Retire Early Lifestyle
Retirement; like your parents, but way cooler

In 1991 Billy and Akaisha Kaderli retired at the age of 38. Now, into their 4th decade of this financially independent lifestyle, they invite you to take advantage of their wisdom and experience.

Philipsburg Boardwalk: Sint Maarten’s Waterfront

Billy and Akaisha Kaderli

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Philipsburg, the capital of Sint Maarten, features a lively Boardwalk along Great Bay Beach.

 Generally a bustling, scenic promenade stretching along the beachfront, it is lined with restaurants, bars, shops, and entertainment options. Cruise ships dock at the nearby port.  

The port itself accommodates up to eight ships, and besides restaurants and bars, there are many shops selling duty-free goods. These shops are a hallmark of Sint Maarten since it was declared a duty-free port in 1939. 

The area is ideal for leisurely strolls, enjoying sunsets, or engaging in water activities like jet skiing or sailing.

White sand of Great Bay Beach

Sint Maarten’s tourism boom began in the 1950s, and business tycoon Claude Wathey helped make tourism the island’s leading industry.

Because of the duty-free status of the port, money received from tourists made recovery from events like Hurricane Irma in 2017 easier.

This cash flow spurred rebuilding efforts.

Zee Zee's Grill and Chill Café

Welcome to Zee Zee's Grill and Chill Café.

This colorful place offers a blend of Caribbean and international dishes, including local and Jamaican dishes.

They are known for their cocktails, the coldest beers on the island, and their homemade rum punches.

They have indoor and outdoor seating.

Akaisha on a swing

There's nothing like riding a swing on a tropical island.

Warm, salty breezes and a laid back approach, a simple swing really fits the bill.

The view from a small grocery store/coffee shop

We often came to this small grocery/coffee shop to have a cappuccino and pastry in the morning.

On our first few days, we had happy hour here at this table, but found a better deal right next door.  

Turquoise blue waters, a sailboat, and white sand. On cruise ship days, all of those lounge chairs that you see are placed on the beach just waiting for the passengers to disembark.

Arrrrgh, Matey!!

Here I am with a pirate.

Two knives and a gun on his chest belt, a bottle of rum in his hand, and a few missing limbs...

No wonder he says "Arrrrrgh!"

Pirates, the rum trade and the selling of humans ran all through the history of these islands.

With today's tropical tourist appeal, many forget that.

Sailboat on the sea

It's a white puffy-cloud day here on the island with sailboats quietly drifting across the sea.

The landmass you see behind the sailing ship in the center is called Pigeon Island and is on the French side of the island called Saint Martin.

We had lunch in this location of Marigot Bay at a restaurant called La Terrasse. Fort Louis is close by and can be seen from the dining area. It's a popular spot for sightseeing and hiking.

A panoramic view of the Port of St. Maarten

This shot gives you the full vista of Port St. Maarten, from one side to the other.

Behind us are the restaurants and bars, and then behind them are the duty-free shops and Old Town. 

Port of St. Maarten

The Philipsburg boardwalk is situated along Great Bay Beach.

Boats and yachts are lined up against the hills with some population in the higher elevations.

As I mentioned previously, behind us is a picturesque cobblestone alley dedicated to craft shops and cafés, many with colorful frontages. It's one of the oldest streets in Philipsburg, with some buildings dating back to the 18th century.

Billy in front of a shack bar on the beach

All throughout the Caribbean you will find these brightly painted "shacks" with thatched roofs called palapas.

These are readily replaced in case of sea, wind or hurricanes.

All the beach chairs to the right of Billy are placed out on Cruise days, just waiting for the disembarked passengers to fill them.

It's a completely different feel when the cruise ships unload!

Beautiful sunset

The sun glimmers and reflects golden brown on the sand as the waves lap the shore.

One can sit here and dream - about the island's past, it's future - or even just let your thoughts go nowhere.

When you consider all the history that these Caribbean Islands have witnessed - pirates, treasure of precious metals, gold, human cargo and rum - and the blood spilt, fortunes made and lost - it's quite a contrast to this lovely peaceful scene here tonight.

We Love St. Maarten Swing

Here's another swing on Great Bay Beach. It features a sign on a surfboard that says "WE LOVE St-Maarten" with two birds in flight.

It's often referred to as the "We Love St. Maarten" swing or the "Great Bay Beach Swing."

The lounge chairs and beach umbrellas are out and ready

We've got some weather showing in this photo today.

These buildings along Great Bay Beach include a mix of hotels, guesthouses, restaurants, and businesses catering to tourists.

We swam in this location almost daily.

Outdoor bar on the Boardwalk

This chalkboard sign reads: Drinking rum punch before 10AM makes you a Pirate, not an alcoholic! Stay tasty!

Carib Beer, a prominent Caribbean lager, is not locally brewed on the island.

Brewed by Carib Brewery Limited, headquartered in Trinidad and Tobago, Carib Lager was first introduced in September 1950.

It is a refreshing lager suited to the Caribbean’s hot climate, using pure water from island aquifers, malted barley, and a longer, colder fermentation process for a crisp, light taste. Carib Beer became a staple due to the island’s duty-free status and vibrant drinking culture, particularly on the French side (Saint-Martin), where it is often cited as the preferred beer over Heineken, which dominates the Dutch side.

Its popularity grew in the 1950s and 1960s as Trinidadian emigrants spread the brand across the Caribbean, including Sint Maarten and beachfront establishments along areas like the this Boardwalk.

 By the 1960s, Carib expanded production with breweries in Saint Kitts (1997).

Carib’s appeal in Sint Maarten lies in its light, refreshing profile, often served with a lime wedge.

It's affordable, about $3 for a pint.

More weather today!

This photo kind of says it all -- there's a Cruise ship docked on the left, the pier in the center, and duty free shops on the right.

On the main street behind where we are standing, diamond and gold shops are lined up, one by one by one.

Retire Early Lifestyle appeals to a different kind of person – the person who prizes their independence, values their time, and who doesn’t want to mindlessly follow the crowd.

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