St. Barts Beaches

Photo by Fred Guber
© All Rights Reserved

With only a few thousand locals calling this island home it's not surprising that the tourists outnumbered them at times. Especially when so many travelers are discovering what fun St. Barts beaches with their sophisticated appeal can be. Call it Anguilla 'shaken - not stirred' or Cayman 'gone Cannes'.

For this is where the living legends grab their slice of Caribbean paradise. No mega-resorts on this tiny island. This French enclave targets the chosen few who can handle hefty price tags on their deluxe digs - though there are bargains available for us wily beach lizards willing to drive down a few hills to the beach, rather than wake up on one.

The only whirlwind of activity that takes place on this quiet island is when small commercial aircraft slip over Saint-Jean, the primary St. Barts tourist beach, to land at the airport nearby. Here you’re just as likely to find visitors sipping Perrier or wine at beachside bistros as spiking volley balls and gobbling up mouthfuls of sand going for winning points. They already did their winning back home. No wonder there's nothing but those wild and crazy Phi Beta Kappa’s raising their eye-glasses from their books during spring break here.

Over at Grand Cul de Sac beach they even have an art gallery, no less...

"...and none of them florescent broads painted on black velvet, Luther, but real works of art!"

Not to despair, Luther. You can find better works of art au naturel on the St. Barts beaches of Grande Saline and Gouverneur, which are the local naturist haunts. So shake off your inhibitions along with your clothes and make a dash for the water before anyone notices that your body was formed by a pretzel machine.

For a tranquil out-of-the-way beach, trek or boat over to Colombier, a protected bay frequented by - what else - yacht enthusiasts.