GREAT BAY--St. Maarten has been ranked among the leading islands in the Caribbean and Atlantic in Condé Nast Traveler’s 2026 Readers’ Choice Awards, earning the No. 16 position with a reader score of 91.13.
The results, announced on October 6, place St. Maarten among 20 islands selected by readers of the international travel publication as their favorites in the Caribbean and Atlantic region.
Condé Nast Traveler’s Readers’ Choice Awards are based on the experiences and opinions of travelers themselves. This year, readers cast 798,867 votes across the publication’s 39th annual awards, covering destinations, hotels, resorts, airlines, airports, cruise lines, spas, islands and other travel experiences around the world.
St. Maarten received a score of 91.13, placing it immediately behind The Bahamas, which scored 91.25, and Curaçao, which received 91.29. St. Maarten ranked ahead of St. Kitts at 91.01, the Cayman Islands at 90.71, Barbados at 89.96 and Bonaire at 89.10.
Bermuda topped the Caribbean and Atlantic category with a score of 95.24, followed by St. Lucia at 94.17 and the British Virgin Islands at 94.02. St. Barts and Jamaica rounded out the top five.
St. Maarten’s inclusion in the ranking provides the destination with additional international exposure at a time when competition among Caribbean destinations for visitors remains strong. The recognition comes directly from travelers participating in one of the international travel industry’s established reader-voted awards.
For St. Maarten, the ranking highlights the continued appeal of the destination among international travelers and adds to efforts to strengthen the country’s visibility in major tourism markets.
The destination continues to distinguish itself through its combination of beaches, restaurants, nightlife, shopping, marine activities, cultural experiences and accessibility, while also serving as an important regional air and cruise hub.
The recognition also comes as St. Maarten continues efforts to expand its international tourism marketing, strengthen its digital presence, increase airlift and develop partnerships aimed at attracting visitors throughout the year.
The Readers’ Choice Awards provide destinations with a measure of how travelers view their experiences after visiting. Unlike industry awards determined solely by professional panels, the annual Condé Nast Traveler rankings are driven by responses from the publication’s readers.
The 2026 results were published across several categories on October 6, following the conclusion of reader voting earlier this year. Condé Nast Traveler had previously announced that voting was closed and that the final results would be released on October 6.
St. Maarten’s 91.13 score places the country firmly within a competitive group of Caribbean destinations, separated by relatively small differences in reader scores.
The recognition gives St. Maarten another opportunity to promote its tourism product internationally and reinforce the destination’s position among travelers considering Caribbean vacations.
