Saint-Barthélemy
The island, from here.
Twenty-two beaches, one harbour town, and an airport about ten minutes from almost everything. Saint-Barthélemy is small enough that nothing is far, and quiet enough that most days still begin and end at the house.
Flamands and Colombier for the morning swim, Saint-Jean for lunch, Gustavia for dinner and the boats. Our notes on where to swim, eat and sail are written as we can vouch for them.
01 Where you are
The north-west coast, above the bay.
Located on the heights of Anse des Cayes, with views toward Saint-Jean Bay and the surrounding hills. It is a quiet hillside quartier with little passing traffic.
Gustavia is about six minutes down the hill, the airport about five, and Saint-Jean about eight on the far side of the runway. Nothing on the island is much more than a quarter of an hour from the door.
Saint-Barthélemy is French, hilly and small: a week here is spent choosing between beaches rather than driving between them, and most days still begin and end at the house.
Every drive time here was computed from routing data rather than estimated, and each one is approximate: the island’s roads are steep and single-track in places. The villa is marked approximately; the exact address is shared with confirmed guests.
02 The island
Drawn, with the distances that matter.
Villa Ciel · Anse des Cayes (approximate)
Drive times
Gustavia
≈ 6 min
The harbour town: boutiques, restaurants, the port.
Saint-Jean beach · Eden Rock
≈ 8 min
A long beach lined with restaurants and watersports, below the airport approach.
Airport Gustaf III
≈ 5 min
Short-runway airport for island-hopper flights from St Martin and beyond.
Flamands
≈ 3 min
A wide white-sand beach on the island’s north-west coast.
Colombier
≈ 5 min
A quiet cove reachable only on foot or by boat.
Gouverneur
≈ 14 min
A beach below the Gouverneur cliffs, with no restaurants on site.
Saline
≈ 14 min
A long beach behind the dunes, named for the salt pond just inland.
Anse des Cayes
≈ 2 min
Elsewhere on the island
Flamands
≈ 3 min
Flamands and Colombier
Colombier
≈ 5 min
Flamands and Colombier
Saint-Jean
≈ 8 min
Saint-Jean
Lorient
≈ 13 min
Lorient and Saline
Gouverneur
≈ 14 min
Elsewhere on the island
Saline
≈ 14 min
Lorient and Saline
Grand Cul-de-Sac
≈ 17 min
Grand Cul-de-Sac
Arawak Café
≈ 5 min
Gustavia
Bagatelle St. Barth
≈ 6 min
Gustavia
Bar des Prés
≈ 6 min
Gustavia
Beefbar St Barth
≈ 6 min
Gustavia
Casa Coloniale
≈ 6 min
Gustavia
La Petite Plage St-Barthélemy
≈ 6 min
Gustavia
Le Café Saint-Barth
≈ 6 min
Gustavia
Lucali St-Barth
≈ 6 min
Gustavia
MAMO – MICHELANGELO
≈ 6 min
Gustavia
Pablo Saint-Barth
≈ 6 min
Gustavia
Bonito Saint Barth
≈ 7 min
Gustavia
La Guérite
≈ 7 min
Gustavia
Eden Rock – St Barths
≈ 8 min
Saint-Jean
La Casina St Barth
≈ 8 min
Saint-Jean
Tamarin St Barth
≈ 11 min
Lorient and Saline
Sella St Barth
≈ 5 min
Elsewhere on the island
Le Ti St Barth
≈ 16 min
Elsewhere on the island
La Cabane
≈ 3 min
Flamands and Colombier
NAŌ Saint-Barthélemy
≈ 6 min
Saint-Jean
La Guérite Beach
≈ 7 min
Saint-Jean
Nikki Beach Saint Barth
≈ 8 min
Saint-Jean
Drive times estimated with routing data; the exact address is shared with confirmed guests.
| Destination | Drive time | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Villa Ciel · Anse des Cayes (approximate) | — | Located on the heights of Anse des Cayes, with views toward Saint-Jean Bay and the surrounding hills. It is a quiet hillside quartier with little passing traffic. |
| Gustavia | about 6 minutes | The harbour town: boutiques, restaurants, the port. |
| Saint-Jean beach · Eden Rock | about 8 minutes | A long beach lined with restaurants and watersports, below the airport approach. |
| Airport Gustaf III | about 5 minutes | Short-runway airport for island-hopper flights from St Martin and beyond. |
| Flamands | about 3 minutes | A wide white-sand beach on the island’s north-west coast. |
| Colombier | about 5 minutes | A quiet cove reachable only on foot or by boat. |
| Gouverneur | about 14 minutes | A beach below the Gouverneur cliffs, with no restaurants on site. |
| Saline | about 14 minutes | A long beach behind the dunes, named for the salt pond just inland. |
03 Six places
Where people actually go.
Six of the seven destinations on the map, with the one sentence each of them deserves. The drive time is from the villa.
- Gustavia≈ 6 min
- The harbour town: boutiques, restaurants, the port.
- Saint-Jean beach · Eden Rock≈ 8 min
- A long beach lined with restaurants and watersports, below the airport approach.
- Flamands≈ 3 min
- A wide white-sand beach on the island’s north-west coast.
- Colombier≈ 5 min
- A quiet cove reachable only on foot or by boat.
- Saline≈ 14 min
- A long beach behind the dunes, named for the salt pond just inland.
- Gouverneur≈ 14 min
- A beach below the Gouverneur cliffs, with no restaurants on site.
04 The guide
What we know, and only that.
Seven sections. A place appears here once we have been ourselves, and carries the day we last checked it.
We would rather publish nothing than publish an island guide assembled from other people’s pages.
- Restaurants17 entriesWhere we eat, area by area.
- Beaches8 entriesEvery beach, ordered by the drive from the villa.
- Beach clubs4 entriesThe clubs on the sand.
- Things to doThe boat, the water, the walks.
- Shopping and wellnessGustavia’s shops, and where to be looked after.
- What’s new3 entriesOpenings announced on the island, with their sources.
- EventsThe regattas, and the fortnight of the festive season.
05 What’s new
Announced on the island.
Verified, and not visited. An announcement is not an opening, and none of these is a recommendation.
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