Cupecoy Beach

Cupecoy Beach is a small, clothing optional beach located at the Southwest corner of St Maarten. It is lined with beautiful rock formations and caves.

On the far western end of the beach clothing is optional, and over the past years, it seems that Cupecoy Beach has developed into a meeting point for naturalists. A few travel guidebooks say that it is a gay beach, and some couples on the beach may indeed be gay, but no one gives demonstrations, so there is no reason to worry about it.

Access to the beach is easy. There is a public parking lot on the shore side of the road, after Ocean Club, with sets of stairs down to the beach at the end of the parking, one heading to the west, the natural beach.

Cupecoy Beach had some "stormy" times in the past decade. Not only development projects, but also Hurricanes and the drifts take their toll changing the face of the beach (and the amount of sand) constantly. The strong winds of the winter season 1999/2000 caused beach erosion as well, and moved sand away. The beach, that used to be much wider and present year-round, had to get filled up with sand again...

Cupecoy has a bit rough waters, the wind however is blocked by the rocks. The surf usually is a 2-3´ swell, so with pre-school kids, this beach won´t be your best choice.The 10-20 feet high, golden sandstone cliff serves as the backdrop for Cupecoy beach. This rich coral sand carpet is very popular, and if you´d like to find a cave for yourself only, you have to get there early.

There are no restaurants or bars on Cupecoy Beach, but you may see a local guy, type of Rastaman, come by from time to time with a cooler trying to sell you fresh soda or beer. Beach chairs, umbrellas and BBQ are also available. And bars, cafés and resorts of the Cupecoy area are not too far away...

There are several pathways that lead to Cupecoy Beach. One access leads through a gate past the Cliffside Bar, which is built into the cliffs above the beach. This bar provides one of the most magnificent sunset views on St. Maarten. So, a good time to enjoy this beach is (late) afternoon to watch the sun go down. As Cupecoy beach faces Southwest, there a splendid views of the sunset and the surf.