St Barthelemy Travel Guide: Reviews, photos, & videos

As cold winds blow in across the Mediterranean in the fall, yachts journey over to St. Barths—the Caribbean equivalent of St. Tropez—for the winter. Rows of mega-yachts, complete with helicopter pads, docked in St. Barths’ main harbor Gustavia, paired with tabloid pictures of Jay-Z and Beyoncé hanging out on some of the island’s more remote beaches, has bestowed on St. Barths an undisputed glam factor. Russian billionaires, rappers and their entourage do their best to keep up this tiny French island’s glitzy reputation in clubs that stay open until dawn. Make reservations at the famous Eden Rock for dinner on the patio, with sea views around you and with stars above—and at the table next to you. The island’s main attraction, however, remains its 17 beaches, all but one accessible by car. To get to the 17th beach, Colombier, walk along the goat path from Flamands Beach for half-an-hour until a crescent-shaped beach with sand like powder sugar opens up in front of you.

  • Boating, Caribbean, Family-friendly, Fishing, Hiking, Luxury, Ocean, Relaxing, Romantic, Rustic, Sailing, Scubadiving, Shopping, Surfing, Warm/tropical, Wedding, Worldclassrestaurants, Yachting
  • 90%

 
 
link17.8990348165-62.829437255912St Barthelemy (St Barths)
link17.9046295649-62.8403377533St Jean Beach
link17.9228010699-62.8681468964Colombier Beach
link17.8974012801-62.8503799438Millionaire Yacht Row
link17.8956043726-62.8490924835Views of Gustavia Harbor
link17.8861294686-62.8337287903Gouverneur Beach
link17.9033227782-62.8362178802Eden Rock
link17.8882531979-62.8225708008Saline Beach
link17.8966661838-62.8538131714Shell Beach
link17.8990348165-62.829437255912St Barthelemy (St Barths)
 
 
 
 

   

 Directions 

Estimated travel time: 15 minutes by plane (from St. Maarten)  
 
Most visitors arrive to St. Barths through Princess Juliana International Airport in nearby Dutch St. Maarten. From there, they take a fifteen-minute flight on Air Caraïbes, WinAir or St. Barth Commuter to the island of St. Barths. Juliana Airport in St. Maarten is served by twenty carriers, which connect the island to Atlanta, Charlotte, Chicago, Fort Lauderdale, Miami, New York, Newark, Philadelphia and Washington, DC in the United States, Toronto in Canada, Amsterdam in the Netherlands and Paris, France.  
 
There are also high-speed ferries. The Rapid Explorer shuttles passengers between Oyster Pond in St. Maarten and St. Barths, and The Voyager journeys between St. Barths and Marigot on the French side and Oyster Pond on the Dutch side in St. Maarten / St. Martin. The ferry takes roughly 45 minutes. It is also possible to do a day trip on a catamaran, such as the Scooby Doo. Don’t forget to bring your passport—and your wallet.

 

   

 Weather 

  • Current conditions

    Cond089

    Light rain. There is a 50% chance of precipitation. Cloudy. Warm, Humid. Temperature of 80.29°F. Winds SW 6.85mph. Humidity will be 84% with a dewpoint of 75° and feels-like temperature of 85.44°F.
    Hi: 80° F, Low: 79° F.

  • Tomorrow's forecast

    Cond005
    Light rain. There is a 90% chance of precipitation. Cloudy. Warm, Humid. Temperature of 80.29°F. Winds S 1.51mph. Humidity will be 88% with a dewpoint of 76° and feels-like temperature of 86.16°F.
    Hi: 80° F, Low: 79° F.


  • Weatherbug's weather page.
 

   

 Attractions 

Add Attraction

St Jean Beach

Of the 17 gorgeous white sand beaches, St. Jean Beach is the gem of the island, reminiscent of the French Riviera. Reefs protect the beach, making it ideal for swimming. With the famous Eden Rock set in the center of the beach, many a celebrity has vacationed at this ultra luxury hotel. Start the day right with breakfast with a view at the top of the Eden Rock restaurant, where you get the best view of the shimmering turquoise waters that surround you. Look left, then look right, you may see a star or two, or for a real treat for the guys, you may see a few Europeans tanning with their bikini tops off. Tempted to go?

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Colombier Beach

Ranked as one of the world's top secluded beaches by Forbes magazine, Colombier Beach is a nature park converted from the former estate of David Rockefellar. Accessible only by boat or a 25-minute hike along a rugged goat trail (take the path just beyond Flamands Beach), Colombier is a sweet little cove perfect for snorkeling, swimming or eating a French picnic. Oh la la! Sailboats and yachts often moor here while their passengers frolic in the water. This beach is perfect for boaters and hikers.

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Millionaire Yacht Row

You know you've made it when your yacht is parked in "Millionaire Yacht Row" in Gustavia Harbor, St. Barths in the winter and St. Tropez in France during the summer. That's right. Mega yacht after mega yacht is docked along "Millionaire Yacht Row," side by side where the rich hand shake big deals and their uniformed staff polish brass. Just seeing the boats is quite a treat. But if you ask a boat staffer who owns various boats parked in the harbor, they are likely to tell you, "I'm sorry, but for security reasons, we cannot share that information." No matter. Head over to the lively bars in Gustavia and you may catch Jimmy Buffet or some other entertainer take the stage and start the party. After all, its St. Barts - land of the rich and celebrities.

