Introduction: The French island of St. Barthelemy or more commonly known by visitors as St. Barts, contains 22 beautiful beaches, with many luxurious boutiques, hundreds of traditional Creole houses and secret gardens where tranquility is the main event. It is small, a little more than eight square miles. Steep hills divide the island into several valleys, usually open on one side to the sea. Each valley is distinctive, with unique variations of topography, density of settlement, and character of architecture.
This European island contains dozens of excellent restaurants, huge wine cellars, fashion shows galore, and top-of-the-line art galleries. In a charmingly French touch, the police wear kepis as headgear. The centre of St Barts' tourist industry is the town of St Jean. This site of the earliest settlement on the island is packed with Euro-styled bistros, brasseries and chic boutiques. Old St Barts can be found in the hills east of St Jean. Here you will find the luxurious villas replaced with the dry-stone walls and red roofs of old-time St Barts. Nearby is the island's highest peak, about 930 ft high and with a view that can reach as far as St Kitts.
The most famous of the island's 20 sum stunning beaches include Anse a Colombier and the even more gorgeous Anse des Flamands. Topless bathing is permitted but, surprisingly for a French location, nudity is not permitted. St. Barts in known for its tranquility but you can also find activities like boating and sailing, coastal and deep-sea fishing, horseback riding, scuba diving and tennis. Most visitors are more than content with St Barts as the perfect place to rest and escape the city hustle.
Climate: Temperatures vary from 20°C/68°F to 33°C/91,4°F. Average temperatures are 21°C/69,8°F in the winter, and 25°5°C/77,9°F in the summer. The highest temperatures are around 30°C/86°F in February and 33°C/91,4°F in the hottest months, with record highs reaching 35°C/95°F.
Language: French is the official language but much of the populace speaks English.
Nightlife: Wine Bars. Live jazz (high season). Nightclubs
Attractions/Sightseeing: Corossol; The Musee Municipal de St. Barthelemy in Gustavia which showcases the island’s history through photographs, documents, costumes, and antiques; Mountainous vicinity of Vitet, with stone-fenced farms and tile-roofed houses; Ingenu Magras’ InterOceans Museums, has a collection of 7,000 seashells; Lorient Church; The Manor; Point Milou.
