Cultural Heritage Tour St.Maarten – St.Martin
‘Tangible
Cultural
Heritage’
refers to physical artefacts produced, maintained and transmitted intergenerationally in a society. It includes artistic creations, built heritage such as buildings and monuments, and other physical or tangible products of human creativity that are invested with cultural significance in a society.
Sense Our Soul
St Maarten – St Martin has a unique and fascinating cultural heritage, our local identity.
One Island, One People!
We are temporarily pausing our Cultural Heritage Tour to honor the memory of our beloved island icon, Lady Ruby Bute, and to allow for exciting renovations at Pasture Piece, which will offer an even more enriching experience in the future. We appreciate your understanding and look forward to welcoming you back once the tour resumes.
Our cultural heritage is rich with generational lessons of flora and fauna, food and drinks, music and dance, language and trade. As Sint Maarteners, we have much to be proud of. The history of our people is embedded in the stories of our ancestors, the music and dance of our souls, the food and the remedies of our soil, and the occupation of our hands.
The cultural heritage of a nation or region is not solely composed of monuments and museum collections, but also of living intangible expressions inherited from our ancestors and passed on to our descendants. Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) has been recognized because of its value to the people of every nation, creed and tongue.
Our half day Cultural Heritage Tour is very informative, for the mind, the body, the eyes as well as the taste buds.
We will take you around the entire island while visiting a newly renovated historic retreat, an art gallery where you will meet artist-story teller-poet Dame Ruby, an old historical landmark family owned and operated natural multi culture and livestock farm and visit a distillery where our legendary folk drink of St. Maarten / St. Martin is made.
All our tours have a maximum of 6 guests. For a Private Group, Large Group or Customized Tours check out our Private Group Tour section or send us a message.
Our vehicles are air conditioned.
FYI: Seagrape Tours supports the artists, food artists and/or food establishments and does not charge the artists, food artists and/or food establishments for the visit nor do we take commission on any art, food and/or beverage sales.
For a detailed description of the Cultural Heritage Tour see further below.
‘Intangible Cultural Heritage’
indicates ‘the practices, representations, expressions, knowledge, skills – as well as the instruments, objects, artefacts and cultural spaces associated therewith – that communities, groups and, in some cases, individuals recognize as part of their Cultural Heritage’ .
When:
Monday to Saturday, Sunday upon request
Starting Point:
Dock Maarten in Philipsburg – How to get there?
Shore Excursion- Coming by cruise ship?
Time:
During the Week (Monday-Friday)
From 10:30 AM – 4 PM
Weekend (Saturday)
From 08:30 AM – 2 PM
Weekend (Sunday)
Upon request
Rates:
Adult $129, Child up to 12 yrs. $109
What to wear/ bring:
The Cultural Heritage Tour involves one hike on an old plantation farm. Wear walking shoes, a hat and suntan lotion.
Included:
St. Martin High Tea at Pasture Piece with traditional Bush Tea, Johnny Cake with a savory side and a Sweet Treat.
Art, Storeytelling – Poetry at the Silk Cotton Grove Art Gallery by Dame Ruby Bute.
Nature Hike at the Golden Grove Farm, Historical Landmark.
Rum tasting at Guavaberry Colombier Tradition
We’ll have cold water, and serve iced lemongrass tea with a piece of our homemade banana bread during our snack break.
Upon making your reservation please let us know whether there are any specific dietary requests.
Detailed Description
Cultural Heritage Tour
Depending on the weather, the size and level of fitness of the group we’ll visit the following sites while driving around the entire island sightseeing both the Dutch and French side:
Pasture Piece
St. Martin High Tea
A designated monument built in the early 1900s, newly renovated. This home was once the residence of the Richardson family, with close ties to the Van Romondt family, which was the dominant family on Sint Maarten from about 1820 until shortly after World War II.
Pasture Piece formed part of the Retreat Estate Plantation, which was the home of Dr. Willem Hendrik Rink, Commander and Governor of the island from 1790-1806; he also founded the Courthouse in Philipsburg during his tenure.
A family treasure, Pasture Piece is restored and boasts a family museum as well as a grand lush garden.
The visit includes the History of Pasture Piece, Traditional Bush Tea, Johnny Cake with a savory side and a Sweet Treat
by Natasha Richardson
Silk Cotton Grove Art Gallery – Dame Ruby Bute
Art, Storytelling – Poetry by Dame Ruby
The ‘Silk Cotton Grove Art Gallery’, is situated at the home of Dame Ruby Bute in Friars Bay and is home to one of the islands oldest, ancient Silk-Cotton trees. The gallery houses a permanent exhibition of Ruby’s artwork and fine art prints and, also the artwork of several local artists.
Ruby has painted since the age of 6 but it was not until the age of 40, she had her first one-woman show in 1983, it was the first one woman show on the island of St. Maarten.
She also became the first woman in St. Martin to publish a book of poetry, ‘Golden Voices of S’maatin’. The book is a moving tribute to the rich and long oral tradition of St. Martin and the Caribbean islands, a tradition that permeates the identity of its people and shapes everything.
The visit includes the storytelling of a St. Martin story and reading of one or two poems by
Dame Ruby Bute.
Golden Grove Farm
Historical Landmark Nature Hike
A 120-year-old Historical landmark family owned and operated natural multiculture and livestock farm in the heart and soul of our beautiful island of Saint-Martin. The valley of Colombier.
The visit includes a Nature Hike (approx. 30-45min, moderate level)
Guavaberry Colombier Tradition
Distillery visit and Rum tasting
Guavaberry is the legendary folk drink of St.Maarten/St.Martin.
Louis Maccow is the founder of the family business “Guavaberry Colombier Tradition”. His passion for Guavaberry comes from his parents, they picked these emblematic fruits of Saint Martin.
Back in the day’s, his father’s days, people would go to his father’s house and sing “good morning good morning, I come for the Guavaberry”
Discover one of our Christmas Traditions all the secrets of its manufacture unchanged for centuries!
Guavaberry Colombier Tradition is where you can find a piece of Paradise.
The visit includes a visit to the distillery and a rum tasting.