It's true that the island sparkles with its myriad outdoor activities -- diving, snorkeling, sailing, swimming, and sunning -- but shopaholics are drawn to sparkle within the jewelry stores. The huge array of such stores is almost unrivaled in the Caribbean. In addition, duty-free shops offer substantial savings -- about 15% to 30% below U.S. and Canadian prices -- on cameras, watches, liquor, cigars, and designer clothing. It's no wonder that each year 500 cruise ships make Philipsburg a port of call. On both sides of the island, be alert for idlers. They can snatch unwatched purses.

Philipsburg's Front Street has reinvented itself. Now it's mall-like, with redbrick walk and streets, palm trees lining the sleek boutiques, jewelry stores, souvenir shops, outdoor restaurants, and the old reliables -- including McDonald's and Burger King. Here and there a school or a church appears to remind visitors there's more to the island than shopping. Back Street is where you'll find the Philipsburg Market Place, an open-air market where you can haggle for bargains on items such as handicrafts, souvenirs, and cover-ups. Old Street, near the end of Front Street, has stores, boutiques, and open-air cafés offering French crêpes, rich chocolates, and island mementos. You can find an outlet mall amid the more upscale shops at the Maho shopping plaza. The Plaza del Lago at the Simpson Bay Yacht Club complex has an excellent choice of restaurants as well as shops.

On the French side, wrought-iron balconies, colorful awnings, and gingerbread trim decorate Marigot's smart shops, tiny boutiques, and bistros in the Marina Royale complex and on the main streets, rue de la Liberté and rue de la République. Also in Marigot is the pricey West Indies Mall and the Plaza Caraïbes, which houses designer shops like Hermès and Ralph Lauren.

Prices are in dollars on the Dutch side, in euros on the French side. As for bargains, there are more to be had on the Dutch side.