Countries / Bangladesh / Saint Martin's Island

Island guide

Saint Martin's Island: the complete guide

Bangladesh's only coral island, about 8 km of beaches, coconut palms and coral rock in the Bay of Bengal. It is open to visitors for only a few months a year, with a travel pass, a daily cap and strict rules. Here is everything you need to plan a trip in one place.

Open: 1 November 2026 to 15 March 2027. Closed to tourists the rest of the year.
Overnight: Only in December and January. November, February and March are day trips.
Getting there: Tourist ships only, from the BIWTA jetty at Nuniyachhara in Cox's Bazar. About 5 to 7 hours each way.
You need: A QR-coded travel pass (it comes with an approved ship ticket) and the Tk 100 conservation fee
Daily cap: 3,500 visitors a day announced for 2026–27 (2,000 last season)
Size: About 8 square km. You can walk or cycle around it.

Rules for Saint Martin change every season, often only days before it opens. This page uses the government directive of 25 October 2026 as reported in the news. Check the latest notice and your ship operator before you book.

Can I go on my date?

Day you sail Nights on the island

Your day, roughly

Ship times are from last season's reports and depend on the tide and the operator. Confirm them with your ship before you travel. See the best-dates calendar for a whole season at a glance.

The island (tap an area; sketch, not to scale)

Sketch, not to scale. Chhera Dwip is joined to the island at low tide. Tourist access to it is restricted this season.

Where to stay

Areas come from booking sites and travel guides, which don't always agree. Star ratings and prices are as listed online and change by date. "Check prices and book" opens a Booking.com search; we don't earn anything from it.

What will it cost?

People Ship seat (return)

Room, per night (one room for every 2 people) Food, Tk per person a day Other, Tk in total

Send plan to WhatsApp

Ranges, in Bangladeshi taka. Ship fares are last season's published round-trip fares; room prices are from booking sites, converted at about Tk 120 to the US dollar. Food and "Other" are your own guesses: change them. Nothing is saved or sent by this site; the date and nights are kept in the page link so it can be shared. For a bigger trip, try the trip budget planner.

Getting there

Get to Cox's Bazar. By air from Dhaka, by train or by road. Driving? See Dhaka to Chittagong and Chittagong to Cox's Bazar quick stops. On a day trip, sleep in Cox's Bazar the night before: ships leave early. See where to stay in Cox's Bazar.
Buy an approved ship ticket. Tickets are sold online through the Bangladesh Tourism Board's travel pass system and by approved operators and agents. Your QR-coded travel pass comes with the ticket; each traveller needs their own. A ticket without a QR code is not valid, so don't buy from street sellers.
Go to the BIWTA jetty at Nuniyachhara in Cox's Bazar town, early, with your ID (national ID or birth registration for Bangladeshis; foreign visitors should check with the operator whether a passport is accepted for the pass, and carry it).
Sail. Last season ships left at about 7:00 am and took 5 to 7 hours. On a day trip you get roughly 2 to 3 hours on the island before the ship heads back at about 3:00 pm. If you stay overnight, you come back on the afternoon ship on the day you leave.

Ships approved last season included Karnafuly Express, Baro Awlia, Bay Cruise, Keari Sindbad, Keari Cruise & Dine, Atlantic Cruise and Kajal. Every ship needs the environment ministry's approval each season, so the list can change.

Not from Teknaf. Tourist ships no longer sail from Teknaf; the Naf River route was cut in 2024 after fighting across the border in Myanmar. Trawlers, speedboats and small boats are not allowed to carry tourists.

Ship fares (last season)

Seat	Return	One way
Main deck or sun deck seat (Baro Awlia)	Tk 3,500	Tk 1,800
Open deck seat (Karnafuly Express)	Tk 4,000	Tk 2,100
Business chair or lounge	Tk 4,000 to 5,600	Tk 2,100 to 2,900
Single cabin (Karnafuly Express)	Tk 6,500	Tk 3,300
Deluxe cabin for two (Baro Awlia)	Tk 13,000	Tk 7,000
VVIP cabin (Karnafuly Express)	Tk 20,000	Tk 10,000

2025–26 fares as listed by ticket sellers; 2026–27 fares may differ. The Tk 100 conservation fee is on top.

What to see and do

1 hour

Sunset on West Beach

West side of the island

The west shore faces open sea, so the sun sets straight into the Bay of Bengal. Coral rocks, coconut palms and far fewer people than at the jetty.

1 hour

Walk or cycle around the island

All the way round

At about 8 square km, the island is small enough to walk or cycle in a day. Sunrise is on the east side, sunset on the west. Stay off the beach with any motor vehicle: they're banned there.

