Le Galion Beach
Le Galion Beach
4.5
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A horseshoe shaped beach known for its kid friendly atmosphere.
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4.5
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7261211
Miami, FL16 contributions
Jun 2011
We unboarded the Disney Cruise Ship as a party of 9 and decided to try our luck with the locals. The tourist counter asked what type of beach we were looking for and since we wanted something kid-friendly, she directed us to Le Galion.
One of the most stunning beaches I've ever seen....and I'm surrounded by water in Florida!
As with any unknown territory, we were weary once we boarded the large van and wondered how we were to trust the man behind the wheel and where he was taking us. We doubted it even more after a long ride, followed by a rocky road surrounded by nearly-dead trees in what seemed to be lakes at one point. We were panicking (internally, of course) for a few minutes until the driver pulled up to an empty beach. We got off, he assured us he'd be back at 4pm to get us and we felt like we were all alone for a short while. Eventually, more beachgoers started to arrive until it was just the right amount of people for a hidden gem like Le Galion.
We walked the entire u-shaped beach to make sure it was safe for the kids (read: shark access) and found that the tide enters the lagoon-ish waters through a very shallow 1-2 foot point (read: no shark access). There were small one-person-sized openings in the shallow waters brimming with sea life along the edges and the kids really enjoyed "snorkeling" in them. We saw conch shells, blue crabs and lots of tropical fish just by walking the shoreline. The rafts were a lot of fun for them, they all jumped their hearts out. The sand was amazing, so incredibly soft, it felt like flour. The water was crystal clear and warm. There were no crazy currents or heavy waves. Just quiet, pacific waters.
The food at the restaurant was nothing to write home about, but it did the job and kept us full until our van returned to pick us up.
Word of caution: if you're visiting this beach for the day from a cruise port, try to schedule a pickup 3-4 hours before the ship is supposed to set sail. Our sail time was 7pm and we had our driver pick us up at 4pm. What we didn't count on, was that there are only two lanes on the island, one in each direction. A big garbage truck had broken down on the lane we were on and we were stuck in really bad traffic for over an hour. I was worried the entire time thinking we wouldn't make it back to the ship on time and it'd leave without us, but luckily we were back by 6pm.
One of the most stunning beaches I've ever seen....and I'm surrounded by water in Florida!
As with any unknown territory, we were weary once we boarded the large van and wondered how we were to trust the man behind the wheel and where he was taking us. We doubted it even more after a long ride, followed by a rocky road surrounded by nearly-dead trees in what seemed to be lakes at one point. We were panicking (internally, of course) for a few minutes until the driver pulled up to an empty beach. We got off, he assured us he'd be back at 4pm to get us and we felt like we were all alone for a short while. Eventually, more beachgoers started to arrive until it was just the right amount of people for a hidden gem like Le Galion.
We walked the entire u-shaped beach to make sure it was safe for the kids (read: shark access) and found that the tide enters the lagoon-ish waters through a very shallow 1-2 foot point (read: no shark access). There were small one-person-sized openings in the shallow waters brimming with sea life along the edges and the kids really enjoyed "snorkeling" in them. We saw conch shells, blue crabs and lots of tropical fish just by walking the shoreline. The rafts were a lot of fun for them, they all jumped their hearts out. The sand was amazing, so incredibly soft, it felt like flour. The water was crystal clear and warm. There were no crazy currents or heavy waves. Just quiet, pacific waters.
The food at the restaurant was nothing to write home about, but it did the job and kept us full until our van returned to pick us up.
Word of caution: if you're visiting this beach for the day from a cruise port, try to schedule a pickup 3-4 hours before the ship is supposed to set sail. Our sail time was 7pm and we had our driver pick us up at 4pm. What we didn't count on, was that there are only two lanes on the island, one in each direction. A big garbage truck had broken down on the lane we were on and we were stuck in really bad traffic for over an hour. I was worried the entire time thinking we wouldn't make it back to the ship on time and it'd leave without us, but luckily we were back by 6pm.
