Saint-Barthélemy

Key facts

• Region: The Caribbean
• Sovereignty: Non-sovereign territory administered by France
• Capital: Gustavia
• Currency: Euro (EUR)
• Languages: French (official); English is widely spoken in the tourism trade
• Main airport: SBH — Gustaf III Airport at St. Jean
• Best time to visit: December to April, the dry season and the peak social season; the island is quietest in September and October

Overview

Saint-Barthélemy, usually shortened to Saint-Barth, is a French overseas collectivity in the Lesser Antilles, southeast of Saint Martin. It was formerly part of Guadeloupe and became a separate collectivity in 2007. It is part of France and uses the euro, and it is known as an upscale destination with a strong dining and yachting scene rather than a large-scale resort island.

Airports

Saint-Barthélemy is served by Gustaf III Airport (SBH), also known as Saint-Jean Airport, located at Saint-Jean on the north coast near Gustavia. The runway is famously short and handles only small aircraft, so most visitors arrive on short flights from Sint Maarten, Guadeloupe or Puerto Rico, or by ferry and catamaran from Sint Maarten. There is no long-haul service to the island, so a connection is always required.

Main cities

Gustavia is the capital and harbour town, built around a sheltered bay with shops, restaurants and the ferry dock. Saint-Jean is the main commercial and airport area, with hotels and the island's best-known beach. Lorient, Colombier and Flamands are smaller settlements that serve as bases for villa stays and quieter beaches.

Places to go

Anse de Colombier, reachable only by boat or a hiking trail, is a sheltered cove popular for snorkelling within a marine reserve. Saline and Gouverneur beaches on the south coast are broad and unbuilt, while Shell Beach sits just outside Gustavia. Grand Cul-de-Sac on the northeast is a shallow lagoon good for windsurfing and kitesurfing, and Flamands is a long open beach on the northwest coast. The town of Gustavia has the small Fort Karl and Fort Gustave viewpoints over the harbour.

Getting there

Cheapest cached round-trip fare into Saint-Barthélemy, refreshed every 6 hours:

Where to stay

Practical information

Frequently asked