Hi everyone:
My first post here... I'm planning a trip to St. Martin in March. I prefer a clothing optional beach, but don't know that Orient Bay is what I'm looking for (I prefer things not to be TOO crowded or crazy).

Thoughts about Cupecoy? (and BTW, how do you pronounce that?)

Hi. Welcome. Please let me know if you have any questions about the board in general.

With regard to Orient, there is nothing CRAZY about Orient. If you are concerned about sexual stuff on the beach, no. Not sure what else you might be referring to, with regard to crazy. As far as 'crowded', again, not really. You're talking March, so it will be fairly busy, yes, on Orient, but not particularly crowded. At that time of year, you will need to arrive before 10 AM to get front row seats, at the former Club O, but you should be able to find chairs.

Now, understand with regard to Orient, the only c/o section of the beach now (as compared to years past), is the former Club O beach. Orient stretches for a long distance and there are many restaurants and beach section to the left, where clothing, or at least bottoms, are required. The former Club O section is to the right. The only restaurant that is c/o is the Perch, which has a nice selection, but it is not high end food. To the left, there are many high end beach restaurants where you can eat, but they do require clothes.

As far as Cupecoy, I pronounce it CUP COY. I actually don't know if that is correct or not. Some people pronounce it COUP A COY. The beach there is very "come and go". Sometimes there is a beach there, sometimes not. It varies with the day. As far as food there, there is one guy who provides grill food and drinks.

Carol:

Thanks so much!

I'm not worried about the sexual stuff, as I know that Orient is not like that. Was mainly thinking about noisy, crowded and typical rowdy beach stuff. Maybe not?

Would welcome any advice for my visit... y'all can probably tell it's my first trip to SXM

Wahnfried--No, Club O section is not noisy at all. Down on the other end, on SUNDAYS, there can be some loud stuff, but not on any other days.

As far as other advice, please feel free to post any other specific questions.

I pronounce it COUP A COY. Not sure if correct.

Well Said Carol… Enjoy your Trip Wahnfried

Hi Wahnfried, I totally agree with Carol on Orient. Orient at the old Club O is generally our go to beach. We usually pack a cooler with drinks and bring sandwiches from Zee Best or Le Sucriere, but the food at the Perch is good and the drinks are reasonable at happy hour from 1:30 to 2:30 each day.

Here are some additional ideas.

Cupecoy can be just a bit of a challenge depending on whether or not there is sand covering the rock on the main beach. There are several other beaches there which require a bit of a climb up / down stairs if that is any problem. Dany runs the beach bar and can let you know.

Baie Rouge can be c/o if your walk a bit to the left as you enter. The water can be rough with undertoe depending on the conditions.

Many people like Happy Bay which is c/o but it's a hike to get there by either of two routes.
From Friars Bay walk north on the path over the hill.
From the road next to the basketball courts before you get to Grand Case (headed from Marigot). Park on the side of the road near the gate and follow the path south to the beach.
Either way, at Happy Bay, it's best to go with someone that's been there before.

Have fun.

Cupecoy & happy bay are not clothing optional beaches. People just do it & most of the time no one says anything. I'm told the gendarme sometimes spend time off at happy bay so not a good day to be naked then. Not worth it imho. Orient beach end where the perch bar & grill is your best area for clothing optional.you will meet lovely people there & not raucous.

Visit Dany's on CupeCoy. On most days, there is sand and he will take care of you.

Welcome back. You’ve been missed.

Cupecoy (I pronounce it COOP-coy) is in my humble opinion the best nude beach on SXM. Enter at the sign for Dany's Smooth Cupecoy Beach Bar. Some are clothed on the beach, some aren't; the "no nudity" sign is ignored without incidents. Food, drink, lounges, and umbrellas available from Dany. With advance notice - lobsters. LOVE the food and ambiance; stay at the beach bar for sunset & after and you'll meet people from around the world. As a travel writer I've written about it for years... There is a small parking charge.

Most common pronunciation I've heard is Coop-a-coy

Likewise and Coop-a-coy is the pronunciation we were told almost fifty years ago by a local way back then, Neil.

Carol, your advice to this first-timer is spot-on, except that when you use "right" and "left" they may not realize that you are writing from the perspective of someone facing the ocean upon arriving at the beach. Even using a more accurate description such as "the south end of the beach" to identify the location of the former Club O section would be worthless to someone not fully aware that the beach more or less stretches from south to north. Or, standing there, which direction is which. Moreover, telling visitors who are unfamiliar with Orient where to find things can be tricky enough without further specifying which road in they might take. Offhand, I can think of at least five different ways the public can reach the beach, going from south to north--(1) the road pointing to Club O and the Butterfly Farm, (2) the entrance to Parc de la Baie Orientale leading to a road where one can turn left en-route to Cocoa Beach, or instead, (3) continuing straight down to the beach at Orient Village, (4) the road to the ruins of Palm Beach (the former "mystery" spot), or (5) the road leading to the late, raucous Boo Boo Jam, the sign for which still was there last February, as I recall.

Maybe someone else can come up with a better way of providing directions now that I have wasted this time imagining a drive to Orient beach, which is the next best alternative to lying on the beach!

P.S. We're all set to arrive for our usual three weeks beginning 02-11-2024 and counting the days!

Mikey

cacapasa--you are correct, of course. I should have specified "when facing the ocean". I personally find "south end of the beach" to be totally worthless, because I have NO idea as far as north and south while on island. But I am directionally challenged..

FYI no sand at Cupecoy today but that can change rapidly.

Dany's place is very nice. It has an island rustic feel and there are many people to meet and chat with. If you eat and drink at Dany's, there is no charge for parking. The beach is another story. Last time we were there, we were the only ones on the beach and yes it is not a big deal to be nude there. Dany rents chairs and umbrellas. We never had a problem when we went. Unfortunately, the tides can be tricky. The beach sand constantly shifts. With the rocks near the water it is hard to get into the water. We found only one area to get into the water without slippery rocks. Couple of years back in July there were at least three. November alot of times has no sand and folks stay on the rocks to relax. Orient is the place to go. As Carol said, there is nothing sexual about Orient. Naturists there are very respectful and if anyone tried any shenanigans, they'd be thrown off the beach. Sounds like you're new to Naturism. If that's the case, you might want to check out The Complete Guide to Naturism by Liz and James Egger. Enjoy your trip.

Joe: Thanks for the info about Cupecoy. I've been in nudist spaces a lot, so I'm not worried about the sexual part at all. I was only worried about the loud and rowdy "beach crowd," but it sounds like Orient Bay will be just what I'm looking for!