For the 2026–27 season, Saint Martin's Island is open to visitors from 1 November 2026 to 15 March 2027, and a revised government notification of 27 October allows overnight stays for the whole season. Up to 3,500 visitors a day may go, each must register online, and everyone pays a Tk 100 environmental conservation fee. Tourist ships leave only from the BIWTA jetty at Nuniyachhara in Cox's Bazar. None sail from Teknaf.
The rules changed twice in one week. The environment ministry's directive of 25 October allowed only day trips in November; the revised notice of 27 October replaced it. Sailings also did not start on 1 November, because the ships were still waiting for approvals and the Tourism Board's registration software was not ready. Check the latest position with your ship operator before you pay for anything.
Why Saint Martin's has rules at all
Saint Martin's is Bangladesh's only coral island, a small strip of land in the Bay of Bengal south of Teknaf, known locally as Narikel Jinjira (coconut island). For years it took far more visitors than it could absorb. Hotels went up in protected zones, plastic piled up, vehicles drove on the beaches, and the coral, sea turtles and marine life that make the island special came under real pressure.
Since the 2024–25 season the government has limited when people can go, how many can land each day and what they are allowed to do once there. For a visitor, the practical effect is simple: Saint Martin's is no longer a place you can turn up at on a whim. You plan around the season, the cap and the registration.
The ecologically critical area and the turtles
The protection is older than the visitor cap. The Department of Environment declared Saint Martin's an ecologically critical area in 1999 to protect its biodiversity, but for many years building and tourism carried on regardless. The island's sandy beaches are nesting grounds for the olive ridley sea turtle, and artificial lights and loudspeakers on the beach drive nesting females away. Since the restrictions began, Prothom Alo has reported signs of recovery: clearer water, shells and snails gathering on beaches where vehicles used to run, and mangroves growing on the southern shore. When a guard asks you to switch off a phone torch on the shore after dark, this is the reason.
The 2026–27 season at a glance
Saint Martin's Island is open to tourists from 1 November 2026 to 15 March 2027. Under the revised notification of 27 October, overnight stays are allowed all season, with a cap of 3,500 visitors a day and an entry fee; ship owners expected the first sailings around 5 or 6 November.
Season dates
The island is open to tourists from 1 November 2026 until 15 March 2027. Outside that window, tourist vessels do not run and visiting for leisure is not permitted. In early November 2026, ship owners expected the first sailings around 5 or 6 November, with some officials suggesting mid-November.
Overnight stays
Under the revised notification of 27 October, visitors may stay overnight on the island throughout the season. Earlier reports, based on the 25 October directive, said November would be day trips only and overnight stays limited to December and January. If you see that advice online, it is out of date, but ask your hotel to confirm in writing that it is licensed to take overnight guests on your dates.
Daily cap
The cap is 3,500 visitors a day, higher than last season's limit. On December weekends and around holidays that number can fill, so book your ship early.
Fee
Each visitor pays an environmental conservation fee of Tk 100 (as of November 2026). This is separate from your ship ticket.
Editor's Note: Rules for Saint Martin's are set by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. Notices often appear only days before the season starts, and in 2026 the rules changed within a week. A ship operator's office in Cox's Bazar is usually the quickest way to hear about a change.
Registration and tickets
Tourists may travel only on government-approved vessels and must register online. The Bangladesh Tourism Board is responsible for the system that collects visitor details, and a Tourism Board official said the process would work as it did last season. Ship operators take registration seriously: on the opening day of the 2025–26 season, one vessel was fined Tk 50,000 for selling tickets without the mandatory online registration.
The Tourism Board had not published the 2026–27 application steps when this guide was written. In practice, expect the following:
- Choose your dates and decide how many nights, if any, you want on the island.
- Buy your ship ticket from an approved operator and make sure your online registration is completed with it.
- Have your passport details ready; foreign visitors should expect to give passport and visa information.
- Keep your ticket and registration confirmation on your phone and as a printout. Mobile data at the jetty can be patchy.
- Pay the Tk 100 conservation fee if it is not already included in your ticket.
- Arrive at Nuniyachhara jetty early; documents are checked before boarding.
Do not buy a ticket from anyone who cannot show that it is properly registered. You would be the one turned away at the gate.
How to get from Cox's Bazar to Saint Martin's
To reach Saint Martin's, travel first to Cox's Bazar by domestic flight, bus or train, then board a tourist ship approved by the environment ministry at the BIWTA jetty at Nuniyachhara in Cox's Bazar town.
Step 1: reach Cox's Bazar
Cox's Bazar is the gateway. Most international visitors fly into Dhaka and then take a domestic flight to Cox's Bazar Airport. You can also travel overland by bus, or take the train that now runs from Dhaka and Chattogram to Cox's Bazar. Search domestic connections on our flight page and compare places to stay on hotels.
Step 2: the ship from Nuniyachhara
Tourist vessels leave from the BIWTA (Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority) jetty at Nuniyachhara in Cox's Bazar town. Only vessels approved by the environment ministry can carry tourists to the island, and since a tourist vessel fire last season they must also pass fitness and safety checks. It is a long ride, so allow most of a morning in each direction.
