ST. BARTHS

TRAVEL TIPS

VISÃO GERAL ATRAÇÕESTRANSPORTE COMPRAS ONDE FICAR ONDE COMEROVERVIEW ATTRACTIONSTRANSPORTATION SHOPPINGWHERE TO STAY WHERE TO EAT

OVERVIEW

Currently known as one of the world’s most sophisticated resorts, the island of Saint Barthelemy, also known as St. Barths, welcomes some of the most demanding tourists, and each day attracts a higher number of famous travelers looking for a unique place to spend vacation.

Surrounded by a beautiful nature, this region of France is constantly visited by millionaires and celebrities like Tom Hanks, Gisele Bündchen,

Giorgio Armani, and others. So it’s not hard to bump into one of these celebrities somewhere around the 22 small white sand beaches and crystalline waters.

St. Barths is one of the four territories of French West Indies. The territory was given to Sweden by the French in 1785 and given back to France in 1878. The island’s main city is the capital Gustavia, in honor to the Swedish King Gustav III.

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temperatures. During this period, the months of September and October represent the hurricane season.

BEST TIME TO VISITMost of the time, the island is covered by a clear sky with no sign of rain, with hot and mild breezes that makes the trees swing gently. However, the only period that is not recommended to visit the island is from September to October during the hurricane season, when there is a higher incidence of severe storms.

TRANSPORT

There are two options to get to St Barths: by air or sea. When you arrive in St. Martin, you can get to St Barths by a ferry, and the trip takes approximately 45 minutes, or by plane, and it takes about 20 minutes.

The roads on the island are a bit challenging, but there are a variety of vehicles to all tastes available to rent in advance. Do not wait to get there to rent your car, book in advance, because during the high season there is a lack of vehicles to rent.

For those who arrive by plane, there is a small airport with paved runways, but in St. Martin is where the main airport is, the Princess Juliana International Airport.

Gustav is where people go shopping and go out at night. Besides having the best stores and restaurants, it has a port always full of beautiful boats and the municipal museum, which displays photographs of the fascinating history of the island.

With a population of about six thousand people and two hours away from Miami, St. Barths has the convenience and exclusivity of a small airport, the Airport St.Barths that accepts euro and U.S. dollars. You will need a tourist visa from the French consulate to get in the island. Although the official language is French, a lot of residents and workers are fluent in English.

In the last 20 years St. Barths became the perfect place for those who want to enjoy the French coast, its aristocratic landscapes, mountains, the beautiful nature and the waves breaking gently on the coral reefs.

CLIMATESt. Barths’ climate is tropical and pleasant all year round. In July and August, summertime, the temperature is around 33 ºC. During the winter, it gets to 26 ºC.

Because of its location, the four seasons are not well defined on the island, just like any other places with a tropical climate. There are only two seasons known as “Carême” e “Hivernage”. Carême is from December 1st to May 30, when it is cooler and temperatures are lower. Hivernage is from June 1st to November 30 and it is when it is registered the highest

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ATTRACTIONS

Throughout the year, restaurant and cultural attractions are what tourists look for, since there is not many nightclubs. At some restaurants there is an independent bar with a relaxing and cheerful atmosphere, where there are live entertainment shows.

During the high season, sailors and villagers gather almost every night to have long conversations and have drinks in Gustavia, where the nightclubs are, for those who want some unforgettable drinks and great dance floor.

For those who prefer something quieter, it is possible to rent DVDs available or watch

the latest movies that are shown for large audiences. But it is during the major music, movie and theater festivals that the island has its best attractions. Some of these major festivals are:

St Barths Music Festival: Jazz nights and music concerts in churches in Gustavia and Lorient, with internationally renowned artists.

St Barths Film Festival: Caribbean movie screenings about the Caribbean culture.

St Barths Theatre Festival: Presentations from local company, SB artists, and artists from France and neighboring islands.

WHERE TO STAY

Either by the beaches or at the natural tropical gardens, the accommodations on the island offer a beautiful landscape. St. Barths has a wide variety of hotels and inns located in excellent regions, where you can enjoy the local cuisine in good restaurants.

Besides having the best meals with premier services, these hotels are known for the discretion and truthfulness of its workers, as well as for their ability to serve with a white glove service highly qualified. However these services are provided on a small scale, since the island’s largest hotel has only 76 rooms, and the others have only half of this capacity.

Therefore, in order to meet the expectation of visitors during high season, St Barths offers accommodations ranging from luxury 4-star

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hotels to one bedroom houses. All these projects have been strictly controlled in terms of building permits by local authorities who have long understood that the large-scale development is not in harmony with the size of the island.

So each district in St Barths has a special charm with a wide variety of buildings to rent or sell, it can be simple and not noticeable houses to spend sometime with friends, and also luxurious houses. The high season is from mid-December to April, when prices go up, but it decreases considerably in other months.

DINING OUT

Famous for its gastronomy, St. Barths has over 70 restaurants offering many dishes and prices to suit all budgets. Each one of them has its own particular vibe, upscale restaurants, hotel restaurants and beach restaurants that make every effort to serve the best food.

In St Barths visitors enjoy the diversity that restaurants have to offer from traditional French gourmet delights to exotic worldwide cuisine. The combination between local ingredients and chefs creativity is what gives St Barths a unique flavor.

SHOPPING

The stores, boutiques and jewelry have always the latest European fashion in shoes, clothes, accessories, art or music.

The collections have always elements from the haute couture that carry the latest collections of young designers, whose clothes and accessories are prefect to wear on the island. The island also has a great service that offer massage, beauty saloon and spa treatments.

Gustavia, the main town, is the most popular destination on the island, especially when it comes to shopping. There are many boutiques and souvenir shops as well as numerous other shops sophisticated interior design with a series of unique objects collected from all around the world. Most of these stores are in Gustavia or St. Jean and offer attractive tax-free prices.

STREET MARKETSThe best places to buy are Gustavia and St. Jean, because there are nice stores, all tax free. There are countless shops side by side that require much more than an entire afternoon to shop.

The renowned designer labels and luxury perfumes are the high point of these centers, but if you are not looking for specific brands, there are many less luxurious options at local stores, which are great to buy pieces of straw and crafts typical of the island.

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CURRENCYThe currency in St. Barths is the euro, but dollar is accepted in most places. It is better if you take both currencies. Credit cards are accepted everywhere. +590 COUNTRY CODE

TOURIST INFORMATION

+590-27-87-27

AMBULANCE

+590-590-27-60-35

POLICE

+590-590-27-11-70

FIRE DEPARTMENT

18+590-590-27-62-31

PHARMACY 24H

+590-590-27-61-82+590-590-27-66-61

IMPORTANT NUMBERS