Saint-Barthélemy, known as St. Barth or St. Barts, is a tiny, hilly French island in the northeastern Caribbean, about 25 km (15 miles) southeast of Saint Martin. It is famous for chic, low-rise luxury: small boutique hotels and villas instead of high-rises, a harbor full of superyachts at Gustavia, French restaurants and boutiques, and a dozen or so beautiful beaches, from busy Saint-Jean to the hidden cove of Colombier, reachable only on foot or by boat. Behind the glamour, St. Barth is a small, safe, well-kept community with Breton and Norman roots and a Swedish past, visible in Gustavia’s street names. Getting there is part of the adventure: by fast ferry from Saint Martin, or by small plane onto one of the Caribbean’s most dramatic runways. It is expensive, but its beaches are public and free, and a day trip from Saint Martin is easy. December to April is peak season, with the famous New Year’s Eve; many hotels close from late August to October.
Right now in Saint Barthélemy
- Tue 27–29°C 80–84°F 6 mm Showers
- Wed 27–29°C 80–84°F 4 mm Rain
- Thu 28–29°C 82–84°F 1 mm Mostly clear
- Fri 9 Oct Abolition Day (Abolition de l'Esclavage)
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Saint-Barthélemy at a glance: overview and geography
St. Barth covers only about 24 km² (9 square miles), roughly 10 km (6 miles) long and a few kilometers wide, with steep green hills, rocky headlands and many small bays. The highest point, Morne du Vitet, reaches about 286 m (938 feet). Around 10,000 people live here, mostly of French descent. The capital and port, Gustavia, wraps around a deep, narrow harbor on the west coast; the airport is at Saint-Jean, in the center of the north coast. Small islets and rocks around the island are part of a marine nature reserve.
Columbus sighted the island in 1493 and named it after his brother Bartolomeo. French settlers arrived in the 17th century, and in 1784 France traded the island to Sweden, which renamed the port Gustavia after King Gustav III and made it a free port. France bought it back in 1878, and it kept its duty-free status. St. Barth was part of Guadeloupe until 2007, when it became a separate overseas collectivity of France with its own local government and tax rules. Since 2012 it has been outside the European Union as an “overseas country and territory”, though it still uses the euro, and it is outside the Schengen area. Hurricane Irma, a Category 5, caused heavy damage in September 2017; the island was rebuilt quickly.
Time zone: St. Barth is on Atlantic Standard Time (UTC−4) all year, with no daylight saving, the same as US Eastern Daylight Time in summer and one hour ahead of it in winter.
The areas of the island
- Gustavia: the harbor capital, with yachts, luxury boutiques, restaurants and bars, Shell Beach, the Wall House museum and the forts.
- Saint-Jean: the airport, the island’s best-known beach, beach clubs, shopping centers and hotels such as Eden Rock on its rocky point.
- Lorient and the east: the village of Lorient with its old church and cemetery, a surf beach, Pointe Milou, Grand Cul-de-Sac’s lagoon and Petit Cul-de-Sac.
- The south coast: Gouverneur and Saline, two undeveloped beaches below steep hills, and the wild, windy coast at Toiny and Grand Fond.
- The northwest: Flamands, a wide family beach, Anse des Cayes, Corossol’s fishing village, and the trail to Colombier.
Where to go: beaches, Gustavia and the trails
Most visitors stay in a villa or hotel, rent a small car, and spend each day on a different beach. All beaches on St. Barth are public and free, with no hotels allowed to block access, and none have high-rise development.
Gustavia
A pretty port of red-roofed stone and wooden buildings around a harbor lined with yachts. Walk the waterfront, browse the designer shops, visit the Wall House museum on the harbor’s far side for the island’s history, and climb to Fort Karl or Fort Gustave for views. Shell Beach (Anse de Grand Galet), a five-minute walk from town, is covered in tiny shells and has a beach restaurant and sunset views.
Saint-Jean
The island’s most popular beach is split by the rocky Eden Rock point, with calm, shallow water, beach clubs and restaurants. The east end lies under the approach path of the airport, where small planes swoop low over the road to land.
