General Information

St Barts Facts

Location: French West Indies (Leeward islands). Eleven miles southeast of St Martin.
Longitude: 62 50' 0" W Longitude: 17 52' 0" N
Language: French (English spoken everywhere)
Capital City: Gustavia
Population: 8450
Area: 8 square miles
St Barts Post Offices: St Barts has one main post offices with two branches located in Lorient and St Jean. The main post office is located on Rue du Centenaire in Gustavia open 8AM-3PM but closed on Wednesday and Saturday afternoons.
Time Zone: Atlantic Standard Time (UTC-4). One hour ahead of Eastern Standard Time except during daylight savings time when the time is the same as EST.
Currency: Euros (US dollars accepted)
Electrical Current: 220 volts. Convertors needed for US appliances.
Telephone code: 590 (If dialing from USA then 011 590-590 plus six digit number)

St Barts History

St Barts has had a convoluted path to prestige. Initially occupied by the Ciboneys and Arawaks, the Caribs invaded the island in the 10th century and named the rocky island "Ouanolao". Christopher Columbus than "discovers" the island and names it after his brother Bartholomew in 1496. Initially, there was very little interest in St Barts since the arid island had a rocky and unlevel topography as well as no fresh water. The island was not suitable for plantations or crops. In the early history of the island, it has been sold multiple times including to the Knights of Malta and to a West Indian Company. The neighboring Caribs presented an overwhelming challenge and a perennial threat. Not until 1785 did the island start to prosper. The island was a haven for buccaneers with the pirates using the island's harbor for their retreats and repairs after attacks on Spanish Galleons. The island was home to the famous Montbars the Exterminator who has a treasure supposedly buried on Gouvernors beach. The island was coveted for it's "free port" designation and the safety of its harbor (present day Gustavia).

Under the reign of King Louis XVI, the island was given to King Gustaf III of Sweden for free port rights to Gothenburg, Sweden. The Swedes relished their new and only New World possession and took great pride in the island. The Swedes changed the name of the port town from Carenage to Gustavia in recognition of their king. They also built the island roads, three forts (Forts Gustaf, Octave and Karl), designed the street grid and built the town hall. Even today, many of the streets will still bear many of the Swedish designations.

After 92 years under Swedish governance marred by devastating hurricanes and fires, the island was sold back to the French. The island still remains the domain of the French government and was governed by the island of Guadeloupe. New legislation passed by the French Parliament on February 7, 2007 allowed the island to secede from Guadeloupe and form an overseas collectivity (COM) of France yielding further autonomy for the island. The island has enjoyed immense prosperity over the past few decades to become the vacation destination of the world elite with its pristine beaches, luxury imports and lavish pampering.

St Barts Security and Health

St Barts is known for the safety and lack of crime on the island. However, we still encourage our guests to be smart. Lock up valuables in your safe, keep the villa locked and do not leave valuables in the car.

St Barts has a small hospital in Gustavia for triage and acute care with eight resident doctors. A radiology lab also exists on the island. Pharmacies are located at La Savane Commerical (Phone: 059 027 6661) center and in Gustavia (Phone: 059 027 6182)

St Barts Gas Stations

Only two gas stations can be found on the island. The gas station near the St Jean airport closes at 5PM each night and closed Sundays. The other gas station is in Lorient. The hours are the same but this station does NOT accept credit cards.

St Barts Shopping Hours

St Barts boasts dozens of boutiques and luxury shops. The island is duty free offering a means to save some money buying luxury goods. The main shopping area is in Gustavia with it's chic and haute couture shopping where you will find Hermes, Dior and Cartier. Villa Creole in St Jean is another shopping destination. The store hours on St Barts are from 9AM until 12 noon. The stores reopen at 2:30 PM until 7PM. On Saturday, the stores are only open from 9Am to 12:30PM. Stores are closed on Sundays.

St Barts Transportation

The island has ample taxis and rental cars. We encourage guests to rent a car. The island is small and relatively easy to get around. Parking and turning around can be difficult. The island has steep hills and make sure that your air conditioning is turned off if you are struggling up a hill. The small cylinder rental cars can have difficulty climbing the hills at times. Be careful after a mid day rainfall as the roads can be slippery.