St. Maarten, St. Martin and St. Barth Travel News

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Regards,

Sonja

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St Martin attractions on-land

There are many stunning locations on the Caribbean ‘Desert Island’ of St Martin. There are wonderful coves and bays, as well as long unbroken stretches of stunning snow white sand. Dramatic cliffs and tropical jungle hideaways, there is so much to see and do it can easily fill up a whole vacation.

Below is a brief guide to some of the highlights that this tropical retreat has to offer the first time visitors or the multitude who would not consider anywhere else as a yachting vacation heaven.

Orient Beach is considered ‘the’ spot for the well dressed and well tanned to be see and be seen while visiting St Martin. Well to do locals, and tourists alike make their way to Orient Beach to take in the sights and pleasures of this little piece of paradise famed for its liberal attitudes towards bathing attire.

This beach can also offer unrivalled water sports opportunities and facilities. There are a number of high quality eating establishments that exhale all manor of exotic fragrances. This clothing optional beach does not have a tacky or tasteless atmosphere, more a sophisticated French Riviera feel.

Marigot Fort Louis encapsulates a one hundred and fifty berth marina, and benefits from easy direct access to the sea. This has made it a magnet for the internationally diverse yachting crowd that gathers on the island for some of the big races that are held around its shores.

On the Dutch side of the island, the boats are forced to navigate the difficult Simpson Bay Bridge, which only opens twice each day. Simpson Bay also provides a full service marina that has no less than 120 slips, which can accommodate sumptuous yachts with lengths of up to 60m.

Anse Marcel conceals a small harbor and a very attractive short beach, which can be easily found next to the Marina Port de Lonvilliers. Many yacht charters operators ply their trade from this popular little marina. Along the edge of the marina there are many lively little stores offering all kinds of local wares. As well as some extremely inviting sidewalk restaurants and continental style cafes.

Marigot Port La Royale is a busy marina found towards the leeward side of the island. It boasts a shopping area and many quaint little restaurants and cocktail bars. There is also a bi-weekly open-air market on the wharf.

Diving is a major attraction all over the island, with stunning coral formations, clear sandy bottoms and large wrecks dotting the coves and bays, all around its shores. The waters are crystal clear offering excellent visibility even on any rare cloudy day.

The island offers first class villa’s for those who did not bring their own yachting accommodations to this enchanting Caribbean hideaway.

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The first frost of winter often brings about dreams of Caribbean vacations, and the desire to get away to a sundrenched desert isle can start to play on the mind. There are a large number of Caribbean island’s, many of which have a strong British, Dutch or French flavor, left over from their colonial past.

Many people have their own personal favorite Caribbean getaway retreat, many choose there island because of the slick Madison Ave advertising campaigns, that promote them as the ultimate Caribbean getaway destinations.

Perhaps because of its very strong French influence the tiny Caribbean nation of St Barts has avoided such brash invitations to visit this tropical paradise. St Barts is the kind of place that has grown steadily in popularity almost entirely due to positive word of mouth from past visitors.

The islanders have avoided mass tourism by avoiding mass advertising; they are far more interested in quality when it comes to tourists, rather than quantity. Many return home from the island singing enthusiastic praises about this incredible vacation location. Then these are the same people who complain when other visitors want to enjoy their hidden, little piece of paradise.

St. Barts is sometimes referred to as the Monte Carlo or St. Tropez in the Caribbean, this is possibly an insult to this stunningly picturesque eight square mile slice of another world. The truth is that St. Barts probably has far more to offer than its Mediterranean sisters.

Unlike these bustling and overdeveloped French cities, growth on St. Barts has been strictly controlled in an eco-friendly manor, for many years. Even before anyone had every heard the phrase. Construction has been strictly limited, with a distinct lack of unattractive condo complexes, and mega hotels.

to be found on the island including villas defiantly fall under the bracket of ‘luxury class’. With no prefabricated ‘build ‘em cheap- sell ‘em fast’ ugly high rise construction, permitted anywhere on the island.

