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St Barths map
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Spas
Massage and beauty treatments have always been available in St Barths, through therapists who come to your villa or hotel room, but recently two spas have opened up in leading hotels, giving the calm and air-conditioned cool of a dedicated spa building. Both spas allow outside visitors, but equally you can arrange for a massage therapist to come to your hotel room or villa.
Isle de France, Anse des Flamands, t 590 27 61 81, isledefr@saint-barths.com, www.isle-de-france.com.
A Molton Brown spa in a cool and highly stylish setting, with dark stained wood, Capri marble, frosted glass and Philip Starck taps and shower heads. Four treatment rooms for body wraps and body polishes, massages, facials and foot therapy and manicures and pedicures, can do couples’ massages. Also a new pavillion in the garden where they offer Thai massage, reflexology and reiki (there are two practitioners in house).
Guanahani, Grand Cul de Sac, t 0590 27 66 60
Set in its own teak building close to reception, Guanahani’s spa has six treatment ‘cabines’, two of which are ‘wet rooms’. They use Clarins products and have a wide range of beauty (facials, manicures, pedicures, wraps and scrubs) and several massages including Thai, hot stones, ayurvedic and Indian head massage. Also shiatsu. You can also have your massage down on the beach or in your room. |
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Special Interests
Besides the general atmosphere, its glitz and star-spotting, the thing that St Barths does better than anywhere else in the whole Caribbean is its Food, which is exceptional. The cuisine is basically French, with some concessions to the climate and to travellers’ waistlines, ie lighter. And it is mainly metropolitan French in style. See Restaurants. Just a few places have Creole inspiration, though there are one or two exotic restaurants serving sushi and Asian food.
The Watersports are also good, though that is not necessarily what people come for of course. Despite the island’s size there is good Windsurfing and Kitesurfing. Although the reefs are not the most exciting in the region, the Scuba Diving is well organised and satisfying. For something more leisurely there are good Day Sails to remote coves and offshore islands. The island is also a very popular destination for Sailing, with offshore cays to put into and an excellent harbour around Gustavia.
On land there is Horse Riding, with treks through the island’s extremely rough northwest, and along the beach, but the terrain is far too rough to have any serious Golf. There is a driving range (into a lagoon) but otherwise you will have to go to St Maarten or Nevis (and soon to be, in late 2005 or early 2006, Anguilla). The rough terrain also makes it hard for gardeners. There are no public Gardens that can be visited. Nor is there much to see in the way of natural life. There are a few birds, but there are no large animals on island.
Instead the island specialises in people-based activities. The Music on the island is good, and in some instances unexpected. St Barths actually has a classical music festival. Of course there are all the Caribbean rhythms to be heard too in the excellent bars and clubs. There is a small Carnival which is worth attending if you happen to be on island.
St Barths is an extremely romantic and attractive place, which makes it ideal for a honeymoon. Weddings are difficult because of the regulations. There is so much going on that it is fine for Solo Travellers and while the hotels do not offer much specifically designed for Children, the villas are used to having families and the island is generally accepting of them. There are now two serious Spas on the island, a Molton Brown spa at the Isle de France and a Clarins spa at the Guanahani Hotel. And while the island is indulgent and excessive in so many aspects, there is a surprising amount of Yoga and Holistic Activities available for those who want to find them. |
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Sports
Watersports
The bigger hotels usually have some sports equipment on offer to their guests if they are located on the beach. Those not located on the beach may lend or hire out snorkelling gear, but do not depend on anything larger. For windsurfers or kayaks you will need to go to the independent operators.
Snorkelling
The best snorkelling in the island is reckoned to be in the northwest, in the area around Colombier, on the northern and southern arms of Colombier Bay and just offshore on the southern side, around the island in the bay, Ile Petit Jean. Most people go by boat (often on day sails), but there are paths that lead over to the bay so you can walk. If you don’t want that far, then you can stop in the bay before, Petite Anse, which also has a nice reef with good fish.
Sports fishing
Big fish ply the waters off St Barths, so you can head off after tuna, dorado and blue marlin. Contact Nautica, t 590 27 56 60 or Océan Must, t 590 27 62 25).
