St Barths confuses you just before anything else, due to the fact of the diverse spellings of the exact same title. Have you ever wondered no matter whether St Barths, was in truth the same as St Barts, or for that matter St Barthelemy. Properly in that situation be reassured that all are one and 1 are all.
St Barthelemy is part of the French West Indies just north of the lesser Antilles near St Martin/St Maarten and St Kitts and Nevis. St Barts is a small island being only eight square miles in dimension, but like numerous other tiny items this kind of as precious stones it is extremely prized and pricey which is why it has turn out to be a retreat for the rich and well-known., rock stars, pop stars, and even royalty.
This should not prevent you from going because it is a gorgeous small island with pretty white sand beaches, turquoise sea, and pristine coral reefs, and however is very considerably more akin to the South of France than the Caribbean.
The reason of course for this is the reality that St Barts and France have been closely linked for centuries and till this day it is nonetheless component of the French overseas region of Guadeloupe. Oddly ample St Barths was once one particular of Sweden's couple of overseas outposts almost 3 hundred years in the past, but other than the name of its red roofed capital Gustavia couple of reminders stay.
The principal issue to do on a St Barths Vacation is to unwind on the seaside, and in spite of the minute dimension of the island there are much more than twenty spectacular beaches. These selection from the bustling St Jean and Grand Cul de sac to the a lot more private Grand Saline, Gouvernier and Flamands. If what you are hunting for is completely secluded bliss then go to Anse Colombier which can only be reached by boat or a half hour hike. You will locate topless sunbathing, soon after all this is France in the Caribbean, so if it embarrasses you, then avoid Shell and Marechal Seashores.
The strong French connections also indicates that visitors would do well to be able to converse in French, and the currency is not the US dollar but the Euro. Apart from the language the most evident indicator of the French influence is in the cuisine, and it is exceptional tropical family vacations, relevant internet site, to uncover it has much more than 60 gourmet dining establishments. Yet another shock is that several of the population is white and most residents are French Citizens.
There are considerable restrictions now imposed on hotel developing, so no hotels can now be constructed with over 12 rooms and so the largest hotel which is the Guanahani with 76 rooms will not ever be noticed again. There are no large chain hotels on St Barths, and several people go for the very upmarket villas.