Even the normal life blood of most Caribbean islands, the cruise ship, is allowed only limited access, with numbers very strictly controlled to avoid the ‘day trip’ feel that changes the face of tourism on many of the West Indian islands.

St. Barts has chosen instead to offer the highest quality vacation to a smaller number of lucky visitors. These privileged few can partake of the 20 stunning beaches that circle the island, separating the land from the crystal clear, azure blue tropical warm seas.

Many people visit the island just to experience its incredible scuba diving opportunities along the Coral reefs located just off shore. Others want to laze the day away on the snow white beach, sipping on a fruit cocktail. Many come for the huge variety of designer goods available at bargain prices on this duty free island.

What ever your reasons for wanting to visit this undiscovered paradise island, it is sure not to disappoint even the most jaded traveler. St. Barts has so much to offer any visitor that demands quality, and the best that money can buy, in an exotic tropical playground.

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St Barts in English or Saint Barth in French is located in the French West Indies is considered by many to be Monte Carlo in the Caribbean islands. This little Caribbean gem measures just 21sq km or only 8 sq miles, and is a magnet for the European jet set as well as the American well heeled.

An international flavor combines with French chic, West Indian cool and stunning scenery to produce one of the most idyllic vacation destinations to be found not only in the Caribbean but and anywhere in the world. Stepping onto St Barts is to step out of normal existence; the island has an unmistakable feel of quality and affluence, which sets it apart from the over-developed, tourist over-run islands, found elsewhere in the Caribbean chain.

International flights from the US and beyond arrive at the neighboring French island of St Maarten, and then a quick hop of less than 20 minutes will find you in your cab heading for your luxury villa accommodations favored by many visitors to the island.

The island is home to some 20-odd beaches widely regarded as amongst the most perfect on the planet. Some are long expanses of snow white sand catering to every possible need of the fanatical beach dweller. There are restaurants, stunning beach bars; every conceivable kind of water sports, as well has the clearest water imaginable.

There is a distinct lack of monstrous condo developments and massive resort hotel construction; this is because of firm government controls that favor eco-friendly tourism development.  The capital of the island was developed by 17th century Swedish colonialists who named the town Gustavia, after their King.

Scuba diving is an incredibly popular pastime around the island’s shores, which is not surprising given the quality of the clear water. In addition, the large numbers of beautiful coral reef structures, as well as at least three ship wrecks, innumerable beautifully colored fish as well as other sea creatures such as turtles and dolphins.

If you prefer your enjoyment, back on the land St. Barts can offer a huge array of activities and sports to keep even the most athletic entertained for every day of their vacation. There are a huge number of diverse sports such as archery, tennis, horse riding, hiking, quad bike riding and many more.

Those who prefer more sedate activities can enjoy a variety of spa treatments including massage and many other therapies. Shopping is also a very popular indulgence especially in Gustavia due to its duty-free port status.  Here you will find not only local crafts and gifts; you can also indulge yourself in the world’s finest boutique designer goods and clothing.

St Barts offers the finest of everything from shopping, to villa accommodations, to the best beaches, and the clearest waters. This is why it has become one of the meeting points of the international jet set, who come to enjoy its many sights and wonders.

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The oddly named St Barts or St Barths is actually short for St Barthelemy and is a stunning French West Indian island located in the Caribbean. St Barts can be slightly difficult to reach; most visitors arrive via a 20 seater aircraft from neighboring St Maarten.

This has proved to be a drawback and a huge benefit to the island; it’s a drawback because of the inconvenience of not having direct international flights. However, many visitors feel that this is easily outweighed by the benefits of the island not being overrun by too many visitors. In addition, the lack of concrete over-development that has damaged other once beautiful, Caribbean islands.

What is so special about vacationing on St Barts, can be best summed up by fine cuisine, both French and local, stunning beaches and coves, and a very exotic and defiantly French feel to the whole island. Of course, because of the French influence, everything on the island has that certain, indefinable ‘chic’ feel that only the French can bring.

