Saint-Barthelemy

Small, Famously Exclusive French Caribbean Island With A Swedish Colonial Past, White Sand Bays And One Of The World'S Shortest And Most Dramatic Airstrips · Gustavia, Saint-Barthelemy

Saint-Barthélemy, known in English as St Barts, is a small, hilly French island in the northern Lesser Antilles, a separate overseas collectivity since 2007. It is one of the most expensive places to stay in the Caribbean: there is no mass tourism, no high-rise hotels and few budget options, and villas, restaurants and even groceries are priced accordingly. Most visitors arrive on small propeller planes from Sint Maarten that dive over a hill onto a very short runway ending at a beach, or on a ferry from St Martin that can be rough. The capital, Gustavia, is a tidy harbour town named after a Swedish king, a reminder that Sweden ruled the island for almost a century, and in winter its quays fill with superyachts. Around the coast are a dozen or so white-sand bays, from busy Saint-Jean and Shell Beach to Saline and Gouverneur, which have no facilities, and Colombier, reached only by boat or a footpath. Hurricane Irma badly damaged the island in 2017, and the storm season still runs from summer into autumn.

Gustavia and the island of Saint-Barthélemy, French West Indies, Gustavia, Saint-Barthelemy, France

There are no gates or tickets for the island itself; beaches are public by French law and open every day, though Saline, Gouverneur and Colombier have no lifeguards, toilets or cafes, so arrive with what you need and leave before dark. The airport only operates in daylight and only small aircraft flown by pilots with a specific local qualification can land, so flights stop in the evening and are cancelled in strong crosswinds or poor visibility; confirm the last connection from Sint Maarten before booking. Ferries from Marigot and Philipsburg run a few times a day, fewer in the low season, and can be cancelled in heavy seas. Shops and boutiques in Gustavia usually close for a long lunch and on Sunday, many restaurants shut one day a week, and some hotels and restaurants close completely for several weeks in the autumn low season, often around September and October. The small Wall House museum in Gustavia keeps limited daytime hours. Over Christmas and New Year everything is open but booked long in advance, and during hurricane warnings the airport, harbour and businesses close at short notice; check the current schedule.

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