Written November 21, 2011
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
trabelpro
up north97 contributions
Feb 2011
Our cruise on the Solstice (wonderful ship) allowed us to spend a day in St Martin. We wanted to find a less busy busy beach than Orient and after looking at reviews, chose Le Galion. It was easily reached by taxi from the port. About $12.00 I think. We got a little concerned when we went down this bumpy road dirt road. Nice parking lot. The taxi left and we crossed the grass to the beach. Hmmmm? No one is sight. We walked down a ways to the right passed what appeared to be a restaurant?? and rental place. Past an abandoned building and got to a little tiki hut with some broken lawn chairs. We began to wonder what we had done. The taxi would come back to pick us up? Right? We had gotten there early, about 9:00. We soon began to see the restaurant come to life. A fellow came out and rented us beach chairs and an umbrella. By the time he was done there were several in a row. People began arriving and while we lost the beauty of an unspoled beach we were more comfortable. The are two rafts. The one further out is easier to get up on - has nice ladder. Water was warm and clear. There is quite a bit of sea grass but a fellow raked it up in front of restaurant and chairs. The colors of water and sky are magnificant and the hills in the background provide a beautiful view from the water looking in. We had a great meal at the little restaurant. Good menu! Charge on menu is is Euros but they take dollars. Retal of windsurfing equipment available. You can easily get to a part of the beach that is not occupied by anyone, but there was some garbage washed up on the distant end of the beach the day we were there. The bathroons are for people who use restaurant only but they did not seem to keep a close eye on it. A very short and visable path takes you, in just about 5 minutes walk, to Orient beach. As you come to Orient you come in by Club Orient, Or Club O which is a nudist resort. Further down the beach you see more fully clothed people, most with full suits. Our cab driver, who picked us right on time, when asked, took a 2 minute out of the way trip so we could get out at Orient Beach and look at the crowds. We made the right choice for us for a quiet day at the beach by going to Le Galion but Orient was beautiful also. There were quite a few small chldren at Le Galion but you can get quite spread out. The water is shallow but before long you are in great, clear, deep beautiful water. We had noodles with us and enjoyed hours in the water. You will not find many cruise ship people at Le Galion. Cruise ship day excursions don't mention it as an option so it can be a great place especially when there are several cruise ships in port.
Written February 23, 2011
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Heidi S
Prince George, Canada108 contributions
Great calm and beautiful beach for families. Recommended to us by a local for a quiet & family beach. $6 per person taxi ride into the French side (took about 25 minutes). Great beach to escape to especially when there were 6 cruise ships on. There couldn't have been 200 people there. Charged us $5 per chair and umbrella. Guy started a tab for us and just paid for drinks and chairs at the end all together. So relaxing to get away from the crowds of Phillipsburg. Had our taxi driver agree to a pick up time because it was quite away from the ship and he was very prompt.
Written March 27, 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Boochie13
North Branford, CT11 contributions
Jul 2013 • Friends
On our 2nd to the last day before leaving this beautiful island, we decided to take a ride to the French side to see Orient Beach. We took a right turn instead of a left, and it took us to Le Galion Beach. Obviously, we were curious, got out of the car, locked it, of course, and proceeded to walk no more than 100 feet to the narrow strip of beach. By the time we got back, (within 10 or so minutes) we went to the car and noticed my tote bag and camera accessories had vanished. There was no sign of a break in. I was positive the items were in there. After looking for the thieves, we decided to head home. My friend noticed a sound like the window was open and said they took out the small triangular window behind the main window. We spent time in the police station on the Dutch side to no avail. It happened on the French side so we had to get a report from the French police....wherever the heck it was..
Needless to say, we went back to Budget rentals near the airport to report the problem and Francine gave us a replacement car. The window was almost 200 dollars but no one was hurt. Budget was fair but please be careful of the "out of the way" places that you happen to stumble upon. I was told that the crime was getting so bad on the French side to the point where businesses are moving to the Dutch side. From now on I will get my french pastries on the Dutch side at Cafe Atlantico. Lesson learned...do not leave things visible in your car. Do not put things in your trunk once you have arrived at your destination. Do it prior to getting to the destination...happier travels.
Needless to say, we went back to Budget rentals near the airport to report the problem and Francine gave us a replacement car. The window was almost 200 dollars but no one was hurt. Budget was fair but please be careful of the "out of the way" places that you happen to stumble upon. I was told that the crime was getting so bad on the French side to the point where businesses are moving to the Dutch side. From now on I will get my french pastries on the Dutch side at Cafe Atlantico. Lesson learned...do not leave things visible in your car. Do not put things in your trunk once you have arrived at your destination. Do it prior to getting to the destination...happier travels.
