Things to do in St Barts
And where to stay, the best time to visit, what a day costs, and the traps to skip.
Best time to visit St Barts
• a note or something on ✦ an occasion worth the trip
High dry season. Best weather and everything open, worst prices, book far ahead.
Shoulder sweet spot. Fewer crowds, lower prices, most restaurants open and swimming superb.
Summer family season with rising humidity. Some closings begin late August and hurricane risk grows.
Low closure season and worst months for a first trip. Many hotels and restaurants close entirely.
Reopening shoulder. Island reopens, prices below Christmas and the sea is warm, but check venues have reopened.
What's on
- New Year's Eve Regatta 31 Dec
Regatta plus Gustavia harbour party, the island's biggest night.
- St Barth Music Festival January
Classical and jazz in churches during high season.
- Carnival Feb-Mar, variable
Gustavia parades and the burning of Vaval on Shell Beach on Ash Wednesday.
- St Barths Bucket Regatta mid-March
Superyacht racing when the harbour is electric and rooms vanish.
- Les Voiles de Saint-Barth Richard Mille April
Major sailing week with more than 80 boats in guide counts.
- West Indies Regatta late Apr / May, variable
Traditional Caribbean boatbuilding regatta, quieter and more local.
- St Barth Gourmet Festival November
Visiting top-level French chefs in residence, the food event of the year.
Best things to do in St Barts
Gouverneur Beach
Undeveloped crescent with calm clear water and no buildings on the sand, the island's best pure beach.
Colombier Beach
Secluded reserve bay reached by hike or boat, with turtles, rays and clear snorkelling over seagrass.
Grande Saline Beach
Broad undeveloped strand reached by a short path, wilder than Gouverneur and good for bodysurfing.
St Jean Beach
Lively free public beach split by Eden Rock, famous for low planes landing over the sand.
Gustavia
Harbour town for a half day of walking, duty free shopping, forts and Swedish era history.
Fort Karl
Short climb to one of the best free views over Shell Beach and Gustavia harbour.
Wall House Museum
Small museum covering the Swedish era that gave Gustavia its name and shaped the island.
Shell Beach
Shell covered town beach a short walk from Gustavia, calm for a swim and excellent at sunset.
Where to stay in St Barts
St Jean
first trip, all-round base
Central with the beach at your door and walkable clubs, shops and restaurants.
Gustavia
dining, shopping and harbour life
Only base where you can walk to a dozen good dinners, harbour drinks and Shell Beach.
Flamands
quiet beach-first luxury
Wide spacious beach, serene and residential, with Cheval Blanc and the Colombier hike nearby.
Grand Cul-de-Sac / Marigot
families with young children and watersports
Calm shallow reef sheltered lagoon with kite, paddle and kayak outside your room.
Lorient / Saline / Gouverneur area
local feel, privacy and villa living
Low key and residential near the best natural beaches, with the island's best value small properties.
Pointe Milou / Toiny
couples, views and total privacy
Cliffside panoramas and private pool villas, superb for a honeymoon cocoon away from town.
Think twice about
- Wild east coast (Grand Fond / Toiny beachfront)
Windy with rough surf, beaches are for walking and watching not calm daily swimming.
- Remote hillside villas in Colombier, Petit Cul-de-Sac, high Lurin and Vitet
Steep narrow unlit roads and no walkable dinner make evenings pure logistics for first timers without a confident driver.
- Gustavia in-town at New Year and Bucket week
The harbour is the party, so sleep and parking suffer. Book it for the party or stay elsewhere and drive in.
- St Jean airport-adjacent low strip
Low aircraft are a spectacle at the beach and a nuisance at a badly sited room. Check the map before booking.
Best restaurants in St Barts
L'Esprit
Produce first French Caribbean cooking in a palm shaded courtyard, the one splurge dinner to book.
La Case
Jean Imbert French West Indies menu at Cheval Blanc, for a luxury lunch or dress up dinner.
Orega
Franco Japanese precision with sashimi and yuzu lit sauces in an intimate Gustavia terrace room.
Bonito
Latin leaning seafood with harbour views and late energy, the signature first night dinner.
L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon
Meticulous Robuchon counter dining reworked with island produce, plus a rooftop for aperitifs.
Le Tamarin
Garden oasis near Saline with seafood, romantic lighting and whole fish served tableside.
Nikki Beach Saint Barth
Sushi, daybeds and DJ party lunch on St Jean, best on a weekday rather than peak Sunday.
Sand Bar at Eden Rock
Polished Jean Georges influenced beach lunch at Eden Rock with the island's best people watching.
