Saint Barthelemy (St. Barts) - July, 2023
St Barthelemy is a small Caribbean island 260 miles away from Puerto Rico and about 19 miles from St Martin, famous as an upscale travel destination.
It is an overseas collectivity of France in the Caribbean and has a population of just about 10,000.
St Barts is the only Caribbean island that was once a Swedish colony; this is still reflected in the name of its capital, Gustavia.
Getting here
The airport on the island is only able to accommodate landing of small aircraft (up to 19 passengers).
That is why most of the air travellers to the island arrive first to the neighboring island of St Martin, at Princess Juliana International Airport (SXM), and take a ferry from either Philipsburg or Marigot.
Another popular way to reach the island is by water, either by a ferry or a yacht.
Car rental and driving on the island
Avis and other rental companies are present in the airport. If you pack light, it is technically possible to reach it in about 15-20 min walking from the ferry terminal to pick up the car.
It is important to note that roads on the islands are narrow and often steep. Parking is very limited.
It’s one of the reasons why smaller cars and mopeds are popular here.
Beaches that I visited
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St Jean is the island’s most popular beach located within 5 minutes of driving from Gustavia or the airport. It’s where the iconic Eden Rock luxurious hotel is located.
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Shell Beach is within walking distance from Gustavia and has an unusually high amount of small seashells.
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Saline Beach
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Grand Fond - a good location for surfing
Water Sports
St Barths is known for its pristine waters, dozens of sand beaches and is surrounded by reefs with a great biodiversity.
This creates opportunities for all sorts of water sports - snorkeling, diving, jetski and kayaking and newer sports like electric hydrofoil or efoil.
Diving lessons are offered by Serial Divers, efoil lessons and rentals are available from H2O Seatoys
Food
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The island has a number of high end restaurants such as Le Tamarin, Shellona.
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Bakeries such as La Petite Colombe Bakery Colombier have anything from pastries to sandwiches
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If you decide to cook during your stay, shop at the largest supermarket Marché U
Fun facts
- For the most part there are no street numbers or street names used in addresses. Services like Airbnb may use Villa / Condo names alongside with Google maps coordinates to describe the location.
- Unlike many other Caribbean islands, the island does not have a cruise ship harbor
- Due to the small airport there are no direct flights from any mainland location
