Isle de St. Barthélemy is located at 18°N, 63°W, in the northeastern corner of the Caribbean Sea, 4400 miles from Paris, 1700 miles from New York, 125 miles east from Puerto Rico, and 15 miles southeast from St. Maarten.

    It is small, a little more than eight square miles. Steep hills divide the island into several valleys, usually open on one side to the sea. Each valley is distinctive, with unique variations of topography, flora, density of settlement, and character of architecture. This creates the illusion of being in a much larger place.

    The shoreline includes fourteen beaches of various sizes, all covered with gleaming white sand. Many are protected from ocean swells by a fringing reef; all, by law, are public and free. Several offshore areas are included in a Marine Reserve.

    The climate is arid tropical maritime, which means that it rarely rains, and that year round temperatures range from 72° to 86° Fahrenheit.

    There is one town, and a dozen villages, distributed more or less evenly over the landscape.