Flights to St. Maarten
To the uninitiated, it can be a little confusing. The Dutch territory of St. Maarten shares a Caribbean island with the similarly named French territory of Saint-Martin. But it's historically appropriate that this tiny island of only 37 square miles is currently shared by two nations. It changed hands a dozen or so times over the four centuries after it was claimed by Columbus for Spain, before falling into the hands of the Dutch and French centuries later.
There are two things you'll notice right away about St. Maarten. First, when you land, you'll see that the runway is situated right next to a lovely little beach. Dare we say - how convenient? As you fly in, you'll notice that the water here is an improbable, seemingly unnatural, turquoise color. Don't be alarmed, your friend's photos weren't altered. The water is that blue here.