Silent white beaches, tropical dolce vita and European elegance among the crystal-clear waters of Saint-Martin

There is an anecdote, suspended between history and legend, that tells how in 1648 a French and a Dutch sailor walked around the perimeter of the island starting from opposite points: the point where they met fixed the border. That border, ratified by the Treaty of Concord, is today a unique case in the world: 87 square kilometres of land shared peacefully, where movement is free and identity is a mosaic of 120 nationalities. Saint Martin, nicknamed 'The Friendly Island', welcomes travellers with a landscape that alternates between steep green hills (the mornes) and expanses of dazzling sand, offering an experience that changes radically depending on which side you are on. The average temperature throughout the year is 27 degrees, with a dry season from December to May and a cyclonic one from June to November and as many as 300 days of sunshine a year.