Posted By Tom W. on Nov 27, 2018 in Beach Bars, Beach Bars - St. Martin/St. Maarten | 2 comments

Tagged: beach bar, caribbean, orient bay, st. maarten, st. martin, sxm

In the above video from YouTuber “philphriday,” the latest updates are provided on St. Martin’s Orient Bay and two of its most popular beach bars, Bikini Beach and Kakao Beach. Hurricane Irma devastated the island of St. Martin//Maarten and the beach at Orient Bay is still recovering. For those of you who have seen this stretch of beach, the above video is testament to the damage the beach sustained. Still, the recovery continues and the beach at Orient Bay will no doubt be restored to its former glory soon.

Formerly home to many beach bars, the video previews two of them at different stages of recovery – Bikini Beach and Kakao Beach. Bikini Beach has already reopened while works remains to be done on Kakao Beach. The videographer makes a few key observations. First, beach bars are being rebuilt to better withstand future hurricanes with steel framing and cement more prominent than before. Second, they’ve been pushed back on the beach, at least at Orient Bay. I’m not sure that would have made a difference with Irma but it does leave more of the beach to roam around on. Lastly, the nude beach section maybe history as it has been shut down for the time being. Gawkers and naturalists alike may have to find another alternative.

The effects of Hurricane Irma will be felt for many years but it’s good to see that lessons have been learned. While many of us prefer our beach bars to exude more of the classic beach shack build, we also understand their are business concerns that need to be considered. While the concrete and steel may at times seem imposing, it’s a better option that having them completely swept away.

Do you have any information on the beach bars of Orient Bay? If so, let us know in the comments below or send me an email at info (at) beachbarbums (dot) com.