What brings visitors to St Bart's?

Visitors including the rich and famous flock to St Bart's annually for its remarkable sparkling shorelines, marvelous beaches, chic shopping opportunities, and world-class cuisine. The beautiful Caribbean island blends the charms, culture, and beauty of a European themed vacation mirroring the south of France. The island's 22 incredible beaches contribute to the unique beauty of this tropical island, the interior of the island is covered with lush verdant foliage where luxury villas and resorts are nestled in the hills.

Some of the best restaurants in the world line the shores of St Bart’s with menu items inspired by the French cuisine served inside sophisticated restaurants in the Caribbean. St Bart’s possess exclusive designer brands found in upscale boutiques, and special shops found along the charming red-roofed, bougainvillea lined pathways of Gustavia. The island oozes tropical finesse in its chic nightlife, endless on land and offshore activities, premier shopping, indulgent cuisine, colonial-era forts, and views of the surrounding French West Indies.

What are the outdoor activities to do in St Bart's?

St Bart’s may be a tiny island, but it offers plenty of outdoor activities and adventures with its hilly terrain, there are some fantastic hiking trails including the one to Colombier Beach, a 20-minute scenic secluded hike down to the crystal clear waters at St. Jean beach or the natural pools in the Grand Fond region.

Gustavia is the charming Swedish inspired capital of St Bart's. A wonder to walk around and see the iconic red-roofed buildings housing gourmet restaurants, galleries, and chic designer shops, all dotted around the harbor where mega-yachts bob in the waters.

St. Jean is another charming quaint town on the island worth visiting for its unique boutiques offering some of the best shopping on the island. There are plenty of excellent restaurants, and bars here including the famous Nikki Beach Club and the equally famed Eden Roc Hotel. There are amazing water sport opportunities in St Bart’s including sailing, boating, scuba diving, snorkeling, surfing, windsurfing, kite surfing, waterskiing, wakeboarding, paddle boats, jet skis, and deep-sea fishing. St Bart’s is a very sporty island with beach volleyball being the most popular sport, with many tournaments held here. There are eight tennis courts on the island and hiking and horseback riding are also very popular activities.

What are the best shopping opportunities in St Bart's?

Shopping on St Bart’s is a dream come true, Gustavia has the highest concentration of shops with all the big names including Hermes, Cartier, Chanel, and Louis Vuitton as well as local designers like Lolita Jaca famed for chic caftans, and Mignot for its pearly jewelry. The island is one of the best for duty-free luxuries with a long history of shopping in St Barts.

What are the beaches like in St Barts?

22 glamorous blond sand beaches encircle the shores of St Bart’s on the leeward side where the waters are calm and the windward side where the beaches are protected by the verdant hills and the coral reefs. The sun-soaked island's beaches are the starring feature with crystal clear turquoise waters, exclusive beach clubs, secluded bays, and rocky islets providing visitors with total relaxation. From sunrise to sunset the breathtaking beaches of St Bart's are a pleasure to visit; here are a few of the favorites.

Saline Beach; One of the best beaches on St Bart's and in the Caribbean super secluded on the southern coast. An isolated protected cove backed by sand dunes and adored with waters featuring several shades of blue. A great beach for swimming with a shallow ocean bottom and great for surfing on windy days.

Shell Beach; nestled on the southwestern coast, a short walk from Gustavia in front of Shellona. Sundays are the highlight here, with beachgoers gathering for a Sunday Funday all-day beach party. Seashells are scattered along the beach (hence the name) and a great beach for swimming and sunbathing.

Grand-cul-de-sac; a long stretch of sand on the leeward side where many hotels and restaurants are located. Lots of activities at this beach with watersports available to rent, a great beach for sailing, windsurfing, and kite surfing. The water is perfect for families with kids as the water is shallow.

What are the nightlife offerings on St Bart's?

St Barts is known for a sophisticated nightlife with beach bars, beach parties, beach clubs, and famed nightclubs on offer. Le Ti St. Barth is part restaurant, part club, part cabaret, and a rite of passage when visiting the island. There is a €24 that comes accompanied by a shot of champagne and tastes like cotton candy pop rocks. A strobe filled dance floor is filled with performers, elaborate costumes, and feather boas. There is a burlesque show every night, you can dance on the tables and they throw over the top Full Moon Parties. Bagatell is a subsidiary of the original in New York, a rowdy establishment. 1 Oak is another New York transplant that opened in St Barts and is quickly becoming a happening star-studded club. Nikki Beach is the legendary beach club known for signature teepees, white curtain draped day beds slew across the soft white sands and famous DJ’s spinning the beats with parties 24/7.

