THE BEST BEACHES IN ST BARTH

St Jean, a large and central beach St Barts beach, divided by the famous Eden Rock Hotel, perched upon the iconic peninsula, is known by two names; St Jean Beach, on the left and St Jean, Pelican Beach, on the right. St Jean, on the left, home to La Plage and Nao Beach and the renowned landing strip of the St Barts airport, where you can watch as the tiny toy like airplanes arrive and take off. On this beach you can indulge in many water sports, ranging from surfing, to stand up paddleboard, windsurfing and snorkeling. Located on St Jean beach are many different hotels and restaurants, such as the Eden Rock hotel, La Plage hotel and Les ilets. Pelican Beach is home to the notorious Nikki Beach, a place to see and be seen, especially during the high season, known for its champagne showers and themed Sunday parties, this is a must go to beach if you are looking to have a great time with hip music and exceptional service. Gypsea beach and La Guérite Plage are no a part of the landscape. However it is also one of the most ideal beaches for small children and families during the low season, as the ocean is very calm and peaceful, particularly in the spring and summer months.

Flamands is the largest beach on St Barts, with its wide stretch of fine white sand; it is one of the most generous sandy beaches for long walks and sunbathing. Flamands is home to the famous Cheval Blanc St Barth and the most prestigious beach. Flamands, although more developed than other beaches, is beautifully scenic, its white sand accommodates the turquoise sea with a palate of blues and coastal islets as a backdrop. This beach is one of the best in calm weather and when the ocean permits, we recommend going on a stand up paddleboard adventure and bask in the eternal summer glory this beach has to offer.

Gouverneur beach is one of the most sought out beaches by tourists. The drive down to this white sand beach is quite impressive, it offers a wide overview of the beach itself nestled between its wild cliffs and surrounded by Crystal Clear Turquoise Ocean. Its spectacular view from the road makes this spot a great place for you to go for an exercising walk or jog. Gouverneur is an unbelievable beach for snorkeling, you may come across squids, sand dollars and on extremely clear days, the ocean floors will truly take your breath away. It is a great beach for pic nicking with friends or family, please always keep in mind to pick up after yourselves, keeping our beaches clean is a top priority. Legend has it that a French pirate by the name of Monbart hid his treasure on this beach long ago.

Saline may arguably be one of St Barths most popular beach. With abundant parking and an iconic access, Saline is worth the detour. Once at the entrance, this beach offers a wild and untouched short 3min walk to the beaches entrance, which is truly picture perfect. This beach remains one of the more uninhabited beaches, surrounded by sand dunes adorned with Caribbean grape trees and other diverse fauna. This beach is wide and generous and offers both a “family” end to the left, along with a “nudist” end on the far right and everything else in between.  Saline is a good beach to walk or jog on close to the shore, be sure to wear a sunhat or cap during mid-day hours.

Shade on Saline beach is very scarce; do anticipate the correct coverage in terms of sun block and sun hats. If you venture to the end of the right side of the beach you can find a small tide pool, alongside a canal, which was used to flood the salt marshes in order to collect salt once they dried up. Although the salt trade is no longer an active export, it was at one point a big occupation by local folk; these marshes are a true and timeless cultural heritage of this island.

This beach is a must see, accessible only by foot or boat, this is one of the most secluded beaches on St Barths. There are two hiking trails to get to Colombier, one is at the very end of Flamands, which is the easiest of both trails, and the other descends from the top of Colombier, by the lookout point. This beach is amazing for picnics and day long beach trips, and the walk to and from Colombier has amazing and breathtaking views.

The hike down takes approximately 30minutes, we highly suggest wearing sneakers and sun hats, as well as bringing along an adequate amount of water and snacks, as there are no restaurants or hotels around this beach.

The trail debuting at the top of Colombier is not recommended for elderly and small children, the walk back can be strenuous and demanding.

The trail starting directly off of the end of Flamands is easier but physical in any case, hiking around noon hours is not advised unless you have the necessary sun protection.

