Fort Amsterdam, the first Dutch fort in the Caribbean

Built in 1631 by the Dutch West India Company to protect the salt trade, Fort Amsterdam was the seat of government for the Dutch side of the island until 1792. The site was besieged by Peter Stuyvesant, who lost a leg in the fighting there before becoming governor of New Amsterdam (New York). Reinforced in 1737 by Commander John Philips, who gave his name to Philipsburg. Free access via a trail from the entrance of the Divi Little Bay Resort, about a fifteen-minute drive from Simpson Bay Marina. Source: Visit St. Maarten (visitstmaarten.com, "Fort Amsterdam" monument page).