Saint Martin's is in Cox's Bazar district, and every trip starts in Cox's Bazar town. Here's how the night in Cox's Bazar, the ship and your island resort fit together.
Lots of people search for a Saint Martin resort in Cox's Bazar, and it makes sense: Saint Martin's Island is part of Teknaf upazila in Cox's Bazar district, and every trip starts in Cox's Bazar town. But the island is a long sea crossing away, so a Saint Martin resort and a Cox's Bazar hotel are two different stays. Here's how they fit together.
Where Saint Martin's is
The island is in the Bay of Bengal, about 9 km south of the tip of the Teknaf peninsula and about 120 km from Cox's Bazar by sea. Under the rules since the 2025–26 season, tourist ships sail only from Nuniarchhara jetty in Cox's Bazar, so that's where the island part of your trip begins. Our article on how far Saint Martin is from Cox's Bazar has the details.
Two stays, one trip
- The night before, in Cox's Bazar: the ship leaves at about 7 am, so sleep in Cox's Bazar town, ideally near the jetty side.
- On the island, at your resort: the ship arrives around midday. Check-in at El Marena is from 1:00 pm.
- Back to Cox's Bazar: check out by 12:00 pm (noon); the ship leaves the island at about 3 to 3:30 pm and you're back in Cox's Bazar in the evening.
A simple 3-day plan
- Evening before: arrive in Cox's Bazar by bus, train or flight and stay near the jetty side.
- Day 1: the 7 am ship from Nuniarchhara jetty, the ride south by local van, rickshaw or bike, check-in from 1:00 pm, the sunset over the rocks and seafood from the grill.
- Day 2: Chera Dip at low tide early in the morning, a slow afternoon, and the stars at night.
- Day 3: sunrise, check-out by noon and the ship back to Cox's Bazar at about 3 to 3:30 pm.
More plans, from a day trip to two nights, are in our Saint Martin tour plan.
Why stay on the island, not just in Cox's Bazar?
A day trip from Cox's Bazar leaves only a few hours on the island: the ship arrives around midday and heads back in the afternoon. The best of Saint Martin's happens outside those hours: the sunset over the rocks, a sky full of stars and an early walk to Chera Dip. Overnight stays depend on the season's rules: last season (2025–26) they were allowed in December and January, not in November.
Booking it all
- The ship: book early. Last season every ticket came with a QR-code travel pass and no more than 2,000 people could visit a day. We can book your seats in the same chat as your cottage.
- Your island stay: send us your dates on WhatsApp; we'll confirm the cottage or tent and the total.
- Your night in Cox's Bazar: book a hotel near the jetty side of town, so the 7 am ship is easy.
Our resort on the island
El Marena Eco Resort is near Chera Dip beach, at the quiet southern end of Saint Martin's, a short ride from the jetty. Duplex cottages for up to 4 are ৳4,000–৳6,000, single cottages for 2 are ৳2,000–৳3,000 and tents for 2 are ৳1,000–৳1,500, for the whole cottage or tent.
