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 St.
Barthelemy (also called St. Barts or St. Barths) is an
island of only 8 square miles and approximately 7,000 residents. Steep and dramatic (highest point is 938 ft, Morne
du Vitet) in the middle, the hills create valleys, which in turn create the numerous coves and 22 beautiful beaches.
There are no casinos on the island, nightlife is mostly limited to some hangouts in Gustavia (e.g. Bar de l'Oubli
and Le Select). Excellent restaurants are plentiful, mostly French, Creole and Italian.
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. Please, do remember that St.Barts is not cheap, but with some planning ahead of time, you can make
St. Barths more reasonable and a vacation to remember.
The diving here is among the best in the Caribbean. Relatively few divers visit each year leaving it largely untouched
and unknown. The branch corals are recovered from the last hurricanes, and the massive corals are in full bloom,
with multicolored coral fish everywhere. Each bay has a reef to be explored, each islet has its walls and caves.
The most spectacular dives are around Pain de Sucre, an islet way off Gustavia harbour, or around a small cape,
l'Ane Rouge, off Colombier bay, or around Coco islet. Just off Gustavia harbour, a fishing boat that sunk a few
years ago, Le Kayali, is a nice dive spot.
Climate 70 - 90F 21 - 32C Depending on season
Water Temp Average 80F 26C
Visibility up to 100 ft. 30 m
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Dive Services
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No Current Listings
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Accommodations
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No Current Listings
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Getting There
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| Air Travel |
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St.
Barthelemy does not have an international airport. Visitors fly into several nearby islands, then commuter flights
bring you to St. Barths. St. Barths airstrip is short and narrow and and accommodates a 19 seat plane max. Pilots
flying to the island must be specially trained. On a windy day, the landing can be adventurous.
The most convenient gateway to St. Barths is through Juliana Airport in nearby St.Maarten, where flights arrive
daily from both the USA and Europe. International carriers arriving at Juliana include American Airlines,
Continental
Airlines and US Air
from the USA, and Air
France, Corsair and KLM from Europe. From St. Maarten, Windward Island Airways,
Air
Tropical, and St-Barth Commuter,
make the ten minute shuttle flights to St. Barths. |
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| St Thomas is serviced by American Airlines,
Continental
Airlines, Delta Airlines,
United Airlines and U.S. Airways. From St. Thomas,
Air St. Thomas provides scheduled service to and from St. Barths. |
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| Other islands servicing St. Barths include Guadeloupe, a popular route
for visitors arriving in Guadeloupe via Air France and Corsair, as well as St. Martin and Puerto Rico. |
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Arriving By Sea
As an alternative to flying into St. Barths, you can also use the ferry services available from St. Martin and
St. Maarten.
The MV Voyager departs daily from the waterfront in Marigot, St. Martin, bound for Gustavia, at 9:00 AM and at
6:15 PM. 590 590 27 54 10 for reservations.
Oyster Line departs daily except Thursdays from Oyster Pond, St. Maarten, for Gustavia, at 8:30 AM and at 4 PM.
590 590 87 46 13 for reservations.
There is also a hight speed ferry named The Edge that comes to Gustavia once a day from Tuesday till Saturday.
It leaves from Pelican Marina in St. Maarten at 9 AM. 599 544 26 40 for info and reservations. |
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Entry Requirements
For stays of up to three weeks, U.S. and Canadian citizens traveling as tourists, must have proof of citizenship
in the form of: a valid passport, or one that expired not more than five years ago; or other proof of citizenship:
a birth certificate (original or official copy), or a voter's registration card accompanied by a government authorized
ID, like a driver's license.
For stays over three weeks, or for non-tourist visits, a valid passport is necessary. Resident aliens of the U.S.
and Canada, and visitors from countries other than those of the Common Market (E.E.C.) and Japan, must have a valid
passport and visa. A return or onward ticket is also required of all visitors.
No vaccination papers required unless arriving from an endemic area.
Arriving pets must have a health certificate dated less than 5 days prior arrival and an antirabies vaccination
record. Our local vet strongly advise not to leave an animal closed up in a car or attached anywhere else even
in the shade, during your stay in St Barths. |
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Activities
Shopping - St. Barths is a duty free port and most of the shopping is done in Gustavia and St. Jean. Local arts
and crafts, designer French and Italian clothing, jewelry, watches and perfumes top the shopping list - all duty
free.
Dining - You could visit St. Barths again and again, and never run out of new restaurants or dishes to try. American
to Italian, French to Mexican, Asian to Creole... well, you get the picture, it's all here.
Nightlife - Looking for outrageous nightlife, party til morning? Sorry, that's not St. Barths. Some of the restaurants
and hotels offer entertainment and there are several notable nighspots in Gustavia.
Hiking - There are a number of trails that allow you to discover St. Barths, including several beaches that can
be reached only on foot. Climb to the top of Mount Vitet, 938 feet (286 meters) high and experience a breathtaking
view of the countryside and surounding waters.
Horseback Riding - Another great way to relax and have fun. Ride the trails and along the beach with the wind in
your hair.
Water Sports - Besides diving, there is great snorkeling off the beaches, windsurfing, surfing, jet skiing, sailing,
and kayaking.
Fishing - Big game abounds offshore. Marlin, wahoo, blackfin and yellowfin tuna and sailfish top the charts.