15 min

Golachipa, the narrow neck

Middle of the island

Where the island pinches to a thin strip with sea on both sides. A quiet stop on a walk south, and another good sunset spot.

1 hour

Coral rocks of the south

Dakshinpara, the southern part

The quieter southern shore, with rocks formed from coral. Look, but don't take coral, shells or anything alive: it's against the law.

15 min

Fresh seafood at the bazar

Near the jetty

Restaurants by the jetty cook the day's catch. Pick your fish and agree the price before it's cooked. Coconut water is everywhere. No barbecues on the beach at night.

Restricted

Chhera Dwip

Off the southern tip

A tiny uninhabited island joined to Saint Martin at low tide. Tourist access is restricted for the 2026–27 season to protect it. Don't try to walk across.

Island rules (2026–27)

Do

Carry your QR-coded travel pass and ID.
Pay the Tk 100 conservation fee.
Leave the island on your ship's return date. In November, February and March, that means the same day.
Bring a reusable bottle and cloth bags, and take your rubbish back.

Don't

Bring polythene bags. Avoid single-use plastic (chip packets, straws, mini toiletry sachets).
Light fires or lamps on the beach at night, make noise or play loud music, or hold barbecue parties.
Ride motorbikes, sea bikes or any motor vehicle on the beach.
Enter the keya (screw pine) bushes or coastal forest, or pick or buy keya fruit.
Harm or collect turtles, birds, coral, crabs, shells or other wildlife.
Go to Chhera Dwip while tourist access is restricted.

Money, power and phones

Bring enough cash for food, bicycles and small costs. On a small island, don't count on cards or cash machines.
Power can be limited. The island has no mainland grid supply, and many places run generators or solar for set hours. Bring a charged power bank.
Save your ticket offline. Download or screenshot the QR ticket, and a map of the island, before you sail, in case the signal is weak.

Safety

Near the Myanmar border. Saint Martin is close to Myanmar's Rakhine State, where there has been fighting. In 2024 boats on the Naf River were fired on, and the river route was closed. Use only approved tourist ships, follow instructions from the coast guard and police, and check the latest GOV.UK advice on the Teknaf area before you go.
The sea. Swim only in calm water close to shore, near other people, and never after dark. Watch the tide around the rocks.
Seasickness. The crossing is long and can be rough. If you get seasick, ask a pharmacist or doctor before the trip; a seat on deck in fresh air helps many people. This is general information, not medical advice.
Medical help is limited on the island. Bring any medicines you need, and a small first-aid kit.
Missed the ship? Staying overnight outside December and January is against the rules. Be at the jetty well before your return time.

What to pack

Travel pass and ship ticket (with QR code), ID, and cash in small notes
Reusable water bottle and cloth bags (no polythene)
Sunscreen, sun hat and sunglasses: there is little shade on the beaches
Sandals that can get wet, and a light layer for the deck in the morning
Power bank, and a small torch for the paths (not for the beach at night)
Any medicines you take, seasickness remedies if you need them, and a small first-aid kit

Make a full Saint Martin packing list, tick it off and send it to WhatsApp.

Questions people ask

Can I stay the night in November, February or March?

No. Under the rules kept for 2026–27, overnight stays are allowed only in December and January. The rest of the open season is day trips.

Do I need to apply for the travel pass separately?

Last season, no: the QR-coded pass was generated with an approved ship ticket bought online or from an approved operator. Check when you book, as the system can change.

Can foreigners go?

The rules don't bar foreign visitors, but the pass system asks for ID details designed around Bangladeshi national ID. Ask your ship operator or the Bangladesh Tourism Board which documents they accept, and carry your passport.

Is it worth going on a day trip?

You get only about 2 to 3 hours on the island after 10 to 14 hours on the ship. It's enough for the jetty, the north and west beaches and a meal. For sunset, sunrise and the south, go in December or January and stay a night or two.

When is it busiest?

Weekends (Friday and Saturday), public holidays and 20 December to 2 January. With a daily cap, passes for those days can sell out. Use the best-dates calendar to find quieter days.

Why is the island closed most of the year?

To protect its coral, turtles and birds. The island is an Ecologically Critical Area, so the government limits tourist numbers and keeps the island closed from mid-March to the end of October.

Make a trip of it

Cox's Bazar Marine Drive: the coast road south, with waterfalls and quiet beaches.
Where to stay in Cox's Bazar, line by line from the beach.
Best dates for Cox's Bazar and Saint Martin.
Emergency numbers for Bangladesh: 999, and the Tourist Police.

Sources

Last checked 28 October 2026.