Colombier is great for snorkelling, where at times you may come across hundreds of enormous orange starfish, making your underwater sightseeing quite a memorable experience.

For more experienced swimmers and snorkelers, we recommend lounging the rocky outskirts of this beach, where you will find an array of booming sea life.

We advise checking the wind conditions before heading to Colombier, as on very windy days the sand is easily picked up by the winds and can be quite unpleasant.

As most of the more popular beaches here, the touristic season can affect the ambiance and foot traffic on this beach. Some days, especially on Sundays, the anchorage here is full of boats and small yachts, making this one of the more crowded beaches at times. But during other seasons when there are less people, you can sometimes be lucky enough to get the entire beach practically to yourself.

Probably the most frequented beach on the island, Shell Beach is the only beach located in Gustavia, the capitol of St Barths.

True to its name, this is the only beach where one can find an inexhaustible amount of small shells.

The shells found on this beach weren’t always there; they were brought in from the harbor in the 60s. Shell Beach is home to one of the best beach restaurants of St Barts, the Shellona, where you can enjoy lunch and enjoy an unbelievable sunset with cocktails, especially during the winter months.

This beach is easily accessible and offers a myriad of activities such as great snorkeling, cliff jumping and cave diving for the more experienced when the weather permits.

You can also rent a seabob and let yourself be effortlessly tugged along while enjoying the beauty of the underwater scenery.

Although beautiful, the shells can be rough on the feet, therefore we recommend keeping your shoes on, for small children and new comers, until you find your lounging spot.

There are many boulders throughout the length of the beach, which are ideal for people seeking more privacy and shade.

We highly recommend hiking up to Fort Karl, which gives way to an impressive view of Shell Beach as well as Gustavia.

Fort Karl is situated behind the local junior high school, a short ten-minute walk from the beach.

This Fort erected in 1789, one of four, was built to protect the main town of Gustavia from any outside threats

Corossol beach offers the most authentic St Barth village beach experience. This quaint and tucked away little beach offers views on the extended anchorage and is home to many colorful local fishing boats. This beach is perfect if you are seeking peace and quiet or wish to see a more local minded beach. The road leading to the beach descends through a more traditional and old-fashioned part of the island. One can see many authentic St Barths “cazes” and artisans selling their handcrafted straw hats, an important artisanal tradition.

This beach is great for families and kids can often be seen jumping from the pier.

The snorkeling here is nice and worthwhile if you are with family or partner and wish to spend a relaxing time. You may come across sand dollars and lobster pots, as well as small bright colored fish.

This beach was once home to the shell museum, ran with love and utter devotion by the late Ingénu, a Corossol local, who had a great fondness for shells and with a collection of over 9,000 shells and dried up sea creatures from all around the world, he shared his passion with anyone who had the luck of passing through his home.

The Shell Museum is unfortunately closed indefinitely.

This beach is an “all in one’’ for everyone. There is plenty of space to sun bath or keep cool under the shade of its tropical trees. It is known as the most versatile surfers beach, as it offers three distinct breaks, this beach is where most of the local kids take their first wave and where pros find their bliss as well. Surfers, snorkelers and families can find easy parking here and refreshments right across the street at either of the two local markets or at the original surfers cheeseburger shack, Jojo Burger.

If you are planning on going in the morning, stop in and grab a croissant or other pastry at La Petite Colombe, which is also located right across the street.

Lorient is a great family beach on the south end where kids can play around in the calm tidal pools and enjoy the wide stretch of beach.

We highly recommend snorkeling in Lorient, the variety of marine wildlife near the shoal is stunning, and sea turtles can almost always be seen not far from the shore.

hef Eric Desbordes crafts exceptional French gastronomic cuisine that evolves with the seasons, preserving the timeless recipes that have made L’ATELIER a global success. With a commitment to using locally sourced ingredients, the restaurant embraces the essence of St Barths and showcases the best of French culinary excellence.