DESTINATIONS St. Barthélemy
www.saintbarth-tourisme.com
Office du Tourisme de Saint Barthélemy Quai du Général de Gaulle 97133 Gustavia, St. Barthélemy
Tel: 011-590-590 27 87 27 Fax: 011-590-590 27 74 47
ines.choisy@
cttsb.org
Saint Barthélemy (St. Barts) is one of the world’s well-kept secrets.
Caribbean Challenge
Choose your beach, from the secluded Anse à Colombier, reached via hike on a steep trail unless you go by boat, or the easy-access Baie de St. Jean.
Hidden gem
St. Barts hosts a number of annual cultural events - the St. Barts Music Festival in January, Carnival in February, the St Barts Film Festival in April, the Theatre Festival in May, the Summer Festival and the marathon in November. There’s also a Swedish week celebrating the almost 100 years from 1784 that the island belonged to Sweden. The capital, Gustavia, is named after the Swedish king.
A tiny tropical isle whose name often crops up in glossy magazines, Saint Barthélemy seems as familiar as the lives of the “beautiful people” we think we know through the media. It’s true that for many celebrities, the island is a favourite getaway, cherished for its authenticity, protected environment, gentle lifestyle, and, need we insist, for its naturally discreet inhabitants and “regulars”. But Saint Barthélemy’s greatest virtue is its uniqueness. Its diminutive 16 square miles make it difficult to accommodate hordes of tourists. At the highest point of the “season”, island visitors never exceed the number of inhabitants. There is no danger of a throng on the quays of Gustavia, where some of the world’s most beautiful yachts are anchored, or at the island’s beaches, many of which can be accessed solely on foot or by sea. The largest of its 30-odd hotels offers only eighty-five rooms and the smallest, a haven of calm, elegantly nestled beneath the swaying palm trees, boasts of just eight rooms. Sailing events include the St. Barts’ Bucket in early April, and the AG2R Transat race early in May every two years. Other events include the St. Barts Music Festival in January.
Did you know?
In 1784, St. Barts was leased by France to Sweden in exchange for trading access to the Baltic, and the island was Sweden’s only Caribbean possession for a century until the islanders voted by 351 votes to one for the restoration of French rule.
Size: 16 square miles Currency: Euro Dialing code: 011 590 Population: 8,700
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www.CaribbeanTravel.com
Language: French and English Main city: Gustavia Local beer: Carib Dish of the Day: Conch Fricassé
What’s Hot
Saint Barthélemy hosts a whole calendar of events throughout the year
Photos courtesy of Office du Tourisme de Saint Barthélemy
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