St. Maarten coast
St. Maarten, the Dutch side of a Caribbean island shared with the French, has a beautiful eastern coast. Guana Bay, named for iguanas no longer prevalent, has a long, wide beach with excellent sand. Benny Goodman owned a house in this area which has been in disrepair since Hurricane Luis in 1995. John McEnroe owns a home here. This quiet side of the Atlantic has colorful water pounding against the rocky coast. When hiking, however, beware of thorns sharp as nails and capable of penetrating a tennis shoe. Barrel, pipe organ, and prickly pear cacti, as well as other thorny plants, are prevalent .
A Battling Bishop 