St. Barts Travel Guide
We just had an incredible family vacation in Saint Barthelemy and couldn’t wait to share our favorite places! St. Barts is a very special destination—it can be very fun and festive, with lots of dancing on tables or serene and peaceful—whatever you want, you’ll find it on this beautiful island.
First off, a note about when to go. We were there for about 10 days before Christmas—so we got a bit of the more mellow season for a few days and then around Dec 20th, things got much busier (and more expensive!). During the festive season (around Dec 20th to Jan 1st), expect to pay at least double the regular rate at most hotels and make sure all your restaurant bookings are made well in advance. Zahra has been there at other times of the year as well—once in mid-January and another time in March—both were lovely and much less busy than December. From what the locals told us, any time is beautiful there except for the stormy season which is typically September and October and during that time much of the island is actually closed.
St. Barts is such a small island that you’ll find you run into the same people over and over. It’s a very charming feature of vacationing here and many families come annually during the same period, so it feels like everyone knows each other. Another interesting thing to note about St. Barts is that “the place to be” changes every night of the week. You can go to the same restaurant on an “off” night and it will be super quiet and the next night it’s the place to be and the place is packed with everyone dancing on their tables. So make sure you pick the right night based on what you’re looking for (we’ve tried to help navigate in our recommendations below).
Where to Stay
There are no shortage of luxury hotels in St. Barts. Many people have heard of Eden Rock, known for its pristine beach and celebrity clientele and Cheval Blanc which was bought by LVMH in 2013. Other ultra luxury accommodations include Le Sereno, the Rosewood Le Guanahani, Hotel Barriere Le Carl Gustaf (adjacent to Shellona, our favorite beach club) and Hotel Manapany, which is not only luxe, but also eco-conscious. While we have lunched at or toured most of these places, we haven’t stayed at any of them yet. Below is a list of the places we have stayed at—as well as one we are eager to check out.
Zahra absolutely loves Le Toiny! It’s where she and Nick stayed the first time they went to St. Barts together. If you’re looking for a posh, romantic, getaway, this gorgeous hideaway is for you. The hotel has a shuttle to drive you down to its own beach club, which serves the best spicy margaritas and grilled fish on one of the more secluded beaches on the island.
For our family trip we stayed at the Hotel Christopher, which is known for its stunning spa and sunsets. The hotel has a great pool and views but no beach. It's walking distance to Le Ti—a legendary dinner show spot—but for most restaurants and sites you’ll need to rent a car which the hotel’s amazing staff will rent for you. If you can, snag room 220 right above the spa.
This hotel is definitely more affordable than many of the other places on the island. Aly ended up staying here as it was a 5 minute drive to the Christopher, which was sold out of rooms by the time he decided to come. The staff was incredible, rooms were clean with great views and they brought a beautiful hot breakfast to his room each morning.
We haven’t stayed at Tropical, but while Jenna was working for a communications agency in New York last summer she came across this gem of a hotel right in the heart of St. Jean. The hotel was renovated and rebranded in 2022. With just 23 rooms, amazing views from the pool, and a short walk to the best beach clubs, we definitely plan to try this place on a future visit.
Beach Clubs and Lunch Spots
This is our favorite beach club by far! The Mediterranean lunch is fabulous—make sure you try the tuna tacos and the lobster linguine. There is a cute boutique on site and after lunch we love to get beach chairs and explore Shell Beach.
Located on St. Jean beach, lunch at Nikki Beach is always entertaining. Favorite items on the menu here are the sushi boats and plank of sliders. At some point half the restaurant will be up and dancing at or on their tables. The DJ and saxophone player were fabulous. Best day: Sunday.
This Bohemian beach club is also in St. Jean Bay on a part of the beach known as Pelican. Most tables are in the sand, so come in your flip flops as you’ll be dining barefoot to great tropical barbecue cuisine and rum cocktails.
Under the helm of celebrity chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten and overlooking the stunning St. Jean beach, Sand Bar offers great casual lunch fare in a beautiful colonial-style space. Try the truffle pizza, tuna tartare or the cheeseburger—with a bottle of rose of course!
At La Case you can expect delicious Caribbean cuisine and exquisite service on the Anse des Flamands (Bay of Flamands). The beach is one of the longest and widest in St. Barts—perfect for a post-lunch stroll.
