The chic capital of the Caribbean is without doubt the tiny French island of Saint-Barthélemy, more commonly known as St. Barths. One might go so far as to describe it as a slice of the French Riviera that has been miraculously transported across the Atlantic. Certainly, the restaurants create dishes with gastronomic flair and everything in high season comes wrapped in inflated prices yet this does not seem to deter the beautiful and well-heeled from wintering in this suave corner of the Caribbean. What is it about St Barths that makes it so special? At only 8 square miles in size it is rather small and the landscape is not the most breathtaking. Perhaps It is more of a feeling than a catalogue of sights, sounds, and smells. Some corner of our minds recognises that a people have evolved a way of life, adapted to difficult circumstances, that has resulted in things like charm, pride, peace, and, much more recently, plenty. With Paris over 4000 miles away one could say that the inhabitants have taken matters into their own hands to create an environment that is distinctly intimate and very relaxed but retaining values from a France of yesteryear. If the interior of the island can appear quite stark the coastline shines with fourteen beaches all blessed with gleaming white sand and protected from the swells by the reef fringes. Even in the peak season between Christmas and Easter they are never crowded and as they are all “poobleek” there is no restricted access. Discovering the more remote beaches is part of the fun as is taking in the local atmosphere of the island’s most popular beach, St. Jean. St. Jean Bay Île Fourchou Île Chevreau Île Coco Île Fregate Île Toc Vers Gustave III Intl. Airport GUSTAVIA Colombier St. Jean Lorient Marigot Grand Fond Q Q: Flights from the UK to St Barth via Antigua with British Airways and onward to St Barth with Tradewind
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