Our 2nd trip to SXM was wonderful and we are sad that it was over so quickly.

American Airlines brought us to and from the island with no delays.

Alamo rental car was fine, although the radio in the car was broken. We didn’t feel like bringing it back for an exchange, so my husband serenaded me every time we jumped in the car.

The Alamanda Resort on Orient Beach was wonderful, just as it was during our first stay. The staff even remembered us and seemed truly happy to see us again.

Kakao provided beach chairs and an umbrella, but we chose to stay away from Orient Beach for most of the trip because it was much too crowded.

After deciding to quest for a quieter beach, we headed out to Baie Rouge, Baie Longue, Dawn Beach, Friar’s Bay, and Happy Bay.

Baie Rouge was nice, but we didn’t stay long because it started to pour.

Baie Longue was incredibly long, white, quiet, almost deserted, and absolutely shadeless. My husband was able to find a fantastic snorkeling spot where he saw many different colored tangs, triggers, and other tropical fish. I was even able to see an aqua blue tang while standing on the shore. If you go, you should bring snorkeling gear and an umbrella!

Dawn Beach was much too windy for us on the day that we visited, so we didn’t stay.

Friar’s Bay was a nice quiet beach with a great beach restaurant (Friar’s Bay Beach Café) and not many people. We enjoyed yummy cheeseburgers, fries and a whole grilled red snapper.

Happy Bay was our beach of choice. Just a short 10 minute hike from Friar’s Bay Beach to what I consider is the best beach that I have seen on SXM. Sometimes we got there and were the only people on the entire beach. Shady palm trees line the soft white arc of sand and it felt like we were on a deserted island.

Restaurants

On Friday night we tried Los Gauchos because of the great reviews we had heard. Unfortunately, we were very disappointed. My husband is from Buenos Aires, Argentina and he is a tough critic regarding Argentine food. I myself have had some of the best Argentine food at the homes of his relatives, and in restaurants in Buenos Aires, NY and Miami. We ordered the empanadas as an appetizer and the mixed grill for 2 as the entrée. The empanadas were just o.k. but they were very heavily spiced with cumin. I have never encountered that with any of the other empanadas that I have tried. The meat in the mixed grill was a bit tough and had very little flavor. The chimichuri (steak sauce) was also disappointing as it did not seem to contain any of the expected garlic. On the bright side, we did not spend that much on the meal – about $70 – so I guess it could have been worse.

On Valentine’s Day we had a very lovely dinner on the rooftop of the Rainbow Café . Fleur, the co-owner, was very gracious and witty and made us feel welcomed from the moment we stepped in the door. The Caesar salad, and shrimp and scallop duo were quite good, but the parmesan crusted snapper fillet was melt in your mouth scrumptious.

Sunday night we went to Le Cottage for the second time. As it had been a year ago, the food was very good and the service was even better. Stephane the sommelier is hilarious and had us laughing all night. This is a restaurant that always feels comfortable and welcoming, like our favorite place at home.

Monday night we were absolutely wowed by Mario’s Bistrot . We ordered items from the regular menu (the duck and the lamb) and were impressed with both meals. Our waterside table provided the opportunity to feed the fish. Available paintings by Roland Richardson are displayed throughout. It is a very romantic restaurant with great food and great service and we will definitely return.

Tuesday night we decided to take a break from the fancy restaurants and went to a lolo in Grand Case – Talk of the Town. We shared a table with a nice couple from PA and had a pleasant meal. A rum punch, beer, half grilled lobster with fries, ribs with fries, corn and salad came to about $30. You can’t beat that!

Wednesday night we went to Turtle Pier for lobster night. The food was good and reasonably priced. We enjoyed our waterside table and the live steel drum music.

Thursday night we chose Le Pressoir for our last dinner in paradise. The Caesar salad that we shared was very good, but did have anchovies on top. My husband noticeably swooned when he tasted his rack of lamb. It was accompanied by a potato gratin type concoction that was absolutely sinful. My mahi-mahi was very light and fresh. The service was impeccable and we will also definitely be back to this fantastic restaurant.

Our vacation was really very relaxing and romantic and we are already talking about our return to the island. The next time will be with our daughter, so it won’t be quite so romantic, but I’m sure it will still be a trip to paradise. There is something for everyone on SXM and that’s why we love it.