Kayaking in St. Martin and St. Maarten

Kayaking is becoming very popular and is almost always offered at the many water-sports operations on both the Dutch and the French sides. Rental starts at about $15 per hour. On the Dutch side, Blue Bubbles (Westin St. Maarten Dawn Beach Resort & Spa, Oyster Pond. 599/542-2502. www.bluebubblessxm.com) offers lagoon paddles and snorkeling tours by kayak. TriSports (Airport Rd. 14B, Simpson Bay. 599/545-4384. www.trisportsxm.com) organizes similar kayaking and snorkeling excursions.

On the French side, kayaks are available at Kauak Tour (French Cul de Sac. 599/557-0112 or 690/47-76-72). Near Le Galion Beach, Wind Adventures (Orient Bay. 590/29-41-57. www.wind-adventures.com) offers kayaking.