Gouverneur and Saline
Two of the island’s most beautiful beaches lie on the south coast, with no buildings at all. Gouverneur is a cove of white sand below steep hills, with views to Saba and Sint Eustatius; Saline, reached by a short walk over a dune from its parking area, is wide and wild, and often has waves. There are no facilities, so bring water and shade, and avoid leaving valuables in cars.
Colombier
A secluded bay at the northwest tip, reachable only by a 20- to 30-minute coastal trail from Petite Anse or by boat. The bay is part of the nature reserve, with sea turtles and good snorkeling; the trail is rocky, with little shade, so go early and carry water.
Flamands and the northwest
Flamands is a long, wide beach popular with families, with a few hotels and a calm sea in summer, though it gets waves in winter. Nearby, Corossol is a traditional fishing village where older women once wove straw hats.
Grand Cul-de-Sac and the east
A shallow, reef-protected lagoon ideal for kitesurfing, paddleboarding and snorkeling with turtles, with hotels and restaurants. Lorient has a small beach popular with surfers and an old Catholic church. On the windward coast, Toiny’s rugged shoreline and the “washing machine” rock pools near Grand Fond are spectacular but not for swimming in rough seas.
Best time to visit Saint-Barthélemy
St. Barth is warm and breezy all year, with steady trade winds and a drier season from about January to June. It is generally a little drier than its neighbors. There are no official long-term averages for St. Barth online, so the table uses the official 1991–2020 normals for Princess Juliana International Airport on Saint Martin, about 25 km (15 miles) away, submitted to the World Meteorological Organization and archived by NOAA.
| Season (Saint Martin airport, 1991–2020) | Average high | Average low | Rain per month | Days with rain | What it’s like |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec–Apr | 29–30 °C (83–85 °F) | 23–24 °C (74–76 °F) | 47–101 mm (1.8–4.0 in) | 8–14 | Peak season: sunny and breezy, with short showers; February to April are the driest months. |
| May–Jul | 30–31.5 °C (87–89 °F) | 25–26 °C (78–79 °F) | 55–98 mm (2.2–3.9 in) | 9–13 | Hot, calmer seas and lower prices; sargassum is most likely on windward bays. |
| Aug–Nov | 30–32 °C (87–89 °F) | 25–26.5 °C (77–80 °F) | 106–162 mm (4.2–6.4 in) | 13–14 | Wettest and most humid; the peak of hurricane season, when many hotels and restaurants close. |
The sea is warm all year, from about 26 °C (79 °F) in February and March to 29 °C (84 °F) in September and October.
Hurricanes and sargassum
According to NOAA’s National Hurricane Center (NHC), the Atlantic hurricane season runs from 1 June to 30 November, with most activity between mid-August and mid-October. Hurricane Irma struck St. Barth as a Category 5 on 6 September 2017, damaging much of the island. As of 4 October 2026, the 2026 season had produced eight tropical storms and no hurricanes, and none had brought watches or warnings to St. Barth, according to the NHC. Many hotels and restaurants close for some weeks between late August and October anyway. Sargassum seaweed mostly reaches the east- and south-facing bays, such as Grand Cul-de-Sac, Petit Cul-de-Sac, Toiny and Grand Fond, mainly from spring to late summer, while western beaches like Shell Beach, Flamands and Colombier are usually clearer; the Collectivity clears affected beaches. According to the University of South Florida’s Sargassum Watch, 2026 is at least the second-largest sargassum year on record, with record Caribbean amounts in June; by September amounts were falling and expected to keep falling until about November.
Crowds, prices and events
The Christmas and New Year weeks are St. Barth’s busiest and most expensive, with Gustavia’s harbor packed with yachts and fireworks at midnight on New Year’s Eve; prices are at their highest and minimum stays are common. February to April remains busy, with Carnival before Lent, the St. Barths Bucket superyacht regatta in March and the Les Voiles de Saint-Barth sailing regatta in April. May to July is quieter and cheaper. The island’s saint’s day, the Fête de Saint-Barthélemy, is on 24 August, and the Gourmet Festival is held in November, when the season restarts.
