For decades, it was one of the most famous (or infamous) places in the Caribbean: Club Orient, the beloved nudist resort set at the far southern corner of Orient Bay on the French side of St Martin.
In 2017, Hurricane Irma destroyed the collection of beach bungalows frequented by au naturel travelers, leaving some torn up buildings tucked amid the dunes.
For the last seven years, Club Orient has been, well, clothed in mystery. We get regular emails from readers all the time asking about the fate of the venerable nude beach and resort.
But in the years since, while the rest of St Martin has rebuilt back better than ever, Club Orient remains a ruin. The beach, however — and the guests — are still here, with the Caribbean’s most famous nude beach still very much around.
Go any day of the week and you’ll find a group of unclothed travelers enjoying one of Saint Martin’s most beautiful stretches of sand.
While this certainly isn’t a place for everyone, if you’re into that sort of thing, it’s very much a pilgrimage spot,
But it’s also home to something very rare indeed: a beach bar. A nude beach bar, that is.
The only one of its kind in the Caribbean: a nude beach bar,
It’s called The Perch Bar and Grill, and it’s a full-fledged beach bar: you can get every manner of cocktail here, from mai tais to painkillers to Bahama Mamas. Even grab a bite of a tuna club.
It’s just like the classic Caribbean beach bar you’d expect: rustic wood floor, beach chairs, bright yellow umbrellas.
Just as its forebear, The Perch is a unique place in the Caribbean, and it’s the standard bearer for something that remains one of the most legendary destinations in the region.
You can even get a caesar salad. But the dressing is on the side.
— CJ