Favorite Dinner / After-Dinner Places
In St. Barts most places—on specific nights—can turn into a dance party, which is great as you get your dinner and after-dinner entertainment in one spot. You usually need a later booking to stay for the party, so make reservations after 8pm at the more lively places .
We love Bonito and its sister restaurant in Aspen, Betula. The restaurant is designed to look like a high end beach house, and many seats have stunning views of Gustavia Harbor. Bonito is particularly known for its amazing ceviches, tiraditos, and iconic bathtub cocktail. Best night of the week: Monday.
Under the direction of Michelin-starred chef Assaf Granit, Sella opened in March 2022 and serves a unique menu of Israeli-Mediterranean cuisine right on Public Beach. The lahmajnun—a grilled lafa bread topped with ground beef and various Israeli spices was incredible as was the chicken mesachen. The early seating was quiet and beautiful—but we hear the music turns up and it is much more lively at the later seating.
The view looking out over the mega yachts and beautiful homes in Gustavia is gorgeous, but what is really special about La Guerite is the after-party. The cuisine is Mediterranean, which isn’t surprising since it’s owned by the same group that owns Shellona. On Wednesday after the late seating expect fabulous (loud) music, dancing at the tables and a packed bar.
Bagatelle is legendary for its dancing waiters and prime location in the heart of Gustavia Harbor. The food is French-Mediterranean with a very high-end wine list. For a quiet, romantic experience, book a table outside and go for an early seating. For a more upbeat experience, book a late seating on Friday or Saturday and sit near the dance floor.
A transport from St. Tropez, La Petite Plage is fairly new on the St. Barts scene. It’s definitely giving Bagatelle a run for its money (and it's directly across from it). We love the beachy wicker décor and dining with our toes in the sand, and later in the evening the servers get everyone dancing. The head chef is Michelin-starred chef Eric Frechon, so the food is great too. Our favorite dish? Pasta Shells for Spoiled Children—we’re not kidding!
Le Ti is a unique dinner show destination, and a definite must if you have never been. Le Ti has been around since 1995 and puts on a cabaret show at the 9pm dinner seating each night, followed by an after party with a DJ. They also have a “fancy dress room” and encourage guests to get dressed up during and after dinner. We weren’t expecting much from the food, but the steak and caprese salad were both fantastic.
Tamarin was definitely one of our favorite dining experiences in St. Barts. The setting is a tropical garden lit up with string lights and the cuisine is French-Caribbean. This is one of the quieter, more romantic spots to dine, so don’t go if you’re looking for the party scene. But the food and setting were impeccable. Try the wagyu Snake River Farm beef sirloin with jalapeno/coriander dressing, the black truffle penne and the lobster ravioli.
In our opinion, L’Isola serves the best Italian food on the island. Not as much of a party scene as many of the restaurants in St. Barts, but fabulous pastas, fish and meat dishes, cocktails, and a beautiful crowd. Many of the ingredients are flown in directly from Italy and the pastas are all freshly made in-house. The location in the heart of Gustavia is perfect too.
This is our favorite sushi place on the island and is located in the heart of Gustavia on Rue Jeanne d’Arc. Great cocktails and DJ too!
Activities
While your time in St. Barts can happily be spent soaking up the rays at your hotel pool or one of the beach clubs and dining on fabulous cuisine, there is lots more to do on the island. Some of our favorite activities are listed below:
Rent a boat for a day
We have rented twice from MasterSki Pilou and they are fantastic. Our captain took us to some fabulous swimming spots including Colombier beach and Shell beach.
Colombier Beach
Colombier beach is probably the most beautiful beach on the island but is not accessible by car. We got to Colombier by boat but you can also access it by one of two hikes. Whichever way you go, it's worth it.
Shopping
Gustavia Harbor is filled with a ton of designer stores—Hermes, Dior, Louis Vuitton, Prada, Eres, Chrome Hearts—and so many more. There are also cute independent boutiques interspersed between all the high end names. Definitely worth exploring. The other shopping area is St. Jean which has more casual stores and a lot of great places to pick up bikinis, hats and cover-ups.
Rent mokes or ATVs
There are several places around the island that rent mokes and ATVs—a fun way to see the island.
Surf
Although we didn’t surf in St. Barts, we did watch the amazing surfers on the surf break just near the Christopher Hotel. Definitely for more advanced surfers though!
We hope this guide helps you navigate your trip to St. Barths, and we hope you’ll love this charming French island as much as we do!