Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Central Asia yurt night stars
Uzbekistan • 15 days, 14 nights
Central Asia Road Trip: Backroads & Bazaars
from
Caucasus - Geghard Monastery, Armenia
Armenia • 15 days, 14 nights
Caucasus Road Trip: Azerbaijan, Georgia & Armenia
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
Midas Tümülüsü (Tumulus MM)
The Devil's Column
Weightlifting Hall of Fame
The khao soi at Gedhawa comes with a rich, coconutty broth.
Gedhawa
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
The khao soi at Gedhawa comes with a rich, coconutty broth.
Gedhawa
At Nai Mong Hoi Thod, the oyster omelet is worth waiting for.
Nai Mong Hoi Thod
In this deceptively simple dish, top-quality ingredients are paramount.
Kor Panich
Customize your bowl with sliced pork, pork balls, fish cake, and offal.
Rung Rueang
Pasties are an Upper Michigan tradition dating back to mining days.
Lehto’s Pasties
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
For Aguilar-Carrasco, nature is a powerful reminder of the interconnectedness of all life.
How Can National Parks Be Made Accessible to All? AO Wants to Know.
2 days ago
Podcast: Finding ‘The Great Gatsby’ in Louisville
3 days ago
Here’s which treats you can safely lug home without risking a fine.
Dear Atlas: What International Food Can I Legally Bring Into the U.S.?
4 days ago
Cely’s map is not only accurate, but captures the unique characteristics of Congaree’s trees and waterways.
How One Biologist Drew a Hyper-Accurate, Ranger-Approved Map of Congaree National Park
5 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All Sint Maarten Simpson Bay Maho Beach

Maho Beach

Commercial airplanes land mere feet over the heads of sunbathing beachgoers on this tiny island.

Simpson Bay, Sint Maarten

Added By
Alex Timian
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
Maho Beach   Wilson Hui / CC BY 2.0
Maho Beach   Wilson Hui / CC BY 2.0
Maho Beach   alljengi / CC BY-SA 2.0
  (WikiCommons)
  (WikiCommons)
People at Maho Beach anticipating incoming plane   CaribbeanVoyager / Atlas Obscura User
Warning signs alert visitors to Maho Beach to stay away from the fence due to blowback from incoming jets.   blimpcaptain / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Directly adjacent to runway 10 of Juliana International Airport, planes take off from the short runway and zip over head by a blisteringly small margin. Curious tourists have flocked to the beach since the construction of the airport, and the bar and restaurant scene of Maho has developed with the airport in mind.

Flight times and tables are posted in nearby restaurants and bars, and a loudspeaker even broadcasts communication between pilot and control tower. Despite fully embracing the airport near Maho, the dangers of low-flying planes, along with the hot air from a jet flow make the beachfront atmosphere more suited to thrill-seekers than professional tanners.

The last decade has seen a number of improvements in Maho Beach, including the creation of a fence to keep tourists from getting blown off the beach by the jet flow of commercial aircraft.

But despite the apparent and real dangers that still remain from the airport, sunbathers still frolick in the aquamarine water as planes land and take off in their proximity.

Related Tags

Aircraft Architectural Oddities Beaches Architecture

Community Contributors

Added By

atimian

Edited By

CaribbeanVoyager, Michelle Cassidy, blimpcaptain

  • CaribbeanVoyager
  • Michelle Cassidy
  • blimpcaptain

Published

January 24, 2012

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Maho Beach
Maho Beach
Simpson Bay
Sint Maarten
18.040053, -63.120883
Visit Website
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Yoda Guy Movie Exhibit

Philipsburg, Sint Maarten

miles away

Concordia Monument

Belvedere, Sint Maarten

miles away

Tata the Bus Driver

Belvedere, Sint Maarten

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Sint Maarten

Sint Maarten

Caribbean

Places 3

Nearby Places

Yoda Guy Movie Exhibit

Philipsburg, Sint Maarten

miles away

Concordia Monument

Belvedere, Sint Maarten

miles away

Tata the Bus Driver

Belvedere, Sint Maarten

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Sint Maarten

Sint Maarten

Caribbean

Places 3

Related Places

  • The Hermit House.

    Herzliya, Israel

    The Hermit House

    This marvelous work of outsider architecture is built into the cliffs of an Israeli beach.

  • The two lighthouses of Puerto Morelos.

    Puerto Morelos, Mexico

    The Leaning Lighthouse

    Still standing despite its considerable slant, this tilted lighthouse has become a local symbol of resilience.

  • The pools at Leça da Palmeira.

    Leça da Palmeira, Portugal

    Tidal Pools of Leça da Palmeira

    An early work of the architect Álvaro Siza Vieira, these swimming pools blend into the beach.

  • Gulliver Airship.

    Prague, Czechia

    Gulliver Airship

    What looks like a crashed Zeppelin is actually a bright, airy reading room perched atop a modern museum.

  • Goodyear Airdock

    Akron, Ohio

    Goodyear Airdock

    This massive airship factory is so large that it has its own indoor weather.

  • Corolla, North Carolina

    Currituck Beach Lighthouse

    Beautiful Gothic-inspired lighthouse stands out among the run-of-the-mill striped fare on Bodies Island.

  • New York, New York

    77 Water Street

    A WWI fighter plane and turn-of-the-century penny candy shop are among the unexpected features of this Financial District building.

  • Plane landing, Barra Airport.

    Outer Hebrides, Scotland

    Barra Airport

    This beach runway is off limits during high tide.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.