How long to stay: sample itineraries
St. Barth is small enough to see in a day, but most visitors come to relax for a long weekend or a week.
Day trip from Saint Martin
Take an early fast ferry to Gustavia, walk the harbor and Shell Beach, then take a taxi or rental car to Saint-Jean or Gouverneur for lunch and a swim, and return on an afternoon ferry. Book the ferry ahead in season.
4 days: beaches and Gustavia
Day 1: Gustavia and sunset at Shell Beach. Day 2: Saint-Jean and Lorient. Day 3: the trail to Colombier for a swim with turtles, then Flamands. Day 4: Gouverneur or Saline, then dinner in Gustavia.
7 days: the whole island at an easy pace
Add a boat trip around the island and the nature reserve, kitesurfing or paddleboarding at Grand Cul-de-Sac, a dive at the Pain de Sucre rocks, and an afternoon at Toiny. Combine with a few days on Saint Martin; see our Saint Martin travel guide.
Entry, money, fees and costs
Entry rules (last reviewed October 2026)
St. Barth follows France’s rules for its overseas collectivities. It is outside the Schengen area, so the EU’s Entry/Exit System and ETIAS do not apply, and a Schengen visa alone is not valid here.
- Passports and visas: US, Canadian and UK citizens can visit for up to 90 days without a visa, with a passport valid for the stay; EU citizens can use a national ID card. Other nationalities should check France-Visas.
- No arrival form for St. Barth itself. But if you fly into Saint Martin’s Princess Juliana Airport, even just to connect to a flight or ferry to St. Barth, you must complete Sint Maarten’s free online ED card at entry.sx before you travel, as all passengers transferring through the airport need it.
- Arriving by sea: ferry and yacht passengers go through immigration at Gustavia’s port; private yachts clear in with the port authority.
Rules change, so check France-Visas, your airline and your own government’s information before you travel. For France’s own rules, see our France travel guide.
Money and tipping
St. Barth uses the euro, though US dollars are widely accepted, often at the business’s own rate; paying by card in euros is usually better value. Credit cards are accepted almost everywhere, and there are ATMs in Gustavia and Saint-Jean. There is no VAT on the island. Restaurant prices usually include service (service compris), but a small extra tip of 5–10% for good service is common; check the bill first.
Hotel taxes and fees
According to the Collectivity of Saint-Barthélemy, hotels, villas and all other tourist accommodation collect a taxe de séjour of 5% of the net nightly price (excluding breakfast), which must appear on the bill. Villa rentals often add agency fees and service, and many hotels add service charges. Air tickets include airport taxes, and ferry tickets usually add port taxes. Compare total prices when booking.
Marine reserve fees
The Réserve Naturelle Nationale de Saint-Barthélemy, created in 1996 and managed by the Collectivity’s Agence Territoriale de l’Environnement, protects about 1,200 hectares (3,000 acres) of sea in five zones, including Colombier, the Pain de Sucre and Gros Îlets off Gustavia, the islets of Fourchue, Frégate and Toc Vers, and part of the northeast coast. Anchoring is banned at its dive sites, where mooring buoys are provided, and fishing and collecting are restricted. Divers and boats using the reserve pay fees, normally included by dive centers and charter operators; check current rates with the agency.
Typical travel costs
St. Barth is one of the most expensive destinations in the Caribbean, especially in winter. These estimates, per person per day, are a planning guide as of October 2026:
| Style | Estimated cost per day | What that looks like |
|---|---|---|
| Budget | about US$220–320 (€190–280) | A day trip from Saint Martin, or a simple guesthouse or small apartment shared by two in low season, picnics from supermarkets, a small rental car |
| Mid-range | about US$450–750 (€390–650) | Small hotel or villa shared by two, a mix of beach-shack lunches and restaurant dinners, rental car, a boat trip |
| High-end | about US$1,500+ (€1,300+) | Beachfront luxury hotel or private villa with staff, fine dining, yacht charters and private flights |
Add the 5% tourist tax, service charges and ferry or flight costs. The figures are our estimates, not official statistics.
