One cannot think of St Barts without picturing its extraordinary beaches of fine white sand and the amazing colors of its water – turquoise blue, deep indigo, slate grey with golden hues at sunset, or tints of cerulean on foam-topped waves.
In addition to their beauty, each beach has its own history and personality that are sure to entice and delight!
Conveniently located just minutes from Gustavia, Saint-Jean is THE beach of St Barts’ north coast. The beach itself is very quiet, but Saint-Jean, the island’s second largest village found just behind, is abuzz with hotels, shops and restaurants. The airport, whose runway ends in the sand, is situated right next to the village and offers a spectacular daily show of small planes touching down. This impressive performance is surely one of the reasons that Saint-Jean beach is so popular.
Separated by the rocky outcrop on which sits the legendary red and white hotel Eden Rock St Barths, the beach is an idyllic place to relax and swim be it for just an hour or two, or for the entire day. All sorts of water activities are available nearby, as are several beach restaurants perfect for a quick snack, a gourmet meal or a cocktail with friends from morning till night, the choice is yours.
Another attraction on the beach of Saint-Jean is watching the sea turtles’ graceful arabesques in the clear blue sea. With your feet in the water, admire the beautiful villas perched on the hills facing the ocean. Convivial, family friendly, animated and uplifting, are all rolled into one at Saint-Jean’s beach.
Located on the leeward coast, at the western end of the island where the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean meet, Colombier Beach, with its stretch of white sand lined with vegetation, is perhaps the most beautiful beach of St Barts and definitely worth the effort. In fact, with no roads leading to this protected area of the island's natural marine reserve, a half hour's walk on one of the trails originating from the tiny village of Colombier or the nearby cove is required. Alternatively, accessing the cove by yacht and anchoring a few meters from the shore makes for a lovely excursion in the gorgeous turquoise waters of Colombier bay. Depending on the season, the beach can be crowded, and the cove filled with yachts, or it can be completely deserted and seem reserved just for you.
Colombier is considered a historic and natural beach par excellence. In the fifties, David Rockefeller acquired a large plot and built a sumptuous villa, immediately making this spot, and the entire island, famous. No other construction, however, is visible from this pristine strand. Under the crystal clear water’s surface, the scene is just as spectacular. Sea turtles feed on the seagrass that are filled with life and leopard rays, lobsters and starfish can be spotted whilst snorkeling or diving.
In the south-eastern part of St Barts on the Atlantic windward coast, lies a hidden treasure of exceptional beauty, Saline beach. With its endless strip of fine sand, outlined by white sea foam and turquoise water, Saline is the epitome of a "deserted", "virgin" or even "unexplored" beach. Swells forming off-shore only reinforce the feeling of being the first to roam a remote and untouched land. This vast beach is accessible by a lovely, bucolic trail and, as it is quite uncrowded, is appealing to the occasional nudist sunbather (although this practice is not authorized).
With the tiny island “Coco” off its coast and old salt marshes attracting birds behind its dunes, Saline beach is ideal for nature lovers. In low season, this paradise seems to be reserved for you alone. In the high season, however, Saline beach surrenders to its reputation and draws more people.
It is not surprising that Saline beach was ranked among the fifteen most beautiful beaches in the world by CNN.
Gouverneur beach is situated on the southern cape overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, this east-facing beach, with its pale sand, vibrant blue water and delicate shrubs anchored in the sand in front of a lush landscape, is in the running for the title of St Barts’ most beautiful beach.
Found at the end of a road with little traffic, Gouverneur beach has succeeded in preserving its peaceful setting. At either end, the crescent of white sand is protected by two rocky, screen-like formations, adding to its charm and isolation - an aspect much appreciated by celebrities looking for a taste of paradise in complete privacy.
At Gouverneur beach, the natural environment has been judiciously untouched. There are no bars or restaurants nearby, only villas of billionaires like Roman Abramovich, who owns one of the largest properties on St Barts island. Plunge your head under water and let the beauty of the ocean’s floor amaze you. It is said that here, the Caribbean pirate Monbars buried his treasure.
Adept and budding explorers alike give Gouverneur beach five stars…starfish that is!
Nestled at the bottom of a rocky cove just five minutes’ walk from the center of Gustavia, Shell beach will captivate you with its charm. Get away from the hustle and bustle of the streets with its shops and restaurants, leave your yacht and crew docked at the port for an on shore getaway, or renounce the pool of your villa perched in the hills above the capital to discover this atypical beach sheltered from the wind and covered with shells so finely crushed by the waves that they resemble white sand.
The laid back setting of the Shellona restaurant is perfect for those looking to unwind from afternoon till evening in a convivial and musical atmosphere. Shell Beach is also the most beautiful place to watch the sunset with your feet in the sand.