Departure times, fares and which ships are operating are not published centrally, so confirm them with the operator when you buy your ticket.
Crossing times
Last season gives the best guide to how the day works. On the opening day of the 2025–26 season, Prothom Alo reported ships leaving Cox's Bazar between 7am and 8am and reaching the island between 12:30pm and 1pm, and the regular schedule had ships sailing back from the island at 3pm. That makes the crossing roughly five to six hours each way. A same-day return leaves only a couple of hours ashore, which is why most people now stay at least one night. Your ticket shows the exact boarding time; arrive early for the document check.
Fares and budget
Ship fares are set by the operators themselves and vary with the vessel and the class of seat or cabin. Fares for 2026–27 had not been published centrally when this guide was written, so check the price with the operator before you pay.
On top of the ship, budget for the Tk 100 conservation fee, transport to the jetty in Cox's Bazar, food on the island and a room. Cash is the safest way to pay on Saint Martin's, so withdraw taka in Cox's Bazar before you board.
Book early and avoid resold tickets
Demand outruns supply in peak weeks, especially December weekends and the New Year period. Buy only from an approved operator, with your online registration done at the same time. A ticket bought from a street reseller may not be registered, and you lose the fare if you are refused at the gate. Foreign visitors should ask the operator how passports are being verified this season.
Why not Teknaf?
Before the restrictions, most visitors went by ship from Teknaf, which is much closer to the island. For 2026–27 the only permitted departure point is the BIWTA jetty in Cox's Bazar; travel from Teknaf, Shah Porir Dwip or Ukhiya is not allowed. If someone offers you a tourist boat from Teknaf, decline it.
Seasickness and sea conditions
The open-sea section can be rough on windy days. Take seasickness tablets before departure, since they work poorly once you feel unwell, sit on the lower deck near the middle, and keep water with you. Sailings can be cancelled in bad weather, so leave a spare day in your plan.
What you cannot do on the island
The rules on behaviour are as important as the dates. The restrictions from the 2025 notification remain in force:
- No lights on the beach or nearby areas at night (to protect nesting sea turtles).
- No noise-making activities and no beach barbecue parties.
- No entering the keya (screw pine) forests, and no collecting, buying or selling keya fruit.
- No harming corals, sea turtles, birds or other wildlife.
- No motorcycles, jet skis or similar vehicles on the beach.
Plastic waste has been one of the island's biggest problems. Carry a refillable bottle and bring your rubbish back with you.
Where to stay for a Saint Martin's trip
Stay on Saint Martin's in a guesthouse or small resort licensed for this season, or spend at least one night in Cox's Bazar near Kolatoli or Sugandha beach before an early sailing from Nuniyachhara. Island rooms sell out around weekends and over Christmas and New Year.
On the island
Accommodation ranges from simple guesthouses to small resorts. Rooms sell out around weekends and the Christmas–New Year period, and some properties only take bookings once the season's rules are confirmed. Confirm that a property is licensed to take guests this season before you pay a deposit.
In Cox's Bazar
Plan at least one night in Cox's Bazar before your sailing. Staying near Kolatoli or Sugandha beach keeps you close to Nuniyachhara jetty for an early start. Cox's Bazar has the widest range of hotels in the region; browse options on our hotels page.
Camping
The ban on night lights and barbecues makes the usual camping setup impractical on Saint Martin's. If you want to sleep outdoors in Bangladesh, see our list of the best camping sites in Bangladesh, which covers places where camping is allowed.
What to see on Saint Martin's
Saint Martin's is small enough to walk round, and its sights are the coral shore and rock pools at low tide, the islet of Chhera Dwip at the southern tip, the village and the jetty market with fresh fish, and sunrise and sunset on opposite sides of the island.
The coral coast
Parts of the shore are rocky and coral-strewn, and at low tide you can see pools full of small marine life. Look, but do not touch or collect anything; this is exactly what the rules are protecting.
Chhera Dwip
At the southern tip lies Chhera Dwip, a small islet. Access has been limited in some seasons, so ask locally before heading out, and keep an eye on the tide so you are not stranded.
The village and the jetty area
Most of the island's life centres on the jetty and the market behind it, with fishing boats, small restaurants serving fresh fish, and stalls selling dried seafood.
Sunrise and sunset
Because the island is so narrow, you can watch the sun come up over the eastern shore and go down over the western one. This is one of the main reasons to stay overnight.
Notes for foreign visitors
Foreigners can visit Saint Martin's under the same seasonal rules as Bangladeshi visitors. You will need a valid Bangladeshi visa, and your passport when you register and at the jetty. For visa basics, see our visa page and the wider Bangladesh guide.
English is understood by ship staff and hotel managers, but less so elsewhere on the island. Carry cash in Bangladeshi taka. Dress modestly away from the beach, and ask before photographing people.
The Teknaf peninsula borders Myanmar. Read your own government's travel advice for Cox's Bazar district before you go.
