A chic French Caribbean island with world-class beaches, designer shopping, sports fishing, diving and snorkeling in shallow coral reefs: This is Saint Barthelemy, a secluded yachting paradise and a tax-free royalty and rock-star hideaway in the sunny tropical Caribbean, offering also excellent opportunities for sailing, surfing, windsurfing, tennis and horseback riding.
Caribbean Island of Saint Barthelemy, also known as Saint-Barthélemy, St Barths or St. Barts, is a small island among the Leeward Islands, located 250 km east of Puerto Rico. Saint Barthelemy is a French Overseas Collectivity and part of the European Union that was once a Swedish colony. Unlike most Caribbean islands, the population of Saint Barths is mostly of European ancestry. Many people have also moved to the island recently from France and Portugal, and many worldwide celebrities own properties here. The economy of St. Barths is based upon tourism and duty-free commerce, attracting some 200,000 visitors annually. St Barts is not a mass tourism destination, though, as the relatively high costs and isolation keep the crowds away.
The capital town Gustavia, named after the King Gustav III of Sweden, is a lovely small town with one- and two-story shops and restaurants. The village of Lorient (or L'Orient) is the oldest settlement on the island. There are also many pristine, secluded beaches throughout the island, including Grand Saline in the south and Colombier Beach in the west. Snorkeling and scuba diving in Saint Barths are very good, and you can see plenty of marine life, including sea turtles, lobsters and sharks. Whales and dolphins can also be spotted in the waters around Saint Barts.
Yachting and sailing in St. Barts are very popular, and Grand Cul-de-Sac Beach is the best place in the Caribbean to learn sailing, windsurfing or kitesurfing. Lorient and Anse des Cayes bays are excellent for surfing, and windsurfing in Saint Barths is great as well. Other water sports available on St. Barts include water skiing and jet skiing. There are many tennis courts and one golf course on the island, and sports fishing in Saint Barths is available to catch marlin, sailfish, tuna and many other fishes. There are also several inland trails for hiking and horseback riding on Saint Barts.
Paradise weddings. The island is popular for weddings. However, to actually get married on St Barths, one of the couple has to have been a resident on the island for a month. This means the majority of wedding ceremonies held on St Barth are in fact just blessings. The island also hosts several festivals including a music and film festivals as well as a popular sailing event in March.
Caribbean Island of Saint Barthelemy, also known as Saint-Barthélemy, St Barths or St. Barts, is a small island among the Leeward Islands, located 250 km east of Puerto Rico. Saint Barthelemy is a French Overseas Collectivity and part of the European Union that was once a Swedish colony. Unlike most Caribbean islands, the population of Saint Barths is mostly of European ancestry. Many people have also moved to the island recently from France and Portugal, and many worldwide celebrities own properties here. The economy of St. Barths is based upon tourism and duty-free commerce, attracting some 200,000 visitors annually. St Barts is not a mass tourism destination, though, as the relatively high costs and isolation keep the crowds away.
Sights and activities in Saint Barthelemy: from shopping & beaches to fishing & sailing
A playground of the rich and famous, Saint Barthelemy is well known for its beautiful white sand beaches, gourmet dining and designer shopping, but you can also do all kinds of activities on the island, from diving and snorkeling to sailing, surfing and windsurfing, and from tennis to hiking and horseback riding. Shopping on St Barths is excellent for tax-free luxury items. The fourteen beaches on St. Barth are all excellent, and only few of them are crowded even during the winter high season. The most popular beaches on Saint Barthelemy are Grand Cul de Sac, St. Jean and Flamands.The capital town Gustavia, named after the King Gustav III of Sweden, is a lovely small town with one- and two-story shops and restaurants. The village of Lorient (or L'Orient) is the oldest settlement on the island. There are also many pristine, secluded beaches throughout the island, including Grand Saline in the south and Colombier Beach in the west. Snorkeling and scuba diving in Saint Barths are very good, and you can see plenty of marine life, including sea turtles, lobsters and sharks. Whales and dolphins can also be spotted in the waters around Saint Barts.
Yachting and sailing in St. Barts are very popular, and Grand Cul-de-Sac Beach is the best place in the Caribbean to learn sailing, windsurfing or kitesurfing. Lorient and Anse des Cayes bays are excellent for surfing, and windsurfing in Saint Barths is great as well. Other water sports available on St. Barts include water skiing and jet skiing. There are many tennis courts and one golf course on the island, and sports fishing in Saint Barths is available to catch marlin, sailfish, tuna and many other fishes. There are also several inland trails for hiking and horseback riding on Saint Barts.
Paradise weddings. The island is popular for weddings. However, to actually get married on St Barths, one of the couple has to have been a resident on the island for a month. This means the majority of wedding ceremonies held on St Barth are in fact just blessings. The island also hosts several festivals including a music and film festivals as well as a popular sailing event in March.
Saint Barthelemy travel information and practical tips
Saint Barthelemy has a tropical climate moderated by trade winds that enjoys constantly warm temperatures. There are two main seasons on St Barths: a slightly cooler dry season approximately from December to May, and a humid and hot rainy season from June to November.
Photo: tiarescott, used under Creative Commons License (By 2.0)
The rainiest period of the year is from August to November, and there is a possibility for occasional hurricanes on St. Barths from June to November.
How to get there. The two ways to travel to Saint Barthelemy are by air or by sea. The small airfield on the island is good for small planes, while the nearest international airports with flights to St. Barths are on the nearby islands of Saint Martin, Guadeloupe and Antigua. There are frequent ferries to St. Barthelemy from the neighboring island of St. Martin, and you can also travel to Saint Barths by your own yacht. Once on Saint Barths, rental cars and taxis are the main way of getting around. Car rental on Saint Barths is available in the airport as well as through the hotels on the island.
Luxury services. For a small island, St. Barths offers a good range of accommodation, consisting of hotels, rental villas and apartments. There are only about 25 hotels on St, Barths, and they are mostly small and luxurious ones. Vacation villas are very popular on Saint Barths, and you can find hundreds of villas to choose from. Restaurants on Saint Barths offer excellent French and Caribbean cuisine as well as international choices. Nightlife on Saint Barths is relaxed with bars and restaurants being the main form of entertainment. The official currency of Saint Barthelemy is the Euro, but US Dollars are widely accepted as well. French is the official language, but almost everyone on Saint Barths speaks also English.
Safe vacation haven. St Barths is the safest island in the Caribbean, and also one of the safest places in the world with very little crime. It is safe to walk anywhere at any time of the day, but since petty theft is not unheard of on the island, it is best not to leave your valuables in your car. Avoid swimming around dusk or dawn, as the sharks are active during these periods.
Short history of Saint Barthelemy
St. Barthelemy was first inhabited by the Arawak Indians. It was discovered in 1493 by Christopher Columbus and named after his brother Bartolomeo. St. Barths was first settled by the French in the 1600s, but the French sold the island to Sweden in 1784. Under the Swedish rule, Saint Barthelemy prospered as a free port and trade center, and in 1878 the Swedes sold the island back to the French. Saint Barths became part of the French colony of Guadeloupe but retained its free port and tax free status. Saint Barts seceded from Guadeloupe and became a distinctive French overseas collectivity in 2007. The island enjoys a high standard of living and has a higher GDP per capita than mainland France.hint See also these nearby destinations: Saint Martin (Sint Maarten), Saint Kitts and Nevis, Barbuda, Antigua