Getting there and getting around
Flights
St. Barth’s Gustavia / Rémy de Haenen Airport (SBH) at Saint-Jean has a very short runway, approached over a hill at Col de la Tourmente and ending at the beach, so only small propeller planes land here, flown by specially qualified pilots. There are no flights from the US mainland or Europe; most visitors connect through Saint Martin’s Princess Juliana Airport (about 15 minutes’ flight), with small airlines such as Winair and St Barth Commuter, or through Guadeloupe, San Juan and Antigua. Luggage limits on small planes are strict, and flights can be cancelled in strong winds or low cloud.
Ferries
Fast ferries link Gustavia with Saint Martin several times a day, from Marigot and Oyster Pond on the French side and from Philipsburg and Simpson Bay on the Dutch side, in about 45–75 minutes. The crossing is in open water and can be rough, so take seasickness tablets if you are prone. Bring your passport, and book ahead for New Year and peak weekends.
Driving and taxis
A rental car is the usual way to get around, and booking ahead is essential in season; small cars and electric vehicles cope best with the island’s steep, narrow, winding roads and tight parking. Driving is on the right; foreign licenses are accepted. Taxis are limited and expensive, mostly from stands at the airport and in Gustavia, and there are no public buses. Scooters are available, but the hills and traffic make them a risk for inexperienced riders.
Beaches, the sea and safety in the water
All of St. Barth’s beaches are public, and nude sunbathing is officially banned. The western and northern bays, including Shell Beach, Saint-Jean, Flamands and Colombier, are usually calm; Saline, Lorient and Toiny can have strong waves and currents, especially in winter swells. See our beaches guide, plus snorkeling, diving, surfing and boat trips.
- No lifeguards on most beaches: watch children closely and avoid swimming alone where waves break.
- Boats: keep to buoyed swimming zones where they exist, especially at Saint-Jean and Grand Cul-de-Sac.
- Reserve rules: don’t touch turtles or coral, and don’t feed fish; follow the reserve’s signs.
- Rocky entries: wear water shoes at Colombier and other rocky spots, and watch for sea urchins.
- Rock pools at Grand Fond: dangerous when waves break over them; enjoy the view.
Safety, health and connectivity
Safety
St. Barth has very little crime and feels safe at any hour. Theft from cars and beaches does occasionally happen, so don’t leave valuables in parked cars at isolated beaches such as Saline and Gouverneur. The main risks are on the road: steep, narrow bends, scooters and late-night drivers, so drive slowly and don’t drink and drive. Emergency numbers: 17 for police, 18 for fire, 15 for medical emergencies, or 112. The island’s hospital, Hôpital de Bruyn, is in Gustavia; serious cases are flown to Saint Martin or Guadeloupe.
Health
Sunburn and dehydration are the most common problems; carry water on hikes such as Colombier. Mosquito-borne diseases such as dengue occur in the region; use repellent. Tap water comes from desalination and is generally safe, though many visitors drink bottled water. Travel insurance with medical evacuation cover is strongly recommended.
Accessibility
The island’s hills, stepped streets and sandy beach access make it hard for wheelchair users; Gustavia’s harbor front and some hotels are the most accessible. The small planes and ferries have limited access, so ask before booking.
Connectivity and power
Mobile coverage is good, with French providers; some EU plans include the French overseas collectivities, but St. Barth’s status outside the EU means roaming rules vary, so check first. Wi-Fi is standard in hotels and villas. Electricity is 220 V at 60 Hz with European sockets, so North Americans need a travel adapter and should check that their devices accept 220 V.
Food, drink and culture
St. Barth’s dining scene is one of the best in the Caribbean, from French fine dining in Gustavia and the big hotels to beach restaurants in Saint-Jean and Grand Cul-de-Sac and casual Creole cafés. Try accras (salt-fish fritters), Creole fish, boudin créole, grilled lobster, and French pastries from the island’s bakeries. Rosé and Champagne flow at beach clubs, and ti’ punch is the local rum aperitif. The island’s culture blends French traditions with Caribbean life and a little Swedish history; French is the official language, and English is widely spoken in tourism. Dress is relaxed but stylish; cover up away from the beach.