Where should I eat in St Maarten?

Dining in St Maarten is a dream come true with some of the best food and high-end restaurants in the Caribbean. Both sides of the island offer a combination of almost 500 restaurants with highly trained culinary chefs serving up some of the most delicious food and best fine dining experiences around. There are numerous beachside restaurants spread throughout the island, hotels also offer upscale dining and there are plenty of American restaurants on the Dutch side including fast-food restaurants including McDonald's and Pizza Hut. Marigot offers some fantastic restaurants along the waterfront at Marina Port la Royale and Philipsburg boasts many fine eateries along the famed Front Street. Freshly caught fish and seafood can be found on many of the menus on the island along with a rich variety of cuisine including high-end French, Lebanese, Italian, Creole, Mexican, Chinese, American, and traditional Caribbean cuisine. There are restaurants, bars, cafes, roadside food trucks, and beachside shacks offering casual dining options and great food at affordable pricing. The famous Sunset Beach Bar at Maho Beach is a popular spot to sip cocktails and watch the planes taking off and landing at the nearby airport.

Where should I eat in St Bart's?

The island of St Barts is distinguished by its delectable French, West Indian, Creole, Italian, and Asian cuisine with over 70 fantastic serving dishes. There are a significant number of gourmet restaurants on the island, many located within upscale hotels and resorts with traditional French cooking techniques mixing up exotic local fruits, fresh produce and freshly caught fish and seafood. Some of the most luxurious dining options can be found at On the Rocks at Eden Rock (the No.1 Best Hotel in St. Barts), Restaurant Le Gaiac at Hotel Le Toiny.

Maya’s is a great place for a quick bite to eat or to pick up food for a day at the pool or beach. French bread, rolls, pastries, and coffees, wines, teas, crackers, and chocolates are some of the items available. The 1980s restaurant sits on the waterfront in Gustavia offering a menu that changes daily

Le Select is the restaurant where Jimmy Buffet wrote his song “Cheeseburger in Paradise''. An indoor-outdoor saloon with a great menu, Jimmy is a longtime homeowner on the island and a frequent patron. The Hideaway is a great restaurant with a wonderful large wrap around porch and a laid back island atmosphere. The restaurant will accommodate orders to meet your needs and some of the dishes on the menu include pizzas, fish, and escargot.

La Langouste is the place to dine on the best lobster on the island, found in Flammands on the beachfront with a swimming pool on site. The menu offers traditional French cuisine and fish dishes.

What are some historical sites in St Bart's?

The quaint historic towns on St Bart's lead you to some of the island's historical sites. In the charming village of Lorient is the site of the forest French settlement where the Lorient Church, a 19th-century Catholic church built of stone and using conch shells as holy water basins is found. The ruins of the 18th century Fort Gustave can be reached from the waterfront town of Gustavia, this was the most important fort during the Swedish period. The ruins sit atop a 100-foot hill boasting beautiful vistas of Shell Beach, the are also stone wall ruins of Fort Karl found here. The parts of Fort Gustave that remain include stone ramparts, a sentry box, cannons, a powder house, and the old brick floored bakery. The red and white lighthouse on the island also stands on the hill, built-in 1961. The Wall House Museum is a place for history buffs, where they can learn about St Bart's past and by visiting the Vieux Clocher which is the oldest building in Gustavia, and sits opposite St. Bartholomew’s Anglican Episcopal Church was established in 1855. Le Brigantine is a colonial house built between 1820-1830 by the Dinzey family, a merchant family when the island was occupied by mostly Swedish inhabitants. Today this spectacular complex has been fully restored to its former glory and one of the most important cultural attractions found in Gustavia Harbor.

What are some of the festivals held in St Bart's?

St Bart's is the host of many fun festivals throughout the year including the St Bart's Carnival which kicks off in mid-January every year with a Sunday Parade in Gustavia, the celebrations continue until February 20th. Celebrations include street parades, children's parades, a Fat Tuesday Party during Mardi Gras, and float building.

St Bart's’ Film Festival has been hosted near the end of April on the island since 1996, where regional filmmakers gather to screen and discuss their work.

The Bucket Regatta is one of the busiest ocean racing events in the entire Caribbean. Held annually in Gustavia, with one big festival and races on the water, festivities last all weekend and include food, music, and entertainment.