Sample plans: a day trip or two nights
A day trip gives only a short time ashore after an early sailing from Nuniyachhara, so two nights is the better plan: take the morning ship, spend the afternoon on the beach, walk round the island the next day and return on the third.
Day trip
Arrive in Cox's Bazar the day before. Board at Nuniyachhara early, spend the short time ashore walking the beach and village, eat near the jetty, and board the return sailing on time. You will be back in Cox's Bazar in the evening.
Two nights
Take the morning ship, check in, and spend the afternoon on the beach. Use the next day for a slow walk round the island. Return on the third day. Book ship, registration and room together, and keep proof of all three.
If you would rather have someone handle the registration, ship and room, look for an organised trip on our tours page, and confirm the operator is licensed for this season.
The island in numbers
Saint Martin's covers about 8 square kilometres and is the only coral-reef island in the Bay of Bengal. A Prothom Alo report counted 1,076 species of plants and animals on and around it, including corals, algae, turtles and crabs. Olive ridley turtles, an endangered species, nest on its sandbanks, and beach lights deter them, which is the reason for the night-light ban.
Getting to Cox's Bazar in detail
Domestic flights from Dhaka are the quickest way to Cox's Bazar. The Cox's Bazar Express and Parjatak Express trains take most of a day via Chattogram, and air-conditioned coaches run from Dhaka and Chattogram. Whichever you choose, arrive the day before your sailing.
By air
Domestic flights from Dhaka are the quickest option. Book a flight that lands the day before your sailing; a same-morning flight leaves no margin if it is delayed.
By train
The Cox's Bazar Express and the Parjatak Express run between Dhaka and Cox's Bazar via Chattogram, and the trip takes most of a day. Each train has a weekly off day. Tickets are sold through Bangladesh Railway's e-ticket service and go fast in winter, so book as soon as your date opens and check the current timetable. Plan a night in Cox's Bazar before your ship either way.
By road
Air-conditioned coaches run from Dhaka and Chattogram. The road trip from Dhaka is long, so the train or a flight is the better choice for most foreign visitors.
Filling a spare day in Cox's Bazar
Bad weather or a sold-out ship can leave you with a free day on the mainland. Cox's Bazar's own beach runs south for many kilometres, and the Marine Drive coast road follows it towards Teknaf, passing Himchari and the rocky shore at Inani. A hired car or CNG for half a day covers both. For more about the wider coast, see our Bangladesh guide.
Health and safety on the crossing
Find your life jacket when you board, and keep children close on the open decks. Medical care on Saint Martin's is limited, so bring any medicines you need, along with sunscreen and rehydration salts. Pack insect repellent, and drink bottled or filtered water only. Read your government's advice for Bangladesh before you go, and take travel insurance that covers evacuation.
Plans for different travellers
Families do better with one or two nights on the island than with a day trip, budget travellers can save with a deck seat, a simple guesthouse and the train to Cox's Bazar, and couples and photographers should stay at least one night for sunrise on the east side and sunset on the west.
Families
The long crossing and short time ashore make a day trip hard work for small children. One or two nights on the island suits families much better. Ask the operator about children's fares when you book.
Budget travellers
A deck seat, a simple guesthouse near the island bazar and meals in local fish restaurants keep costs down. Take the train to Cox's Bazar and stay in the town's cheaper streets away from the beachfront.
Couples and photographers
Stay at least one night so you can see sunrise on the east side and sunset on the west. Walk out early in the morning, before the day's ships arrive.
Common mistakes
The biggest mistake is relying on old advice: rules for this island change from season to season and sometimes within a week. Others buy a ticket from a street agent that is not registered and are refused at the jetty. Some visitors try to catch a ship the same morning they arrive in Cox's Bazar and miss it. Many forget cash. And people walk out to Chhera Dwip without checking the tide.
Weather and the best time to go
The open season falls in the dry winter months, when the sea is calmer and rain is less frequent than in the monsoon. Sailings can still be cancelled at short notice in bad weather, so watch the forecast and keep a spare day. December and January are the busiest months and sell out first. The season closes on 15 March.
If your dates are flexible, pick a weekday. You avoid the weekend crowds, rooms are easier to find, and the beaches feel quieter.
Island etiquette
Saint Martin's is a fishing community first and a tourist stop second. Cover up when you walk back through the bazar or into a guesthouse. Ask before photographing fishermen or their boats, and ask about local permission before flying a drone. Leave shells, coral fragments and other marine life where you find them. Keep your voice and music down at night, both out of courtesy and because noise-making activities are banned.
What to pack for Saint Martin's
Saint Martin's has limited services, so bring your documents, enough cash and the supplies you need for the whole stay.
- Passport, visa and a printout of your ticket and registration.
- Enough taka in cash for the whole stay.
- Seasickness tablets, sunscreen, a hat and sunglasses.
- A refillable water bottle and a bag to carry your rubbish home.
- Sandals for the rocky shore and a light layer for the wind on deck.
- A power bank.
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