Things to do: beaches, sailing, diving and walks
- Beach hopping: a different bay each day, from Saint-Jean and Shell Beach to Gouverneur, Saline and Colombier.
- Sailing and boat trips: day sails around the island and to the islets, sunset cruises and yacht charters from Gustavia.
- Diving and snorkeling: the reserve’s sites at Pain de Sucre, Gros Îlets and the islets, and turtles at Colombier and Grand Cul-de-Sac.
- Kitesurfing, paddleboarding and surfing: Grand Cul-de-Sac for kites and paddles, Lorient and Toiny for surf.
- Hiking: the Colombier trail and walks up Morne du Vitet and around Toiny. See our hiking guide.
- Culture: the Wall House museum, Gustavia’s forts and Swedish heritage, Lorient’s church, and Corossol’s fishing traditions.
What to pack
Bring swimwear, light, smart-casual clothes for restaurants, a sun hat, sunglasses, high-factor reef-friendly sunscreen, water shoes for rocky coves, sturdy sandals or light hiking shoes for the Colombier trail, a refillable water bottle, snorkel gear if you have it, and a European plug adapter. Pack light if you are flying in on a small plane, as baggage limits are strict.
Saint-Barthélemy travel FAQ
Do I need a passport to visit St. Barth?
Yes. US, Canadian and UK citizens need a passport and can stay up to 90 days without a visa; EU citizens can use a national ID card.
Do I need the Sint Maarten ED card to get to St. Barth?
Yes, if you fly into or connect through Princess Juliana Airport on Saint Martin: all passengers, including those transferring, must complete the free form at entry.sx.
How do you get to St. Barth?
By fast ferry from Saint Martin (about 45–75 minutes) or by a 15-minute flight on a small plane from Saint Martin, with other flights from Guadeloupe, San Juan and Antigua.
What is the tourist tax in St. Barth?
A taxe de séjour of 5% of the net nightly price, collected by hotels and villas for the Collectivity of Saint-Barthélemy.
What currency is used in St. Barth?
The euro. US dollars are widely accepted, but card payments in euros usually give a better rate.
Is St. Barth part of the European Union?
No. St. Barth left the EU in 2012 and is a French overseas collectivity outside the EU and the Schengen area, though it still uses the euro.
When is the best time to visit St. Barth?
December to April for dry, breezy weather and the social season; May to July for lower prices. Many hotels close between late August and October.
Are the beaches in St. Barth public?
Yes. All beaches are public and free, though loungers at beach clubs are paid. Nude sunbathing is officially banned.
Is there sargassum in St. Barth?
Sometimes, mostly from spring to late summer on east- and south-facing bays like Grand Cul-de-Sac and Toiny. Western beaches are usually clearer.
Do I need a car in St. Barth?
Yes, in practice. There are no buses and taxis are limited, so most visitors rent a small car; book early for the holidays.
Can you visit St. Barth on a day trip?
Yes. Early ferries from Saint Martin let you spend most of a day in Gustavia and on a beach, returning in the afternoon. Bring your passport.
Is St. Barth safe?
Yes, crime is very low. Take care on the steep roads, and don’t leave valuables in cars at isolated beaches.
Sources and last review
Researched and last reviewed on 4 October 2026. The 5% taxe de séjour comes from the Collectivity of Saint-Barthélemy; the requirement for passengers connecting at Princess Juliana Airport to complete the ED card from St Barth Commuter’s travel notice and St. Maarten Tourism; the nature reserve’s area and zones from France’s national nature reserves network (Réserves Naturelles de France); Irma and the 2026 season from NOAA’s National Hurricane Center; the climate averages from the WMO 1991–2020 normals for Princess Juliana International Airport (NOAA archive); sargassum from the University of South Florida’s Sargassum Watch. French visa rules, the EU and Schengen status, flights, ferries, reserve fees, the population and electricity supply come from secondary sources and are flagged for checking. Daily costs are estimates. Prices and rules change, so check the official sites before you travel.
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