The French influence can be felt in all aspects of life and culture on the island, with French street names and French colonial style buildings adding an air of elegance to the West Indian laid back culture. The food is very continental, offering the highest quality ingredients and the finest French chefs. There is no need to visit Paris to explore the very best in authentic French cuisine, St Barts is not a pretend French food heaven, and it offers an absolutely equivalent level of the best French fayre.

St Barts is unquestionably very French, but at the same time it also manages to encompass a very international feel, with high class visitors including ‘A’ list stars from not only America, but also every corner of the world.

St. Barts has an additional odd, international claim to fame, as it is the only place in the whole of the Caribbean that has a Swedish heritage. The islands capital Gustavia was named after a Swedish King, many streets have not only French but also Swedish names. King Gustav declared that the town would be a duty-free port, which it still is to this day, which is wonderful for vacationers looking for a first class bargain gift.

The harbour of Gustavia is truly beautiful and is usually home to some equally beautiful sailboats and yachts. Many cruise ships use its deeper outer waters to disembark visitors to this picture perfect little town. The local government has very wisely, chosen to permanently limit the number of ships that are allowed to visit the island, so as to avoid the town becoming over by day trip tourists.

Both the island’s heritage and makeup of its vacationers is a heady mix of international cultures brought together in one idyllic island location. St Barts is a tiny piece of continental Europe dropped into the middle of the exotic Caribbean.

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The Caribbean island of St. Barts’ offers near- perfect year-round weather many visitors will spend much of their days on the stunning beaches, either just sunbathing or for the more energetic enjoying the multitude of water sports.

The island boasts more than twenty incredible beaches and stunning coves. Most of the islands towns and villages were established near a beach or at least offer a marina. The beaches are ideal for sports, swimming or just doing nothing more energetic than turning the pages of the latest Steven King novel.

The beaches themselves can offer thick snow white sand, picture perfect palm trees and azure blue calm waters that never dip below body temperature. Some of these stunning stretches of sand can also provide magical coral reefs located just off shore that are suitable for even a snorkelling beginner.

Not to mention the true scuba-diving enthusiast who will surely not be disappointed at the incredible array of undersea sites available along St. Barts’ incredible coastline. Other beach areas can offer facilities for many water borne attractions such as boating, windsurfing, fishing, board surfing, spear fishing or paragliding.

There are also several beach areas that have not had much attention from developers and do not even have a hotel along the shore. These areas are also popular with people who prefer that there are no lounge chairs, umbrellas or other modern refinements along the beachfront.

These unspoilt beaches only require that you bring a blanket, and so sit under the shade of a seagrape tree to enjoy a perfect day. Some of these beaches will require a short walk across the rolling sand dunes; others like Colombier will require a hike to reach its unspoilt beauty. Some of St Barts’ treasured beaches can only be reached with the use of a small boat; this is true of many of the best scuba diving beach areas of the island.

Continental style topless bathing is a common practice on St. Barts, for those are not used to this practice it may come as slight shock. But also it may come as a surprise to realise that after a couple of days you do not even notice this very French way of enjoying the beach and pool side

All the islands beach areas are fully open to the public, even beaches that front a hotel. Most hotels allow non-guests to participate of their facilities including beach sports, water sports and water sport equipment rental, as well as use of beach loungers and umbrellas. Hotels will also welcome non guests into cafes, tennis courts, swimming pools and all their other attractions. Some charge a fee for the use of facilities; others just require that you ‘buy a drink’.

St. Barts’ is truly a magnificent home for beach lovers, and attracts many visitors every year and some who only wish to enjoy the stunning sands and crystal waters of this first class tropical island.

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May 1st is the day that the opening times goes to the summer schedule for the bridge into the Simpson Bay Lagoon on the Dutch side of St. Maarten / St. Martin.

The bridge will open only three times per day instead of six.

Outbound traffic goes first (boats leaving the Lagoon).

Opens every day (weekends & holidays, too) at:

• 9:30 am: Outbound, then inbound
• 11:30 am: Outbound, then inbound
• 5:30 pm: Outbound, then inbound

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