Written August 1, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
BenandBreana J
Cupecoy Bay, St Martin / St Maarten5 contributions
Nov 2016 • Couples
I live here, and this is my favorite beach. You can find better sand elsewhere, but if you want water sports or a safe beach for kids, come here. The surf board and paddle board rentals are the cheapest I've found so far, and taking the boat out to the waves for surfing is a blast. Also, the chairs and food are inexpensive. The shallow part goes out so far that I can take a three-year-old here and let him play without being worried. No big waves to scare little ones!
Written March 2, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Stefan P
Frisco, TX560 contributions
Sept 2015 • Couples
Thank god for the nature reserve. I lived on St Maarten from 1982 through 1993 and seeing what they've done to much of the island (specifically the Dutch side) makes me cringe. 6 story hotels, filling all the little ponds, construction everywhere, dumping in the great salt pond... what a shame.
I'm glad to say Le Galion is as beautiful now as it was then however. Perhaps even more so because the one (small) hotel that was on the beach was destroyed during hurricane Luis in 1995 and never rebuilt.
The beach is part of the nature reserve established around 2000 and is completely gorgeous. Picture a giant swimming pool, put sand around the edge, turtle grass on the bottom, mountains in the distance, and you have Le Galion.
Pro tip: walk to the far side, where a little river leads to an Etang (inland pond of brackish water), and where the gorgeous Coralita lookout point overlooks the entire bay.
There is great snorkeling here too. Ignore the review that says it's terrible... clearly they don't know where to go or how to snorkel. Le Galion has turtles, sharks (harmless nurse sharks, and small reef sharks), conchs, fish, reefs, turtle grass, juvenile fish in the mangrove nursery at the Etang's entrance, etc....
Remember, leave nothing but footprints, and take nothing but pictures. Don't take the conchs, or disturb anything.
One more tip. You can book a tour on a 4-person outrigger canoe to either surf the waves in the middle of the bay, or take a sightseeing tour along the mangroves and bay itself. Highly recommended.
I'm glad to say Le Galion is as beautiful now as it was then however. Perhaps even more so because the one (small) hotel that was on the beach was destroyed during hurricane Luis in 1995 and never rebuilt.
The beach is part of the nature reserve established around 2000 and is completely gorgeous. Picture a giant swimming pool, put sand around the edge, turtle grass on the bottom, mountains in the distance, and you have Le Galion.
Pro tip: walk to the far side, where a little river leads to an Etang (inland pond of brackish water), and where the gorgeous Coralita lookout point overlooks the entire bay.
There is great snorkeling here too. Ignore the review that says it's terrible... clearly they don't know where to go or how to snorkel. Le Galion has turtles, sharks (harmless nurse sharks, and small reef sharks), conchs, fish, reefs, turtle grass, juvenile fish in the mangrove nursery at the Etang's entrance, etc....
Remember, leave nothing but footprints, and take nothing but pictures. Don't take the conchs, or disturb anything.
One more tip. You can book a tour on a 4-person outrigger canoe to either surf the waves in the middle of the bay, or take a sightseeing tour along the mangroves and bay itself. Highly recommended.
Written September 11, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jerry O
West Windsor Township, NJ3 contributions
Aug 2014 • Friends
And boy was it?! We were looking to find Orient Beach and made a few wrong turns. We parked our rental car at an opening for the beach area. Nice view and tons of things to do, but there was something amiss with the abandoned buildings covered in graffiti and the glass shards on the beach. I took a bunch of pictures of the beautiful scenery and decided to go snorkeling. I brought my camera bag back to my car and covered it with a towel and put it out of view. The problem I did not realize is the locals case you while you go to your car and they work together. The owner of the restaurant/bar/rental place saw that I had brought my camera bag back to the car, but offered me NO proactive warning. He couldn't be bothered. Can't have this attitude when people like me keep his business going. I strongly recommend avoiding this place. There are so many other great beaches in St. Martin/Sint Maarten. I ended up losing a Canon EOS camera and an Iphone. I was told to go to the Gendarmarie (police) which was impossible to find, and they made very little effort to help. My advice is to stay on the Dutch side and keep your valuables close. Overall I did not sustain a huge monetary loss, but losing the great pictures I snapped is beyond measure. Smarten up French St. Martin, you will lose tourists quickly.
