Saint Barts Guide
Eight square miles of French Caribbean where the season, not the day of the week, decides everything.
St Barth runs on a high season from mid-December to late April; several restaurants and beach clubs close entirely in September and October. There are no large resorts, so villas and small hotels book out months ahead for Christmas and New Year. Rent a car — taxis are limited and there is no public transport.
Gustavia to the beaches, end to end
Illustrated
Drawn by hand for the KEY2 Saint Barts guide
Where to stay
Hotels
The KEY2 list
Happy Hour
Daylight
Hotel Pools & Pool Clubs
Eat
Best Food
Mornings
Breakfast & Brunch
Recover
Health & Wellness
After dark
Nightlife
Arenas
Sports
Tonight
Concerts & Comedy
Say it here
Weddings
Book the room
Event Spaces
Experiences
100 Other Things To Do
Saint Barts explained
Hour-by-hour plans drawn by hand — pick one and follow it from first coffee to last call.
One Perfect Day on St Barts
A wild beach in the morning, Gustavia at night.
St Barts, Beach to Beach
Four days working around the island by bay, not by clock.
Saint Barts travel guide
The practical layer: when to come, how to arrive, how to move, where to base yourself and what it costs.
Best time to visit
December to April is high (dry) season with the best weather and the island's peak social calendar around New Year; late April to June offers similar sunshine at lower rates before the June–November hurricane season.
Getting in
Most visitors fly into St Barthélemy's Gustaf III Airport (SBH) on a small connecting flight from St Maarten (SXM) or Puerto Rico, as the short runway limits aircraft size; alternatively, high-speed ferries run from St Maarten's Marigot or Philipsburg (around 45–75 minutes, roughly €60–90 one-way). A taxi from the airport to Gustavia takes about 10 minutes and costs around €20–30.
Getting around
There is no public bus network, so renting a small car, Mini Moke or scooter is the norm for getting between beaches and villages on the hilly, narrow roads; taxis are available but limited in number and pricier than on nearby islands. Gustavia itself is walkable for shopping and harbourside dining.
What it costs
Mid-range hotel doubles run €400–700 a night in high season (villas often exceed this); dinner for two at a beach restaurant is €150–250; taxis are metered-ish but negotiated for longer trips, typically €20–40 per hop.
Where to stay
- Gustavia
- The main harbour town with designer boutiques, yacht-watching and the best restaurant concentration.
- St-Jean
- The busiest beach with beach clubs and the airport runway just above the sand, good for nightlife proximity.
- Grand Cul-de-Sac
- Calmer, family-friendly lagoon beach with watersports, further from the Gustavia bustle.
- Lorient / Flamands
- Quieter residential coastline with villas, good for travellers wanting distance from the main tourist strip.
Traveller tips
- Prices island-wide are set in euros and run notably higher than most Caribbean destinations — budget accordingly.
- Book restaurant tables and villa rentals months ahead for the December–January season, when the island fills with a well-heeled crowd.
- St-Jean's beach sits right at the end of the airport runway; low-flying arrivals are a known local spectacle, not a hazard if you keep clear of the blast zone during takeoff.
- Car rental should be arranged before arrival in high season, as the small fleet sells out.
- French is the official language, though English is widely spoken in restaurants and shops catering to visitors.
- Plugs are the two-round-pin Europlug (Type C/E/D) at 220V, so US visitors typically need an adapter.
The Saint Barts calendar
The dates that actually move prices, crowds and opening hours.
January
St Barth Music Festival
Two weeks of chamber and jazz concerts in Gustavia and Lorient churches.
March
Bucket Regatta
The season's superyacht regatta; Gustavia harbour is at its most spectacular and fully booked.
April
Les Voiles de Saint-Barth
A week of racing and shore parties, the last big event before the season winds down.
August
Fête de Saint-Barthélemy, 24 August
The island's patron-saint day: fireworks and a regatta in Gustavia harbour.
December
New Year in Gustavia
The most expensive week in the Caribbean; minimum stays of 7–14 nights are standard.
Seasonal highlights
- High season (mid-Dec–Apr)
- Dry, breezy, everything open, and prices at their absolute peak.
- Late spring (May–Jun)
- Warm and quiet with most restaurants still open — the best value-to-weather ratio.
- Summer (Jul–Aug)
- Hot, humid, lively around the August fête; hurricane season officially begins in June.
- Low season (Sep–Oct)
- Many hotels and restaurants close outright; the island effectively takes a break.
Off-peak intel
- May, June and early November give you high-season weather at roughly half the rate.
- Book villas and restaurants for Christmas and New Year six to nine months out — no exceptions.
- Fly via St Maarten and take the 20-minute ferry if the small-plane approach is not for you.
- Gouverneur and Saline beaches have no facilities and no development — bring everything with you.