Surfing
Surfing is limited in St Barths, but when the swell is up then some large waves make it over the reefs into Anse des Cayes, Lorient, Piquette and Toiny. Which side of the island the waves are on depends on the prevailing winds. You’ll have to ask around.
See our notes on Scuba diving and Windsurfing/kitesurfing.
Land-based sports
Cricket
Cricket is not played on St Barths except on the beach by English eccentrics.
Cycling
There is very little cycling available in St Barths and no bicycles for hire. Frankly the island is one for motorized transport. The roads are windy, steep and the young bloods around the island drive far too fast. There are not really any suitable trails for off-road biking.
Running
You don’t see many runners out in St Barths. There is a constant flow of traffic on the narrow roads, which are extremely hilly and winding. Altogether running can be pretty hard work. There is an annual running race, however, the Gustavialoppet, held on a weekend in November each year, which has a 3km and a 12km section.
See our notes about Golf, Hiking and Horse riding.
Tennis
Tennis is available on the island. A number of the hotels have courts and most would be happy to allow you to play for a fee (around €15-20). Try Isle de France or Guanahani. There are also public courts in Colombier. Contact ASCCO, t 590 27 61 07) and in Lorient, t 590 27 67 63. |
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Taxis
Taxis are not exactly in abundance in St Barths and they are particularly hard to come by after dark, but can be found if you try hard enough. In high season you really need to reserve them a couple of days in advance. The minimum price for a ride is €9 and the maximum (from one end of the island to the other) is €20. Rates increase by 50% between 6.30pm and 6.30am and on Sundays. People do hire taxis by the night (if they want to go out partying without having to drive – it is expensive but it is possible to arrange). If one of the usual taxi drivers is not available, ask around at the hotels.
There are two taxi stations, manned by day, on the waterfront in Gustavia, at the municipal Parking, t 0590 27 66 31, and at the airport, t 0590 27 75 81. Drivers offer an island tour that lasts up to 90 minutes.
Taxi rates from Gustavia:
Airport - €9
St Jean - €11
Pointe Milou - €17
Toiny - €20
Flamands - €12
Saline/Gouverneur beaches - €15
From the airport:
Gustavia - St Jean - €9
Flamands - €11
Saline Beach - €11
Gouverneur Beach - €18
St Jean - €9
Pointe Milou - €14
Toiny - €18 |
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Telephone
The IDD code for St Barths is +590 (for Guadeloupe), followed, slightly confusingly, by another 590 (for landlines in St Barths) or 690 (for mobiles), after which there is a six digit local number.
To dial out of St Barths the international code is 00 plus the country code (eg 001 for the States and 0044 for the UK). To dial France, it is not officially an international call, so you simply dial direct.
Mobile phones are available for hire through Centre Alizé, t 590 29 89 89, St Barth Phone Rental, t 590 29 81 08 and Com System, t 590 29 76 53. |
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Time Zone
Like the rest of the Eastern Caribbean, St Barths is 4 hours behind GMT (five hours behind France) and the same as Eastern Standard time in winter in the States. The clocks on St Barths do not change on island in the summer, so it is then five hours behind Britain (six behind France) and an hour behind the States. |
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Tour Operators
Only a few wholesalers (US) and tour operators (UK) offer St Barths in their programmes. The majority of travel to the island, from the States at least, is independent or arranged through a travel agent. From the UK only the true Caribbean specialists and luxury operators, companies that can tailor make the inter-island transfers for you, offer the island. On DefinitiveCaribbean we will be picking the cream of the bunch for you. This listing is under development, but the selection represents the companies that offer the best levels of service as St Barths specialists.
In the UK and Europe, tour operators should be bonded for your financial protection, and only sell flight-inclusive holidays under licence from bodies such as the Civil Aviation Authority (UK). Some travel agents also have the required bonding and licences to put together a flight inclusive holiday for you and there are some Caribbean specialists among them.