Fitness - There are several gyms in St. Barths, plus some of the hotels offer fitness rooms. |
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| Helpful Traveler Information |
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Location: Lesser Antilles,17 56 N, 62 45 W
Size: 13.1 Sq. miles (21 Sq. km)
Capital: Gustavia
Population: 7,000 |
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Getting Around
There are two taxi stations on the island, one at the airport and one in Gustavia on the public dock.
Rental Cars
While the island is very small, a car is always nice to have. There are a number of rental agencies available offering
a veriety of cars, compact SUV's and even scooters. You must have a valid driver's license.
There are only two gas stations on the island, and both are closed on Sunday. The one near the airport is open
Monday through Saturday from 7:30 a.m. to noon and 2 to 5 p.m. The one in Lorient is open from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.,
except on Thursday and Saturday afternoons. There is an all-night automatic credit card gas pump at the airport
station. |
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Dress
St. Barths has a year round tropical climate. Comfortable, casual clothes are the order of the day. Formal dress,
coats or ties are never required. Swimsuits should never be worn in town. |
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Electricity
Voltage is 220 AC, 60 cycles. American-made appliances often require French plug converters and transformers. |
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Mail Service
St. Barths has one Post Office with two branches. The main Post Office, on rue du Centenaire in Gustavia, opens
daily 8 AM to 3 PM, and closes on Wednesday and Saturday afternoons. The branch in Lorient is open from 7 to 11
AM weekdays and from 8 to 10 AM on Saturday. The branch at the St. Jean Commercial Center, near the airport, opens
daily from 8 AM to 2 PM, as well as Wednesday and Saturday morning 8-11 AM. Both are closed on Sunday and holidays.
UPS, Federal Express and DHL all have agents on the Island.
Banks--The two main banks are both in Gustavia.
The Banque Francaise Commerciale, rue du General-de-Gaulle (tel. 590/27-62-62), is open Monday through Friday from
8am to 12:30pm and 2 to 4:30pm; it's closed Wednesday afternoon. The Banque Nationale de Paris, rue du Bord-de-Mer
(tel. 590/27-63-70), is open Monday through Friday from 8am to noon and 2 to 3:30pm; closes at noon on Wednesday.
Currency--In 2002, St. Barts, as a political part of mainland France, abandoned its historic French franc and joined
the Euro umbrella. Get current Currency Exchange Rates.
Emergencies--Dial tel. 16 for police or medical emergencies, tel. 18 for fire emergencies.
Hospital--St. Barts is not the greatest place to find yourself in a medical emergency. Except for vacationing doctors
escaping their own practices in other parts of the world, it has only seven resident doctors and about a dozen
on-call specialists. The island's only hospital, with the only emergency facilities, is the Hopital de Bruyn, rue
Jean-Bart (tel. 590/27-60-35), about a 1/4 mile (.4km) north of Gustavia. Serious medical cases are often flown
out to St. Maarten, Martinique, Miami, or wherever the accident victim or his/her family specifies.
Language--The official language is French, but English is widely spoken.
Pharmacies--The Pharmacie de Saint-Barth is on quai de la Republique, Gustavia (tel. 590/27-61-82). Its only competitor
is the Pharmacie de l'Aeroport, adjacent to the airport (tel. 590/27-66-61). Both are open Monday through Saturday
from 8am to 8pm; on Sunday, one or the other remains open for at least part of the day.
Safety--Although crime is rare here, it would be wise to protect your valuables. Don't leave them unguarded on
the beach or in parked cars, even if locked in the trunk.
Taxes--There's an airport departure tax of 4.55 Euro ($4.05), but no hotel tax.
Telephone--St. Barts is linked to the Guadeloupe telephone system. To call St. Barts from the United States, dial
011 (the international access code), then 590 (the country code for Guadeloupe), then 590 again (the area code
for St. Barths), and finally the 6-digit local number. To make a call to anywhere in St. Barts from within St.
Barts, dial only the 6-digit local number, and ignore the prefix 590. To reach an AT&T operator from anywhere
on the island, dial tel. 0800-99-00-11. To reach MCI, dial tel. 0800-99-00-19, and to reach Sprint, dial tel. 0800-99-0087.
Time--When standard time is in effect in the United States and Canada, St. Barts is 1 hour ahead of the U.S. east
coast. Thus, when it's 7pm on St. Barts, it's 6pm in New York. When daylight saving time is in effect in the United
States (April through October), clocks in New York and St. Barts show the same time.
Tipping--Hotels usually add a service charge of 10% to 15%; always ask if this is included in the price you're
quoted. Restaurants typically add a service charge, too. Taxi drivers expect a tip of 10% of the fare.
Water--The water on St. Barts is generally safe to drink.
For information before you go, contact the French Government Tourist Office (tel. 202/659-7779; www.francetourism.com).
There are offices at 444 Madison Ave., New York, NY 10022 (tel. 212/838-7800); 9454 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 715,
Beverly Hills, CA 90212 (tel. 310/271-6665); or 676 N. Michigan Ave., Suite 3360, Chicago, IL 60611 (tel. 312/751-7800).
On the island, go to the Office du Tourisme, in the commercial heart of Gustavia, adjacent to La Capitanerie (the
Port Authority Headquarters), quai du Général-de-Gaulle (tel. 590/27-87-27). |
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