Best of St Barts

Our St Barts Vacation Planning Guide

The jet set island of St Barts is a utopic Caribbean destination that brings a version of St Tropez to the western hemisphere. Highly coveted by celebrities and VIPs, the small hilly island delivers a refined vacation experience that no other destination can. A unique blend of French influences, sublime gastronomic experiences and pristine beaches that warmly welcome you for a resplendent vacation experience.

There are two essential points of a St Barts vacation: relaxing on the beach and fabulous dining. We call St Barts the bubbly island by the sense that you are in a bubble as soon as you touch foot on the island. A warm protective bubble away from the concerns of the world to allow you to focus on decompression and adventure.

Must Do Experiences

Here is our advice on what to do when on St Barts.

Charter a boat

Our best recommendation is to explore spend the day on the water with a boat charter. Private charters deliver lifelong memories and are certainly worth the splurge. Visiting pristine and secluded beaches and coves give a glimpse into the raw beauty of nature.

St Barts Charters

Schedule a massage at the villa

How do you get to immediate decompression mode? Book a spa service at your villa. Combine the beautiful views of your villa with a decadent massage. Indulge in a Swedish, deep tissue or aromatherapy massage. Facials, manicures, pedicures, body treatments and fitness classes are available.

St Barts Spa Services

St Barts Sightseeing & Beach Hopping

The island of St Barts is small and easy to circumnavigate. The topography lends itself to incredible views. The Atlantic side near Toiny features incredible and powerful natural views. Grand Cul de Sac features brilliant hues of blue in its shallow bay that is a sportsman mecca while St Jean exudes St Tropez chic.

We recommend visiting the following beaches that should be explored

  • Gouverneur
  • Salines
  • St Jean
  • Flamands
  • Grand Cul de Sac
  • Shell Beach for the seashells
  • Toiny for surfers
  • Colombier (only accessible via hike or boat)

Where to Dine

St Barts offers some of the finest dining options in the Caribbean with its outstanding restaurants and delicacies. Their supermarkets are well stocked with produce, meats, bakery items with an impressive wine and champagne section naturally.

For breakfast, there are French bakeries scattered around the island. Find your favorite for your croissants and baguettes along with dozens of patisserie options.

For lunch, beach bars such as Nikki Beach or Pearl Beach on St Jean beach are ideal ways to spend the day. For a simple picnic, grab a sandwich or meal to go with a bottle of wine and head out to the beach.

When it comes to the evening, the choices are grand. We highly recommend Tamarin, Bonito, L’Atelier, Black Ginger and Kinugwa to name a few options.

Find our full list of recommended St Barts restaurants and to book a reservation online please visit our restaurant guide.

St Barts Restaurant Guide

In Villa Dining

In our opinion, there is no finer setting than dining at your luxury St Barts villa. Combine an exquisite view with the intimacy of those close to you along with a professional trained chef creates a life-long memory for all guests.

St Barts Blue offers private chef and catering options at your villa.

St Barts Chef Services

Getting Around St Barts

St Barts Blue highly recommends renting a car for several reasons. Renting a car allows you to fully explore and experience the island. St Barts is a small and relatively easy to get around island. There are steep hills and the roads are narrow so we recommend smaller cars with higher clearance such as small SUVs such as the Suzuki Vitara or Jimny. Convertible cars such as the mini coopers are extremely popular.

Secondly, rental cars are more reliable and affordable than relying on taxis or drivers.

St Barts Blue offers a large selection of rental car models.

St Barts Rental Cars

Expert Tips

Lastly, here are our expert tips to optimize your vacation experience on St Barts.

Pre-stocking

Arrange pre-stocking at your villa for the first few days. Arriving to a villa stocked with your favorite food and beverages allows you to immediately relax and jump into the pool. Air travel can be tedious these days and the last thing you will want to do is to go food shopping. St Barts Blue has partnered with local provision companies to provide villa pre-stocking and gourmet meal delivery. Please contact our concierge for assistance.

Ensuring Proper Travel & Entry Documents

Check your passport expiration date and if you need a visa to enter the country. US and Canada residents do not need a visa. Please verify that you meet the island’s COVID entry protocols.

Travel Insurance

We have all witnessed the wreckage that COVID brought about in the way we live our lives. We highly recommend securing trip insurance to protect against the unexpected. Guests are welcome to use any travel insurance company. St Barts Blue has selectively and exclusively partnered with Travelex to provide our guests top rated trip insurance coverage. To learn more please visit our travel insurance options.

 

WHAT OUR GUESTS ARE SAYING

"Everything has been fantastic guys. The place is unreal and the weather island has been as fun as ever. Thanks so much for all your coordination and the welcomed gift in the fridge that started our week. Thanks so much!!!"
Tim B.
Ginger
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