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St. Barthelemy Information
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St. Barthélemy, or St. Barths, is a small island of approximately 8 square miles located 15 miles southeast from St. Martin in the Caribbean. Steep and dramatic in the middle, the hills create valleys, which in turn create the numerous coves and beaches. Settled by people from Brittany and Normandy in the1600s, it passed from French hands to Sweden and then back again. Today it is a little piece of France in the Caribbean complete with fabulous french cuisine and great wine cellars. An air of affluence permeates St. Barths and the high season brings an influx of the wealthy and powerful trying to get away from it all...although some people just have to be "seen" here. Despite all that, St. Barths maintains a casual and happy atmosphere where you can be as relaxed or active...as "seen" or "unseen" as you wish.
Island Inns specializes in luxury hotels and villas throughout the Caribbean and the Bahamas.
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INFORMATION ABOUT ST. BARTHELEMY
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BEACHES: Beaches of all shapes and sizes dot the coast of St. Barths. All have lovely white sand and different types of surf to suit everyone...from totally calm, without a ripple to the "washing machine" which, as you can tell from its name is knock you down, tumble you over and should not be attempted...and everything in between. Some are more active with restaurants and watersports but you can always find a secluded beach with so many to choose from. All the beaches are public and in the french way, some women go topless.
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SNORKELING AND DIVING: Snorkeling is good around the rocky perimiters of the beaches where you can see many colorful fish. There are several good dive sites around uninhabited islets and there is a sunken wreck to explore. Scuba diving trips can be arranged with a PADI-certified dive center. For those who like to stay dry, there is a glass bottom boat tour where you can see a wreck, coral and schools of barracuda among other undersea creatures.
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WATERSPORTS: You can be up on the board windsurfing in 20 minutes when you get instructions from the windsurfing school on Grand Cul de Sac. The breeze here is steady and the lagoon shallow and protected and the windsurfers zip along. Surfing is good at several beaches where there are strong waves. Waterskiing and wakeboarding can be found at different levels of expertise and jet skis can be rented.
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BOATING AND SAILING: The marina in Gustavia is filled with interesting boats and yachts of all sizes. You can schedule a full day catamaran trip to a deserted islet where you can snorkel or just swim... rent a motor boat and go to the beach at Colombier...go for a sunset cruise... or charter a 30' Excalibur speed boat for 2 hours. Small catamarans, hobie cats, sea kayaks and sunfish can be rented. Just about any arrangements can be made for a charter to suit you.
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FITNESS: Several hotels have fitness centers with different types of equipment. There are gymnastics and body-suilding centers and you can also find yoga, judo, tae kwon do, archery and fencing on the island.
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TENNIS: Many of the hotels have tennis courts and some welcome visitors with reservations. There are several lighted courts and there is a squash court.
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FISHING: Deep sea fishing boats go out in pursuit of marlin, wahoo, barracuda and tuna.
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HORSEBACK RIDING: You can take two hour rides with a guide.
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EXPLORING: The way to explore St. Barths is to rent a French mini-moke, a cross between a golf cart and a jeep...open and very low to the ground, but with zip...and drive around the winding roads which crisscross the island, climbing to the top of the steep hills where you'll get a spectacular view before plunging down into the valleys. You'll pass through small settlements and in the hills, witness houses with their backs in the ground and their fronts in the air. The"wild" part of the island is around Toiny and Grand Fond where the breakers crash violently on one side while open grassy fields slope down from the other side. The wind is so prevailing here the the trees are bent away from it. Corossol area still retains that Breton air from long ago...some women can be seen still wearing the traditional dress...and the Shell Museum is a must. Even if shells have never interested you, this collection is so vast and varied that you'll believe you've seen every type of shell there could be. Gustavia, the capital, has the remains of a fort and its narrow streets lined with shops are picturesque. The Municipal Museum tells you about the island's history and the marina is a great place to daydream about your favorite yacht.
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SHOPPING: St. Barths is duty-free shopping at its best with a vast choice of shops from which to choose. Some you will recognize...Hermes, Gucci, Cartier...many will be new to you. The two main shopping areas are Gustavia and St. Jean. You will find an excellent selection of boutiques, some with the latest european fashions. You can also find fine Cuban cigars for sale as well as some fabulous humidors. Ligne St. Barth sells their line of beauty products which is manufactured on the premises. They are packaged beautifully and make spectacular gifts. The Shell Museum in Corossol has many interesting shells for sale and the local weavers of Corossol will sell you their traditional straw woven products which are hung on their porches for display.
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NIGHTLIFE: If you like staying up late, you'll be at home here. As in France, dinner doesn't even get going until 9PM and can be considered an evening's entertainment in itself. After that, if you want, you can visit several clubs for after dinner drinks and disco dancing...some into the wee hours. Or you can hang out with the crowd in the garden at Le Select in Gustavia. You could also take in a Parisian Cabaret or dance to some wild latin music...or you could just rent a video and enjoy your villa.
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All contents of this web site are copyright (c)2002 by Island Inns LLC. All rights reserved.
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