Orient Beach is St-Martin's most famous beach, with a large clothing optional section and a variety of upscale beach restaurants.
Orient Beach has been compared to the famous strands of Southern France, with chic St. Tropez frequently mentioned as a reference point. Hurricane Irma in 2017 changed the face of this signature beach, but we are happy to report that Orient bounced back.
The southern end is clothing optional. Beach chairs and umbrellas are rented out by Cedrick and his crew. The famous Perch Bar has found a second incarnation as 'Perch Bar Light', with great BBQ dishes and a full assortment of cocktails. Admittedly, the backdrop of the Club Orient Resort, destroyed in 2017, ads a bit of an apocalyptic mood to this part of the beach. It is up to you if you can disengage your senses from the destruction and are able to enjoy the regular elements Orient Beach has to offer: tropical sun and sea, to be enjoyed unencumbered by clothing.
The remaining stretch of Orient Beach is wide open and both residents and return visitors can't escape the beauty of the bay to be back in its natural state. Wind- and kite-surfers have returned in numbers and there are a lot of sporting activities to be found.
The adjacent development of Orient Village offers several fantastic restaurants at the central plaza with frequent live entertainment. The anchor beach bars, namely Bikini Beach, Kakao Beach and Kontiki Beach have been rebuild and are better than before, other beach bars will follow soon.
Several of the villas overlooking the bay are back available as vacation rentals and provide a fantastic way to experience life on the island. The clothing optional boutique resort of Jardin d' O offers charming cottage-style accommodations in a private tropical setting.
Read more about Orient Beach >>>
Read about what to expect on a nude beach and how to behave >>>
