Destination Comparison

Sint Maarten / St. Martin vs San Juan

Which destination has more documented tourist scam activity? Side-by-side comparison based on verified reports.

30

Total scams compared

Sint Maarten / St. Martin

13 warnings

San Juan

17 warnings

Overall Risk Assessment

San Juan

Higher documented risk

Sint Maarten / St. Martin has a lower overall scam risk score. Based on weighted frequency scoring across 30 documented reports. Both destinations are safe with preparation.

Side-by-Side Breakdown

Sint Maarten / St. Martin

Lower risk

Sint Maarten / St. Martin · Caribbean

Total documented scams13

Severity

High
1
Medium
10
Low
2

Scam types

Taxi & Transport2Street Scams2Restaurant Scams2Accommodation Scams1Online Scams1Tour & Activities1Money & ATM Scams2Other Scams2

Top scams

  • Fake Sint Maarten Vacation Rental Listing
  • Overpriced Airport Taxi with Indirect Routing from Princess Juliana
  • Scooter and ATV Rental Damage Fraud
  • Philipsburg Duty-Free Electronics Bait-and-Switch
Full Sint Maarten / St. Martin guide →
Is it safe?·Best areas·Safe this month

San Juan

Higher risk

Puerto Rico · Caribbean

Total documented scams17

Severity

High
0
Medium
13
Low
4

Scam types

Taxi & Transport1Street Scams3Restaurant Scams1Accommodation Scams1Online Scams1Tour & Activities4Money & ATM Scams3Other Scams3

Top scams

  • Culebra Ferry Ticket Scalping
  • Unlicensed Taxi from Luis Muñoz Marín Airport
  • Fake Official Old San Juan Walking Tour Guide
  • Rental Car Break-In in Condado Parking
Full San Juan guide →
Is it safe?·Best areas·Safe this month

Overlapping Risk

Scam Types Found in Both Destinations

These categories appear in both Sint Maarten / St. Martin and San Juan. If you're visiting both on the same trip, these are the patterns to study first.

Taxi & Transport
Sint Maarten / St. Martin2 reportsSan Juan1 reports
See all Taxi & Transport Scams worldwide →
Street Scams
Sint Maarten / St. Martin2 reportsSan Juan3 reports
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Restaurant Scams
Sint Maarten / St. Martin2 reportsSan Juan1 reports
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Accommodation Scams
Sint Maarten / St. Martin1 reportsSan Juan1 reports
See all Accommodation Scams worldwide →
Online Scams
Sint Maarten / St. Martin1 reportsSan Juan1 reports
See all Online Scams worldwide →
Tour & Activities
Sint Maarten / St. Martin1 reportsSan Juan4 reports
See all Tour & Activity Scams worldwide →
Money & ATM Scams
Sint Maarten / St. Martin2 reportsSan Juan3 reports
See all Money & ATM Scams worldwide →
Other Scams
Sint Maarten / St. Martin2 reportsSan Juan3 reports
See all Other Tourist Scams worldwide →

Common Questions

Sint Maarten / St. Martin vs San Juan — Common Questions

Is Sint Maarten / St. Martin or San Juan safer for tourists?
Based on documented scam data, Sint Maarten / St. Martin has a lower overall risk score. Sint Maarten / St. Martin has 13 documented warnings (1 high severity) vs 17 in San Juan (0 high severity). Both are popular tourist destinations visited safely by millions each year — preparation matters more than the destination itself.
What scams should I watch for in both Sint Maarten / St. Martin and San Juan?
Both cities have documented activity in: Taxi & Transport, Street Scams, Restaurant Scams, Accommodation Scams, Online Scams, Tour & Activities, Money & ATM Scams, Other Scams. If you're visiting both, these are the scam types to review first since the same tactics are used in each city.
Which city has more high-severity tourist scams?
Sint Maarten / St. Martin has 1 high-severity documented scams vs 0 in San Juan. High-severity scams carry significant financial or safety risk and should be reviewed carefully before travel regardless of which destination you choose.

Keep Exploring

More Comparisons

Browse all comparisons →Full Sint Maarten / St. Martin guideFull San Juan guideLatest scam alertsIs Sint Maarten / St. Martin safe?Is San Juan safe?