Message to Tour Operators, Wholesalers and specialist travel agents:
We invite any travel organiser working as a Caribbean specialist with a programme to St Barths to contact us if we are not already in communication with you. Initially please email us for further details.
| | CaribtoursA lovely company that has not diluted its high standards of personal service for the sake of profit; excellent brochure; fairly priced holidays. Strong following of repeat clients, some famous, some infamous and others simply seeking consistently reliable service and value for money. | | CV TravelA long established villa holiday specialist with an extensive Caribbean programme. CV Travel offers a broad range of Caribbean villas of all sizes and prices in twelve islands, ranging from simple beachfront homes to substantial staffed villas, estates, even private islands. Also a selection of the region’s finest villa resorts and characterful hotels and inns. |
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Tourist Information
The St Barths Tourist Office (Office Municipal du Tourisme) is on the waterfront in Gustavia, Quai de la République, Gustavia, t 590 27 87 27, f 590 27 74 47, info@saintbarth-tourisme.com. Opening hours are weekday mornings 8.30am – 12.30pm and afternoons 2pm – 5.30pm except Fridays when the office closes at 5pm. Closed Saturdays and Sundays.
Overseas, St Barths is handled by the main French tourism authority, la Maison de France.
In Great Britain:
178 Piccadilly, London W1J 9AL, t 09068 244123 (premium rate line), f 020 7493 6594, info.uk@franceguide.com.
In the States:
New York
444 Madison Avenue, 10022 New York, NY, t 1410 286 8310
Chicago
205 N Michegan Ave, Suite 3770, 60601, Chicago, Illinois, t 1410 286 8310, info.chicago@franceguide.com.
Los Angeles
9454 Wilshire Blvd, Suite 715, 90212 Beverly Hills, California, t 1310 271 6665, f 1310 276 2835, info.losangeles@franceguide.com.
In Canada:
1981 Ave McGill College, Suite 490, H3A 2W9 Montreal, t 1514 288 2026, f 1514 845 4868, Canada@franceguide.com. |
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Tours of St Barths
There are no tours of St Barths in the way of most Caribbean islands. The Tourist Office recommends three tours of the island, which last between 45 and 90 minutes (90 minutes is enough to get around the whole island, even when there is lots of traffic). The tours can be arranged through any of the taxi drivers. |
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Water
Water has been a problem ever since St Barths was first settled. There was never enough rain even for the few people who lived there. And with so many visitors and the considerably increased demand, the island now desalinates huge amounts of seawater. It is expensive to do so and you are asked not to waste it.
You are generally advised not to drink the tap water on the island. Bottled water is available for purchase at every turn. |
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Weather
The weather in St Barths is generally excellent. Its tropical marine climate means that the sun is hot of course, but most days there is at least partial cloud cover and the heat is also tempered by the Atlantic tradewinds (Les Alizés in French), which whistle in off the ocean. The time of year has an effect - it is hotter and more humid in the summer months – but a cloudless, windless day in winter will be hotter than a breezy one in summer. Unlike the temperate zones, St Barths does not have summer and winter. Instead there is a dry season, the Carème between December and May and a wet season, the Hivernage, which lasts from June until November. The wet season will bring a slightly higher incidence of passing showers but it is not that noticeable.
A more serious blight on the otherwise bright horizon are the cold fronts that spin off any major storms and weather systems that may rage in the North Atlantic, usually in the winter months. These send down a blanket of cloud that can leave the island grey for several days.
The other occasional scourge is hurricanes. St Barths is in the middle of the hurricane belt and has been known to receive a direct hit. The most likely time for hurricanes is the middle ten days in September, but they have been known to come in August and, in one case recently, as late as November. Be aware that after a bad hurricane hits, the hotels and villas will not necessarily be ready to open until several months later or even into the following winter season. |
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Weddings
Getting married in an island as pretty as St Barths is an idyll in many people’s minds and there are many magical places on the island. Gustavia is a charming town and of course there are many villas to chose from to hold your reception, as well as a number of charming hotels and villas where you can spend your honeymoon.