Outdoor things to do in St Barts
Colombier Beach
The standout 20 to 30 minute hike to a secluded beach, rocky, exposed and with reserve views.
Île Fourchue
Uninhabited island snorkel stop paired with Colombier on the island's best private boat day.
Piscines Naturelles
Rock pools at the end of a coastal Grand Fond walk, to enter only when calm and at low tide.
Petit Cul-de-Sac
Hardest headland hike on the island, about four miles to secluded pools and big wave views.
Grand Cul-de-Sac Lagoon
Reef sheltered shallow lagoon with steady trade winds, the island centre for kite and windsurfing.
Grand Cul-de-Sac Lagoon
Calm shallow lagoon for paddleboarding and kayaking by the hour, with turtles at the reef edge.
Nature Reserve of Saint-Barthélemy
Protected marine reserve with coral, tropical fish, turtles, rays and reef sharks to snorkel and dive.
Plongée Caraïbes
Small dive operator consistently recommended by repeat divers for safety and instruction.
Best hotels in St Barts
Eden Rock - St Barths
Iconic hotel on the rock splitting St Jean Bay, chosen for scene, service and social energy.
Cheval Blanc St-Barth Isle de France
Polished calm luxury on Flamands Beach with a Guerlain spa, for luxury without the scene.
Le Toiny
Twenty two private pool villa suites on the wild coast, total privacy for couples and honeymoons.
Rosewood Le Guanahani St Barth
Most complete resort layout with two beaches, lagoon and ocean sides, spa and family options.
Le Barthélemy Hotel & Spa
Contemporary beachfront hotel on the calm lagoon with a strong spa and Amis restaurant.
Hôtel Barrière Le Carl Gustaf
All suite hillside hotel above Gustavia with plunge pools and harbour views, walkable to town dining.
Pearl Beach Hotel
Boutique rustic chic hotel directly on St Jean Bay, paying for beach and walkability not resort scale.
Hotel Christopher
Modern hotel with a huge sunset facing infinity pool and spacious grounds, no beach at the door.
Is St Barts expensive? What a day costs
| Budget | €200 a person |
|---|---|
| Classic | €550 a person |
| Splurge | €1,200 a person |
A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room
What to book ahead
- Gouverneur Beach: a few days ahead
- Île Fourchue: weeks ahead
- Grand Cul-de-Sac Lagoon: weeks ahead
- Nature Reserve of Saint-Barthélemy: weeks ahead
- Plongée Caraïbes: weeks ahead
- L'Esprit: weeks ahead
- La Case: weeks ahead
- Orega: weeks ahead
- Christmas and New Year hotels and villas book 9 to 12 months ahead with minimum stays. High season named hotels need 4 to 6 months.
- L'Esprit, Orega, La Case, Bonito sunset and Nikki Beach Sundays need 2 to 4 weeks in high season.
- Private boats and dive boats need 2 to 6 weeks in season. Book boats early in the trip for a weather rebook window.
- Book the rental car and the St Martin connection with the hotel, as cars sell out in peak weeks.
Is St Barts safe?
- Very safe overall. Lock cars and use the safe, as petty theft from unlocked cars and beach bags is the realistic risk.
- Real risks are sun with no shade on the best beaches, Atlantic surf and pool sweep, sea urchins and steep wet roads.
- Watch planes from St Jean Beach, never stand in the road on the airport hill crest.
- Say bonjour and merci. French is official, English is widely spoken, and regulars value privacy and discretion.
St Barts travel tips: tourist traps to skip
- Paying beach club prices every day. Alternate one great club lunch with free picnic beaches.
- Generic island driving tours that drive you to free public beaches you could reach in your own rental car.
- Sunset cruises as a standalone. Land sunsets in Gustavia and at Pointe Milou are free and equal.
- Shopping in Gustavia without a list, and assuming beachfront means a swimmable beach. Check the specific beach.
Getting around St Barts: public transport and more
- A rental car is not optional. There is no public transport, no rideshare and only about 40 scarce expensive taxis.
- Fly to St Martin then take a 10 to 15 minute Winair or St Barth Commuter flight, or a 45 to 60 minute ferry from Marigot or Philipsburg.
- Roads are narrow, steep and winding. Pick the smallest car whose engine and brakes you trust.
- Arrive early for Gustavia parking and use lots above the harbour. Fill up Saturday as petrol stations close Sundays.
- Currency is the Euro. Carry 100 to 200 Euros daily as small places prefer cash and card minimums occur.
Who St Barts suits
| Solo travellers | OK |
|---|---|
| Groups of friends | Good |
| Couples | Great |
| Bachelor parties | OK |
| Families | Good |
| Bachelorette parties | Great |
Make St Barts your trip
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