ST BARTHELEMY
From the moment your small plane touches down in St. Barth, almost right onto a glorious sandy beach, you will feel as if you have arrived somewhere very special. Having been aptly described as ‘eight square miles of France under the Caribbean sun’, it seems as if many of the nicest things about France have been transferred to this idyllic island with its green, hilly landscape, long white sandy beaches and year round summer temperatures. The island lives up to its reputation of being very chic and very expensive, but as well as a good choice of world class restaurants, there is also plenty of choice for cheaper, more casual dining. Most food supplies are shipped in from France and a small food shop on St. Barth can feel like the equivalent of a top class Parisian delicatessen. The charming capital and shipping port of Gustavia offers an interesting mix of local shopping and exclusive designer boutiques. Trying the different beaches and restaurants are part of the St Barths experience, so wherever you stay on the island you will need a car. St Barth is quite small, and from anywhere on the island, you can get to any other part in less than a 20 minute drive. Apart from the many sandy beaches offering all types of watersports, there are numerous activities available, ranging from yachting and deep-sea fishing to horseback riding, tennis and museums to visit.
St. Barth’s airport is well known for its impressive landings, and only accepts less than 21 seater aircrafts. You will therefore have to arrive via a regional international airport, such as St. Maarten/St. Martin or Guadeloupe. There are daily flights with Air France from Paris/Charles de Gaulle to St. Maarten and from Amsterdam with KLM every Tuesday and Saturday. Then there are several companies which fly the 10 minute route to St. Barth, Winair, Air Caraibes and St. Barth Commuter. Alternatively, you can take the Rapid Explorer, a 45 minute crossing by sea. Alternatively, Air France has daily flights from Paris/CDG to Pointe à Pitre/Guadeloupe, and then Air Caraibes have a 50 minute flight to St. Barth. Air Caraibes also offer charters from Paris/Orly to St. Martin and Guadeloupe.