All of this said, the conditions for marriage in St Barths are quite strict. One of the partners must have lived in the island for at least one month before the wedding and 11 days are required for the publishing of the banns. A number of documents (all of which must be translated by an official translator) are required by the civil authorities:
• Identification paper (can be an ID card, passport or green card)
• Medical certificate signed by a registered doctor, dated less than two months before the wedding
• Birth certificate with date and place of birth, and parents’ names, validated no less than three months prior to the wedding
• Vocational wedding certificate (proof of single status or divorce certified by a notary) dated no less than three months before wedding
• Customary certificate, which can be requested from any national consulate
If you wish to be married in church you must approach the priest for instruction. There are Catholic churches in Gustavia and Lorient and a Protestant Church in Gustavia.
With an important event as a wedding, it is vital that you have on-island assistance from someone who has the knowledge and contacts to put the whole celebration together. A couple of the hotels will organise a wedding for you, as will the larger villa operators. If you would like to deal with an independent specialist, then our chosen local organiser is Melanie Smith’s Destination Management Services, and they have long experience of arranging weddings and other celebrations on island. |
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What to Pack
As always, pack light for the Caribbean, but St Barths is different from the rest of the Caribbean again and in season you may well find that people do dress up to go out in the evenings, particularly at Christmas and other festivities. Some actually dress up to go to the beach here. There is plenty of designer beach wear around – plenty of which is available on island too. Not everyone does, and how much pressure you feel is up to you. The wealthiest people seem to worry the least apparently. That’s one of the things they like about the island. On a practical note, if your suitcases are too heavy you may find that they do not make the inter-island flight (on the small planes). For this and other reasons (in addition to any possible delays), it is definitely worth taking a change of clothes in your hand-luggage.
The best advice for clothes is that they are lightweight and cotton. Smarter restaurants prefer men to wear long trousers and shirts with a collar. During the winter months (Jan/Feb), women might want to pack a lightweight wrap or jacket, as the evenings sometimes feel cool after the heat of the day. By day the sun is hot of course, so remember to take high factor sun cream, sunglasses, hat/cap and a lightweight shirt/blouse/t-shirt for the beach with protection for the shoulders, and suitable beach and walking shoes.
Almost anything you will need in the way of batteries and camera film will be available on island, but you might want to take an adapter plug. Consider also mosquito repellent containing DEET, cream for insect bites, beach mat/towel and a small torch. Any prescription medication that you take on a regular basis should be carried in your hand luggage and should remain in its original packaging for clear identification by customs.
Don’t forget your passport, driving licence and insurance (medical and travel) documents. |
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Windsurfing/Kitesurfing
Windsurfing and kitesurfing are available in Grand Cul de Sac, in the eastern part of the island. Here the Atlantic winds whistle onshore into the bay, which is protected at its mouth by a reef and is only a few feet deep throughout. Rental and instruction is available through WindWave Power (also jet-skis and boats), t 590 27 82 57. |
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Yoga/Holistic Activities
Despite St Barths’ generally indulgent atmosphere, its excellent restaurants and the all night partying, the island also has a different side that can help you towards a more consciously healthy lifestyle. If you would like join a yoga session, or arrange private sessions, then that is possible. The spa at the Hotel Isle de France offers massage and reiki and there are also a number of individual practitioners offering complementary healing.
Form Fitness, Lurin, t 0590 27 51 23, sam@formfitness-stbarth.com
A gym in Lurin above Gustavia. They have yoga classes a couple of times a week.
Yoga Vidya St-Barth, styoga@mac.com, www.st-barthyoga.com
Certified Iyengar Yoga teacher Sylvie Terree has been working on St Barths since the mid 1980s. You can join her daily small group classes, or book private sessions. She also offers personal retreats for students and teachers in St Barths and has some accommodation.
Diane Bourel, t 0590 27 98 10, 0690 49 99 21
She offers private yoga sessions to visitors to the island.
PHOTOGRAPHY
Definitive Caribbean is most grateful for the photographic contributions we received for use in the St Barths Guide. Contributions came from: Auberge de Terre Neuve, Carl Gustaf, Eden Rock resort, Europcar, Isle de France, La Case de l’Isle, Le Gaïac, Le Toiny, Les Ilets de la Plage, Wimco Villas and James Henderson
Picture Editors, Alexander Gray & Will Orr |
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