St. Barth (also called St. Barts or Saint Barthélemy) stands out among Caribbean islands as an exclusive, top-tier getaway. This petite paradise, stretching only 11 miles long and 2.5 miles wide, is famous for its opulent resorts, laid-back beach clubs and serene beaches. If you’ve been thinking about visiting this island but are not sure how to plan your trip, let me guide you through my St. Barts itinerary.
But first, some travel basics
The first step in planning a successful trip to St. Barth is knowing when to go. The island gets great weather year-round, so it’s not necessarily a matter of planning around sunny days. But depending on your travel priorities, there are optimal days for visiting.
St. Barth is notoriously one of the most expensive destinations in the Caribbean. If you’re looking to save a bit, prices are relatively lower during the summer months from May through July. During this time, temperatures peak and you’ll experience a few rain showers, but they never last long. It’s also important to remember that many hotels and restaurants close in August and September during peak hurricane season and reopen in late October.
The busiest time on the island is November through January, when travelers escape the cold and come to spend their holidays in paradise. During this time, well-heeled crowds flock to experience the island’s holiday joie de vivre and St. Barth comes alive with end-to-end parties. Depending on the property, some rooms fill out months in advance (and some require a two-week minimum stay), so plan way ahead if you want to ring in New Year’s in St. Barth.
Once on the island, you’ll find that everything is priced in euros. While there are no ride-sharing apps or public buses, getting around is pretty straightforward. You can opt for a taxi, which charges a flat rate of 40 euros per ride, or choose the freedom of renting a car or moped. Despite the narrow streets, the island is relatively easy to navigate, especially for U.S. travelers who will find themselves driving on the familiar right side of the road.
St. Barth doesn’t have an international airport, and unless you’re flying private, you can take a connecting flight through Puerto Rico, St. Martin, or Anguilla. If you’re flying from the U.S., I recommend flying through San Juan, Puerto Rico, so you only have to go through immigration once.
Now that we’ve got some basics down, here’s my itinerary for how to spend a week in St. Barth.
Day 1 – Tumultuous landings and technicolor sunsets
My recent trip to St. Barth started with a short flight from Miami to San Juan, Puerto Rico. The following flight on Tradewind Aviation from San Juan to St. Barth was roughly an hour, and I got to experience the infamous St. Barth landing. The island has one of the shortest commercial runways in the world and the hilly terrain, coupled with the turbulence from the wind, sometimes makes landing a challenge. My advice is to enjoy the view and hold on to something tight because when it’s over, you’ll be rewarded with an unforgettable vacation.
After making your spectacular entrance, you’ll need a home base for your exploring. Accommodations in St. Barth range from ultra-luxe, beachfront resorts to comfortable Airbnbs in residential neighborhoods. I spent a week at Hotel Christopher, a boutique hotel on the secluded northern end of the island in Pointe Milou. The hotel has 42 rooms (all with ocean views) and a gorgeous pool deck with an infinity pool that looks out over the ocean. The hotel offers a range of amenities, including an award-winning spa (more on that later), two restaurants and access to car rentals, which came in handy during the week.
After unpacking, I spent the rest of the afternoon catching up on some reading on the gorgeous pool deck and watching the sun set from one of the best vantage points on the island. On the first night of a trip, I usually like to decompress, but if you want to christen your first day in St. Barth with a night out, check out Le Ti, just a 15-minute (hilly) walk from the hotel. The restaurant and bar, open until 4 a.m., offers a live cabaret show and a DJ-accompanied afterparty that’s usually packed.
Day 2 – Baguettes and beach hopping
Across the island, St. Barth has about 15 beaches and I set out to experience some of the most popular ones. On day two, after a breakfast of fresh fruit and baguettes, I hopped in a rental car that the Hotel Christopher provides for guests. Driving in St. Barth isn’t for the faint of heart (locals drive fast around the winding roads), but with only 11 miles to navigate, you’ll quickly get a sense for the layout of the island.
