Surrounded by the blue on all sides, this French overseas collectivity is veritable heaven on Earth. Sandwiched between the Caribbean Sea and The Pacific Ocean, this tiny sliver of land is the newest tourist hot spot. It is a volcanic island wholly surrounded by a shallow reef and is ideal for snorkelling and scuba diving. Saint Barthelemy is the outdoors that your heart was yearning for.
Let us delve more into this fantasy island and transport ourselves across the mighty oceans to dive straight into the land of the sun and the sea.
Where is Saint Barthelemy located?
One of the pertinent questions that are asked is where is Saint Barthelemy located. It lies about 35 kilometres (22 miles) southeast of the Caribbean island Saint Martin and northeast of the Dutch islands of Saba, Sint Eustatius, and the independent country of Saint Kitts and Nevis. Now that we know where is Saint Barthelemy located, let's know more.
How to get to Saint Barthelemy?
You can apply for a Saint Barthelemy Short-stay visa for realizing your temporary travel to Saint Barthelemy. Reasons to apply for this type of visa can be tourism, visiting family or friends, business trips, short-term work, and many other non-permanent nuances. Saint Barthelemy Short-term visa’s validity period can be a maximum of 90 days. Short-term visas can be both single-entry and multiple-entry.
Being a French Overseas Collectivity the island of Saint Barthelemy is connected by most airlines. Still, the catch is that since the island does not have an airport large enough for wide-bodied aircraft, most of the tourists have to take a detour. How to get to Saint Barthelemy gets even more interesting since the detour has to be through the other Caribbean airports. Hence, one has to hop onto a smaller plane from San Juan, St. Martin, Antigua or Guadeloupe and then land at Gustaf III airport. It has also been recommended that fliers who are jittery about adjoining terrain and short runways avoid travelling to Gustaf III since it has all the above mentioned that may give the shivers.
Of course, one can also get to Saint Barthelemy by boat from the nearby islands. There are regular ferry services that are comfortable and quite scheduled. There are yacht services that make How to get to Saint Barthelemy a grand experience. Make it a point to sail on one.
Capital of Saint Barthelemy
The capital of Saint Barthelemy is Gustavia. It is also supposed its largest city. It was formerly known as Le Carenage and changed to King Gustav III of Sweden.
The capital of Saint Barthelemy also has the main harbour and is the port of call of many ships and cruisers.
Saint Barthelemy hotels
Most of Saint Barthelemy hotels are situated in the capital city of Gustavia. There are plenty to choose from. The capital city offers all the amenities expected from a modern city. There are plenty of restaurants that offer American, Italian, French and other types of food. Saint Barthelemy hotels offer accommodation at the most affordable rates. There are dormitories where one can reside for the night. Luxury hotel suites are not in plenty but the ones available get booked early during tourist season, which is generally from November to May.
Rosewood Le Guanahani Saint Barthelemy is one of the largest resorts which is set to reopen in 2021. It was shut to tourists for the pandemic. Built with some exquisite materials, the Rosewood Le Guanahani Saint Barthelemy is indeed luxurious for those travellers who would be able to afford to stay there. Built across 18 acres, the Rosewood Le Guanahani Saint Barthelemy has its private peninsula. The azure of the sky and the infinite horizon never looked more beautiful than while sitting on the porch of the resort.
Restaurants Saint Barthelemy
If you are looking for variety and exquisite helpings, then there are plenty of restaurants Saint Barthelemy has to offer. Most of them are situated in the capital city of Gustav III. Some of the restaurants' Saint Barthelemy has its visitors vying for are:
Orega is known for its Kobe beef sushi, Tuna foie gras, Chilean sea bass et al. One can make a booking online and visit the restaurant Saint Barthelemy. It is mostly open-air with a small portion having indoor seating availability. It is a must-visit for the avid gastronome given the wide variety of dishes available on the menu.
