Audio walk · Marigot
Waterfront and market (Boulevard de France)
Put your phone in your pocket and walk. Your phone reads each stop aloud, then waits while you walk to the next one; tap “I've arrived” to carry on. Everything it says is written out below, so the walk works without sound too.
- 3 stops
- about 5 min of listening
- about 6 min between stops
- Cluster guide
3 stops · about 5 min listening · about 6 min between stops
Before you start
Voice and speed
The script is in English. On-device voices keep working with no signal once this page is open or saved.
Transcript
Everything the tour says, in order. Read it instead of listening if you prefer.
Before you start
Welcome to the Waterfront and market (Boulevard de France) audio walk in Marigot. 3 stops: Boulevard de France waterfront, Marigot waterfront market and Marigot ferry pier (Anguilla and Saint Barthélemy). Morning cluster: the waterfront, the market on Wednesday and Saturday, and the ferry pier; go early, before the heat and the parking crush.
Boulevard de France, the market and the ferry pier. Underfoot: paved waterfront; slope: flat; shade: low.
Marigot is the small capital of the French side of Saint-Martin, a Caribbean island that two countries share. It is a waterfront market town with a hill fort, a marina and a few shopping streets, and it works best as a base for beaches, ferries and dinners around the island.
Before you start: Ask before photographing vendors. Keep your eyes on the street, and pause the audio before you cross a road.
1. Boulevard de France waterfront
Look for
- Waterfront walk
- Cafés and galleries
- Ferry terminal end
Stop 1 of 3: Boulevard de France waterfront. Arrival point: Boulevard de France.
The seafront promenade with cafés and a view of the bay: a 20-minute walk, best in the morning or at sunset.
Look for Waterfront walk: The main promenade. Look for Cafés and galleries: Coffee and small shops. Look for Ferry terminal end: Views of the boats.
It has four parts: the waterfront market and ferry pier at the southern end, the Boulevard de France along the bay, the marina of Port La Royale to the north-west, and the shopping streets of Rue de la République and Rue de la Liberté behind. The ferry terminal for Anguilla and Saint Barth is beside it, and cafés on the boulevard offer coffee and croissants. For lunch, the marina terraces and the bistros on the Boulevard de France serve fish of the day, salads, burgers and Creole dishes such as colombo, a curry that came from India by way of Guadeloupe and Martinique.
Watch the traffic when crossing the boulevard. Quiet outside market days. Allowed.
Walk:Next, stop 2: Marigot waterfront market. It's about 3 minutes on foot, about 100 metres to the north. Route: Walk along the waterfront. The tour waits here. Tap I've arrived when you get there.
2. Marigot waterfront market
Look for
- Spice and food stalls
- Craft and cloth stalls
- Waterfront café row
- Stalls of spices and fruit
- The bay with Anguilla in the distance
Stop 2 of 3: Marigot waterfront market. Arrival point: Boulevard de France, waterfront.
Spices, fruit, crafts and souvenirs on the waterfront: go early on a Wednesday or Saturday, 45 minutes, and carry small euro notes. On a first visit: The best morning in Marigot.
Look for Spice and food stalls: Spices, hot sauces, fruit and local sweets. Look for Craft and cloth stalls: Sarongs, jewellery and small crafts. Look for Waterfront café row: Coffee and a seat. For a photo: Stalls of spices and fruit, early morning. For a photo: The bay with Anguilla in the distance, morning, clear days.
Marigot became the main French settlement and port; the French built Fort Louis in the 1760s to protect it. Marigot is small enough to learn in a morning. Beyond Marigot, the French side has several distinct areas.
Ask before photographing vendors. Busiest on Saturday mornings and on cruise days. Ask before photographing stalls and people.
Walk:Next, stop 3: Marigot ferry pier (Anguilla and Saint Barthélemy). It's about 3 minutes on foot, about 250 metres to the south-west. Route: Walk along the waterfront. The tour waits here. Tap I've arrived when you get there.
3. Marigot ferry pier (Anguilla and Saint Barthélemy)
Gare maritime de Marigot
Look for
- Ticket counter and waiting area
- Departure formalities
- Boarding
Stop 3 of 3: Marigot ferry pier (Anguilla and Saint Barthélemy). Locally, Gare maritime de Marigot. Arrival point: Marigot waterfront, at the market end of Boulevard de France.
Go if you plan the Anguilla day trip: arrive 45 minutes early with your passport, buy the ticket at the counter, and check the last sailing back; skip in rough seas.
Look for Ticket counter and waiting area: Buy the ticket and wait in the shade. Look for Departure formalities: Show your passport. Look for Boarding: A short walk to the boat.
Friar's Bay and Happy Bay are smaller, quieter beaches near Marigot. Marigot suits travellers who want to walk to the market, the marina and the ferry; Grand Case suits those who want the beach at the door and dinner a short walk away. In Marigot the choice runs from a five-euro baguette sandwich to a long bistro lunch on the marina, and in Grand Case to some of the island's best restaurants.
Carry your passport; you cross an international border. Busiest 08:30–10:00 (outbound) and the last sailings; cruise days add queues. Allowed on the pier; not of officials.
Marigot ferry pier (Anguilla and Saint Barthélemy): hours, tickets and rules →
End of the walk
That's the end of the Waterfront and market (Boulevard de France) walk. To carry on, Marina Port La Royale is about 8 minutes away (walk north). To carry on, Fort Louis hill is about 12 minutes away (walk north-east).
Built from this site's place pages, walking times and city deep dive; nothing is added that isn't on those pages. Opening hours, prices and rules change: check each place page before you go. Walking times are typical (median) and assume a steady pace.