My first stop was L’Orient Beach, less than 10 minutes from the hotel. This is a great spot for swimming or lying out, but bring your towel and umbrella because the beach doesn’t have any facilities. If you’re into surfing, Surf St. Barth has a surf stand on the beach where you can sign up for lessons.
After L’Orient Beach, I headed to the island’s eastern side for lunch at the beach club at Le Toiny Resort, a luxe hillside resort. Beach club hopping is popular in St. Barths and many hotels offer dining access at their beach clubs. When I arrived at Le Toiny, I hopped on the complimentary shuttle down to the beach club, ordered a lobster salad and spent the rest of the afternoon relaxing in a hammock.
If you’re up for one more location, I recommend heading to the island’s south coast for dinner at L’Espirit, just a few minutes from Saline Beach. The intimate, garden restaurant has mostly “dine under the stars” seating and you can expect dishes like yellowfin tuna and mushroom ravioli.
Day 3 – Downtown exploring and an iconic beachfront experience
On my third day, I spent most of the morning in the island’s capital, Gustavia, about a 20-minute ride from my hotel. In Gustavia, you’ll find a walkable downtown area full of luxe shops like Gucci and Louis Vuitton and a few galleries and museums. Gustavia is also home to a port where cruise ship passengers and day visitors are dropped off, so it can get busy, especially towards midday.
If you want to grab some food in the capital, there are a ton of cute cafes and restaurants to choose from. For a casual meal, try Le Select, which opened in 1949 and is one of the oldest on the island. Its other claim to fame is that it’s the location where Jimmy Buffett wrote his “Cheeseburger in Paradise” song. If you want something more elevated in Gustavia, come back after dark to dine at either Bonito St. Barth or Bagatelle. Both restaurants are known for their posh settings, but after 11 p.m., Bagatelle transforms into one of the best nightclubs on the island.
After a morning of exploring Gustavia, I took a taxi to Nikki Beach St. Barth, one of the island’s most iconic beach clubs. It’s right on St. Jean Beach, which boasts dazzling white sand and glassy water. The menu leans more American (think burgers, pizzas, sushi and pasta) and after ordering California rolls, I set up a towel on the sand, where I had views of the famous Eden Roc hotel and the planes taking off from the airport.
Day 4 – Walking on the “wild side”
I was surprised that St. Barth has a rugged side, with rolling hills and wild cactus. One of the best places to see St. Barth’s natural state is hiking the Colombier Beach Trail, a 25-minute hike that leads to the secluded Colombier Beach. Come with essentials like a towel, water and snacks since this is a pretty remote beach and your only companions may be a few iguanas and lizards.
Grand Cul De Sac Beach is another uncrowded beach in St. Barth, a large, shallow lagoon. When I went in the afternoon, there were hardly any people, but I was lucky to see several sea turtles in the water. The shallow waters of Grand Cul De Sac Beach make it a perfect place for beginner kite surfers and those looking to learn can book lessons with 7th Heaven Kiteboarding.
I ended the day with dinner at Tamarind, one of the island’s top restaurants. Tamarind is a maze of gorgeous dining areas tucked into a sprawling tropical garden. The restaurant serves French classics like duck foie gras and island specialties like mahi in a decadent coconut sauce (my dinner of choice).
Day 5 – A Sisley spa date
St. Barth is also known for its wellness offerings and on my last morning, before catching my flight, I spent a blissful morning at the Hotel Christopher spa, The Sisley Spa. Ranked as one of the best spas in the Caribbean, the spa has five treatment rooms that look out onto the water and a wide range of services like facials, massages and reflexology.
The spa has an enviable list of massage options: deep tissue, Balinese, Hawaiian and even a candle and shell massage. I opted for the deep tissue massage, a glorious hour-long service during which I drifted to sleep to the sound of the waves. Honestly, the flight to St. Barth was worth that hour alone and it was the perfect ending to a week spent in paradise.