Written August 24, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Laura E
Rochester, MN24 contributions
Feb 2015 • Couples
Yes it is beautiful but our car was broken into in the middle of the day... I am a well seasoned traveler and that has never happened to me. So this place is a no go for me. The beach is short and there are so many others to choose from..
Written February 11, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
djkozun
Winnipeg15 contributions
Apr 2014 • Friends
Don't go!!!! We went there a few days ago, beautiful looking, rented chairs and umbrella, and then went in the water. Big mistake. Came out within five minutes, there were broken beer bottles everywhere, and we mean everywhere. Not little pieces, heads broken off and large chards of the remaining bottom, just there for anyone to step on. Children running on the beach had no idea what would happen when they ran in. Consequently we asked for our money back and left. We did let it be known to those around us to be careful. The poor guy working there agreed, said they try to keep it as nice as they can but admitted the locals just really don't care and they just partied on Easter weekend. Such a waste, don't you know what an Island Paradise you have here guys????? Shameful.
Written April 27, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Erin S
Brantford, Canada193 contributions
Nov 2013 • Friends
Wonderful day here. Very family oriented beach due to the shallow water but there is a HUGE floating platform at the one end of the beach, which is where most of the kids hang out. Great thing about the water is it does start out very shallow, gets deep, swim out for 15 mins and it's ankle deep again! Amazing as you stand in what feels like the 'middle' of the ocean. We actually just sat there on the sand bar, staring out into the open water. Nice restaurant on the beach - four drinks and 2 lunches (shrimp plate and creole chicken plate) cost us about $60 USD. People also bring their own lunches to save a few dollars. Two lounge chairs and an umbrella will cost you $15 USD. Spend the day here. You'll have a great time.
Written December 18, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Is this beach still open? One of the reviews stated that it will be closed for land development
Written March 16, 2018
is this a clothing-optional beach?
Written July 4, 2017
It did not appear to be clothing optional. Everyone was wearing swim wear or other clothing. I believe Orient Bay beach is the only "clothing optional" beach.
Written July 5, 2017
Hello, Koverton and others,
You mentioned that Le Galion might be closing and will be turned into a nature preserve. We will be there mid-April. Do you know if the beach will still be open?
Thanks!
Wini
Written March 16, 2017
No the French gov. has decided to leave everything as is. The school's on the french side use one end of the beach for like a gym class of swimming. So the restaurant and bathrooms are safe for a long time.
Written March 25, 2017
Hi,
Are there bathrooms on the beech?
Thanks
Written March 13, 2017
Yes, there are bathrooms at this beach. As mentioned in other reviews they are at the restaurant. No matter how great the beach or the beach restaurant/bar...I always make sure I have some T.P. or tissues with me, they are not always great on the maintenance and keeping them stocked.
Written March 15, 2017
What is the name of the diving black Labrador owned by Patrick, the cafe owner?
Written February 19, 2017
Her name is Bella, and is is really friendly.
Written March 15, 2017
When is the restaurant open? What do they serve? Do they serve cocktails?? Thanks
Written November 28, 2016
I'm not sure what time they open, but when we were there in July they closed at 5:00 pm.
Written November 29, 2016
Arriving by cruise next week. What are the current snorkeling/swimming/seaweed conditions at Dawn Beach now. Thanks in advance.
Written January 10, 2016
What is best taxi to use to drop off and reliably pick you up so you don't miss cruise sailing?
Marty
Written January 15, 2015
Taxis are all over the tourist area. You shouldn't have a problem getting one. Just be mindful of the time to get around. If you need to get back to the cruise ship by 5, allow time for potential traffic. From Le Galion Beach to the ships is probably a 20 minute ride.
When you get off the ship, at Phillipsburg, the beach there, Great Bay, is very nice. And you can get great deals on renting chairs and an umbrella. Two chairs and umbrella: $12 or add in drinks or beers for $20
Written January 16, 2015
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