018
are the beach bars open at friars bay beach ?
Written 20 February 2018
Is there a 2 foot drop off a few feet into the water as there are on many of the other beaches on St M.?
Written 1 October 2015
Vorrei sapere quando tempo abbiamo a disposizione per sostare sulla spiaggia ed il costo del tour
Written 17 February 2015
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