Le Tamarin is a place that inspires many more to return to Saint Barthelemy. It is the sheer madness that the dessert exhibits which reflects the real brilliance of this tiny island. Souffle Au Chocolat is the dish to eat though the fried Foie gras wasn't too far off either. It is open-air too, and all you would need is the weather to blow you away, for the food will.
La Petite Colombe is a patisserie with infinite options. Cakes, pastries, mango mousse and croissants are some of the offerings which turn this place into a real-life Hansel and Gretel candy house.
L'Esprit is the place to be for the fish lovers. Enjoy their mouth-watering scallops too. However, for the meat lovers there is the black pork chop which is as rare as they come. A visit to Saint Barthelemy is incomplete without a peep in at L' Esprit. It is worth every penny.
Saint Barthelemy is indeed one of the best places to travel. This tiny island which is around 25 square kilometres in area and has a population of 10,000, has more visitors per inhabitant than anywhere in the world. At the peak of the tourist season, Saint Barthelemy attracts up to 200000 visitors annually. Most of them stay at the capital city or beach resorts. Its untouched natural landscape and the that it packs so much in so little makes it the top contender for one of the best places to travel. Saint Barthelemy, has always been acknowledged as the most beautiful of all the Caribbean islands. One has to visit to trust one's eyes.
Let us now look at the top sights in Saint Barthelemy, which makes it one of the best places to travel.
Gustavia
Gustavia is the capital city and the largest city on the island. It is also its largest harbour. Gustavia, as mentioned earlier, has all the amenities of a modern city. It is extremely French by essence, and one can see the strong French influence all around. The city is filled with restaurants serving mouth-watering cuisine and lovely hotels. There are plenty of shopping options too. This is a true tourist city, and visitors generally have a splendid time roaming in the streets of Gustavia. It may not be as huge as some of the largest metropolises of the world, but it sure packs a sweet punch. It is quaint and silent mostly except for the hustle and bustle of wide-eyed tourists, basking the French glory. The fun fact is that the capital has only 3100 residents.
Fort Gustave
On the outskirts of the town lies Fort Gustave. Built in 1787 by the Swedish, the fort is situated on a hilltop. It is the best place to view the harbour. Long ago, this fort was the refuge for pirates who would escape from searching naval fleets and hide here.
Saint-Jean
Eden Rock, the first hotel built on the island, is located here. It is a huge and luxurious hotel. Saint-Jean is also a quaint French town. However, it is also the town that houses most of the villas and the hotels on the island. Take a trip around the town, and you will be astonished to find kingly mansions hidden in thick vegetation. The area is tropical by nature and hence filled with thick foliage.
Lorient
The ideal place to escape, Lorient provides you with both the ocean and the mountains. The small town is ideal for the backpacker and the lazy traveller. Lorient has some of the loveliest eateries which offer sumptuous French cuisine to the world-weary traveller. Once you are done soaking in virgin nature, head back to the latent chaos of Gustavia.
Shell Beach
Not a long distance from Gustavia, the shell beach is an ideal place for sunbathing and swimming. It is also the site of many weekend festivities. However, as a warning, the name Shell is borne out of the fact that the beach is littered with fragments of shells, so to the ones who love being bare feet on the sand, beware. However, that will not take away the pleasure of lying down on the beach and while your time away.
Colombier
Colombier, Saint Barthelemy, is the island's crown jewel. Colombier, Saint Barthélemy is a quartier of the island in the Caribbean. It is situated in the northwestern part of the island. It is covered with soft white sand, and the beach is lined with vegetation. It is secluded and cannot be accessed by road since there are none. One can get to it by boat or on foot. Do not expect any food shack or restaurant on the beach and the only house one can see in the vicinity belongs to billionaire David Rockefeller, the developer for high-end tourism in Saint Barthelemy.
Final Words
Saint Barthelemy is a wonder that has been hidden behind the big guns of the Caribbean. A visit to the top sights and all the tiredness will instantly vanish. This is not just an island but an emotion—an expression of luxurious travel amidst verdant nature, the sky and the ocean.
