La Nina is an intimate hillside villa that offers charming interiors, a spacious terrace with private swimming pool, large gazebo and a wonderful outdoor lounging and dining area. For guests who love the active life, it shares shared tennis court and gym with another villa, La Pinta, a three-bedroom property, which can be rented at the same time for larger groups.

Features and Amenities

The most charming of Terres Basses villas boasts a selection of fine French country furniture. The living room area leads out to the covered and furnished terrace and seating area. Beyond this is the inviting swimming pool, with open deck. One bedroom has a king-size bed, and the other twins (which can be pushed together). Both suites have a private bathrooms with shower, air-conditioning, ceiling fan, TV and DVD player. The modern kitchen is equipped with all major appliances, and a washer and dryer are on-site.

Maid service is included six days a week. A gourmet French chef and/or butler can be made available, for additional charge and by prior arrangement. It is only a three-minute drive to the beach, with all its watersports, and 10 minutes to the capital of Marigot, with its outstanding restaurants, duty-free shopping and nightlife. Truly one of the most enchanting of St. Martin villas.

Location

The smallest island in the world ever to have been partitioned between two different nations, St. Martin/St. Maarten has been shared by the French and the Dutch in a spirit of neighborly cooperation and mutual friendship for almost 350 years. The border is almost imperceptible. and people cross back and forth without ever realizing they are entering a new country. There are four boundries, Belle Vue / Cole Bay, French Quarter / Dutch Quarter, Low Lands / Copecoy and Oyster Pond, testifying to centuries of peaceful cohabitation and the treaty that made the arrangement possible.

All the same, each side has managed to retain much of the distinctiveness of its own national culture. The French tend to emphasize comfort and elegance. The beaches are secluded, the luxury resorts provide lavish accommodations, and the restaurants offer the finest dining experiences anywhere in the Caribbean. The latest French fashions can be found in many of the shops, and the smell of fresh croissants and pastries mixes everywhere with the spicy aromas of West Indian cooking. Small cafés and charming bistros add a decidedly Gaelic and cosmopolitan flair to the place. On the whole the atmosphere remains very relaxed.

On the other hand, St. Maarten with its busy cruise port and bustling commercial district, has long been an active center for trade and tourism. More developed and at the same time more informal, it is very Dutch in flavor and still has strong ties with fellow compatriots in the other Netherlands Antilles. Between the two different cultures in St. Martin and St. Maarten, vacationers will be able to find just about every kind of activity they might want for a perfect holiday in the sun.

Located midway through the chain of islands in the Caribbean, just as the Antilles begin to curve to the south, St. Martin is sunny and warm year-round, averaging 82 degrees Fahrenheit in summer and just 2 degrees cooler in winter. The island is buffeted by cooling trade winds that keep things temperate all year long. Average annual rainfall comes to about 45 inches, most of which occurs around late summer and early fall.