Why Go
St. Barths is a French overseas collectivity that behaves like a small, extremely expensive corner of the Cote d'Azur that happens to be in the Caribbean. It is tiny — you can drive the whole thing in under an hour — and it has no mass tourism, no cruise berth for the big ships and no pretence of being affordable. What it has is a harbour full of serious yachts at Gustavia, a scatter of small beaches under steep green hills, French food and French shopping, and one of the more alarming runway approaches in commercial aviation. Come knowing what it costs, and it is one of the most pleasant islands in the region. Come expecting a bargain and you will spend the week annoyed.
What It's Like
Gustavia is the harbour town and the centre of everything: red roofs around a deep inlet, boutiques along the quay, and superyachts moored close enough to read the names. Saint-Jean on the north coast is the other hub, a beach split by the runway approach with hotels and restaurants along it. From there the island unfolds in small bays, each with its own character and most reached down a steep hill — Anse des Flamands is the broad, open one, Anse de Grand Cul-de-Sac the shallow lagoon good for children and windsurfers, Anse de Toiny the wild south-east where nobody swims, and Colombier the one you walk to rather than drive. Corossol is the old fishing village, Lorient the quieter residential middle, Pointe Milou the cliffs where the sunset bars sit. Nothing is more than twenty minutes from anything else, but every journey involves a hill.
What to Do
Eat, which is the island's real activity — La Guerite Gustavia - St Barth and Abyss Restaurant at the upper end, Sella and ST BARTH BURGER when you want the same quality without the ceremony, and St Barts Coffee Roaster for the morning. Chef's Market and FOOD LOCKER are how people self-cater in the villas, which is common and much cheaper than eating out every night. Swim at Anse des Flamands and Anse de Grand Cul-de-Sac; walk to Colombier from the end of the road at Flamands, which is the best hour on the island and free. Lily Blue Caraibes Dive Center handles the underwater. For the shops, Gustavia is the point, and Space Gallery ST BARTH and Artists of St Barth are the local end of it rather than the imported luxury.
Insider Tip
Rent a small car, and mean small. The roads are narrow, extremely steep and full of blind hairpins, parking in Gustavia and at the beaches is tight, and the island's rental fleet skews compact for exactly that reason. A large vehicle is a genuine liability here rather than a comfort. Book it well ahead in high season along with everything else — the island is small, capacity is fixed, and Christmas and New Year are booked out the better part of a year in advance at prices that surprise even people expecting them to be high.
The Practical Stuff
This is France: the currency is the euro, the language is French, and while English is widely spoken in hotels and restaurants it is not universal in shops and with drivers. Cards are accepted everywhere and prices are quoted in euros, so the exchange rate matters in a way it does not on the dollar islands. Driving is on the right. Most visitors arrive on a small aircraft from St Maarten into the short runway at Saint-Jean, which is genuinely steep and dramatic and entirely routine for the pilots; a ferry from St Maarten is the alternative and rather less exciting. The island IS in the hurricane belt, roughly June to November, and was hit hard in 2017. High season runs December to April, and the fortnight around New Year is a different market altogether.
Things to Do in St. Barthelémy / St. Barth's
- Gustavia — The harbour town — boutiques, restaurants and yachts you can read the names off.
- Saint-Jean — The north-coast beach and second hub, under the famous runway approach.
- Anse des Flamands — The broadest, most open beach, and the start of the walk to Colombier.
- Colombier — Reached on foot rather than by road, and the best hour on the island.
- Anse de Grand Cul-de-Sac — A shallow protected lagoon — the one for children and windsurfers.
- Anse de Toiny — The wild south-east coast, spectacular and not for swimming.
- Corossol — The old fishing village, and the least polished corner of the island.
- Lorient — Quiet residential middle, with a calm beach and a good bakery culture.
- Pointe Milou — Cliffs on the north coast, and where the sunset bars are.
- Anse des Cayes — A small bay between Saint-Jean and Flamands, usually near-empty.
- Chef's Market — How villa guests actually eat — and much cheaper than dinner out.
- Lily Blue Caraibes Dive Center — The underwater version of an island otherwise spent on land.
Common Questions About St. Barthelémy / St. Barth's
How do you get to St Barths?
Almost everyone flies from St Maarten on a small aircraft into the short runway at Saint-Jean — the steep approach the island is known for, and entirely routine for the pilots who fly it. A ferry from St Maarten is the calmer alternative.
Is St Barths as expensive as people say?
Yes. It is a small French island with fixed capacity and no budget tier, and the fortnight around New Year is a different market again. Self-catering from Chef's Market or FOOD LOCKER is how many visitors keep it manageable.
What currency is used in St Barths?
The euro. St Barths is a French overseas collectivity, so unlike most of the region this is not a dollar island, and the exchange rate genuinely affects what the trip costs.
Do you need to speak French in St Barths?
It helps. English is widely spoken in hotels and restaurants but not universally in shops or with drivers, and a little French is better received here than anywhere else in the eastern Caribbean.
What size car should you rent in St Barths?
Small. The roads are narrow, steep and full of blind hairpins and parking is tight everywhere — a large vehicle is a liability rather than a comfort, which is why the local fleet is mostly compact.
Is St Barths in the hurricane belt?
Yes, roughly June to November, and it was hit hard in 2017. December to April is the dry, busy and most expensive season.
