Beaches bathed by the tropical sunlight with different stories of French maritime adventures that ended up covering this island with their culture and style. Luxurious villas, small elegant hotels, and restaurants serving dishes that are typical of the classic French cuisine. You can enjoy these sophisticated relaxations in the Saint-Barthélemy island, which is part of the chain-group of islands that make up the Lesser Antilles. Pack your things up and get ready to enjoy a Caribbean island where the tropical weather is mixed with the French culture.
Saint-Barthélemy is also known as St. Barth, and once you arrive here, the delicious aromas of the freshly baked bread and the just-served coffee will surround you as you walk down the beautiful, narrow streets of this island. In those streets, you will find a variety of cafés, bakeries, chic boutiques, and art galleries.
Gustavia is the capital of the island, and just like the rest of the place, it is undeniably French. Even though the dominant language is French, some people still speak age-old Norman or Breton dialects. On the opposite side of Gustavia, there’s Baie de St. Jean where you can catch the waves and enjoy visiting different designer boutiques, gingerbread cottages, beachside bistros, colorful bungalows, and skiffs.
St. Barth’s nightlife mainly consists of stunning beaches bathed by the pale moonlight, stargazing, tasting what you pick from French menus, and listening to the local beguine music which vocals are sung in Creole.
One of the advantages of this island is that it enjoys year-round warm temperatures. Therefore, you can visit it whenever you want, but we highly recommend you to travel here during summer because the beaches are less crowded and the villas rentals are less expensive. However, there’s a high season that tends to be from mid-December to mid-April.
How to get there
In order to reach St. Barth, you will have to take the high-speed ferry from St. Martin or a flight that takes you to the Saint-Barthélemy’s airport. There are direct flights from the United States and Europe to the Dutch side of St. Martin. Flights from St. Martin take about 10 minutes.
Flying directly to St. Barth can be an adventure, not only because the runway of the airport is small, but also because the plane almost skims a mountain peak, and when it’s windy, the plane starts to shiver. That’s the reason why no nighttime flights are allowed.
Our recommendation for you
If you want to transverse the island’s narrow and curvy roads, you better rent a jeep or a scooter. Keep in mind that driving is on the left-hand side, and you should be prepared for switchbacks and guardrails.
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