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Views of Gustavia Harbor

Named for the Swedish King Gustav, Gustavia Harbor was established in 1785 after the Swedes purchased the island from France to serve as a place for damaged ships. The island was eventually sold back to France in 1878. Take a hike along the Gustavia peninsula and you will see historical remnants from the old Fort Gustave and a museum. Venture over to Fort Karl by Shell Beach. Today, Gustavia offers a plethora of super high end shopping, restaurants, and night life in town. And near town, the hilly slopes are dotted by St Barts villas, many of which offer the best views of the harbor. Driving around along the hilltop of the harbor offers incredible views of primary colors - red rooftops, green trees and transluscent turquoise waters, causing the landscape to dazzle.

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Gouverneur Beach

Within close proximity to Gustavia, Gouverneur Beach is another popular beach to visit. Its another secluded gorgeous golden sand beach with aquamarine waters. Yawn. Although there are no villas on the beach, the villas up the hill and over in Gustavia make this beach super convenient (2-5 minute commute). Looking to meet your fellow neighbors near your villa? This is the perfect beach to meet the people you'd like to party with for the rest of your week on vacation.

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Eden Rock

The iconic Eden Rock – all glitzy and glamorous sits up top a rocky promontory jutting out at the center of St Jean Beach. A St. Barth landmark with a fascinating history, it began as just six hotel rooms back in the ‘50s and was the hobbyhorse of Dutch aviator, Remy de Haenen, considered to be the father of tourism here. From the start it drew jet setters and Hollywood types such as Greta Garbo and Howard Hughes. Since 1995, Eden Rock's new owners David and Jane Matthews expanded the hotel adding a total of thirty-two accommodations. Today you might spot Cameron Diaz noshing on tapas and let’s just say when people go barefoot here; they’ve taken off their Prada sandals. Treat yourself to a meal in the restaurant at the top of the rock where you get romantic views of this gorgeous beach. You may just fall in love again. Look around a bit. There may be a star or two nearby.

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Saline Beach

While St. Jean Beach gets the most publicity of St. Barths beaches, Saline Beach probably tops the list of locals and travelers alike. Look around. There are no St Barths villas around. Drive past the large Salt Pond and you'll find the parking lot. Walk through the brushy paths down to the beach and you will see stunning beauty of white sand and crystalline waters for as far as the eye can see. The beach is also known for beautiful naked people. That's right ladies, your boyfriend may ask you to take off your top and "act like a European" once you're there. Its clothing optional. So bathing suit or not, who's looking anyway?

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Shell Beach

Known for pink sea shells, Shell Beach is a popular short hike from Gustavia on the south side of the town. Step out of your villa and stroll over to Shell Beach to take in the sunset. A small cove, the beach hosts numerous weekend activities. Tired of French food? Try some Brazilian food at the Restaurant do Brazil.

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 Reviews(Average Rating: 90% for 2 reviews) 

  • Naj121
    Naj121Reviews: 1
    Posts: 0

    Off season can be soooo ooh la la!

    09/21/2009

    84%

    St Barthelemy (St Barths)

    Ok, white sandy beaches, check, crystal clear water, check, portly European wearing a Speedo, check. Welcome to St. Barth’s! We were there in the off season so the streets of St. Barth’s were nearly bare. There was however a Hertz office located at the top of a very steep hill where my friend and I rented a car for about $20 and set about exploring the island. We drove up and down the winding hills which sported incredible views of the ocean and surveyed the homes of the world’s super rich. Eventually, we ran into a local who pointed us in the direction of a quaint little outdoor café for lunch. The food was good and needless to say the bread was fresh, I mean this is a French isle for God’s sake, and the service well it was… very French too. Our waitress spent more time carrying on with a friend than bringing our check! C’est la vie, right? Once we finally got our check we managed to get directions to the L’Orient beach which was in a word, breathtaking. My friend and I stripped down to our bathing suits and ran into the water squealing and giggling like little girls. The water was so clear that I could actually see fish swimming around my ankles! We saw a couple of women going topless but decided to keep our D’s to ourselves, no need to cause a riot, right? Besides we didn’t want to steal the portly Speedo man’s attention.

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  • VacationHmQueen
    VacationHmQueen
    • Top member
    Reviews: 23
    Posts: 6

    Over the top decadant!

    06/22/2008

    95%

    St Barthelemy (St Barths)

    We did a day trip by hobi-cat to St Barths from St. Martin. I recall two hours or so of rough winds causing the boat to rock rather violently. Dan couldn't help but get sea sick. St. Barths is a fair distance from St. Martin, whereas Anguilla shields St. Martin on the north side. St. Barths is an island unto itself - with very little wind shield from neighboring islands, and it is tiny and arid. The beaches are stunning -- with white sand and turquoise waters. When we arrived in Gustavia harbor, we could see massive yachts in the harbor with their helicopter pads up on the top level. Money is in the air and everywhere. As we approached the harbor, there were even larger yachts sitting side by side with a full time staff polishing the brass and cleaning the boats non-stop. High end shops - Louis Vuitton, Bulgari, Versace - you name it - lined the streets of Gustavia. We took a quick tour of the island and stopped by the famous Eden Rock, the oldest hotel, where a number of movie stars like to stay. We also had lunch at Toiny, which is supposed to have one of the finest French restaurants on the island. From Toiny, we got a glimpse of St. Kitts and Nevis in the far distance on the horizon. Some of the bars are known for having famous entertainers drop in and do impromptu performances. We sailed the boat over to the famous Colombier beach (see pic), which is mostly visited by boat only, simply because the footpath is quite a hike. I would have liked to have spent more time in St Barths and experience some of the eclectic restaurants and bars that the island is famous for. St. Barths is definitely high up on my list to go back!

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