Have you heard of St. Barthelemy? Also known as “St Barts”, it is one of the most beautiful of the Caribbean islands. And you can enjoy it in many different ways. For instance, you could find a yacht charter St Barts company and enjoy not just the island, but also the beautiful waters around it.
About St Barts
St Barts has wonderful, tropical weather. This means it is always warm. Most yachts leave between April and November, however, due to the hurricane season. Also, towards that time of year, it starts to get incredibly hot. As such, one of the best times to go to the island is actually during the winter. This also delivers perfect sailing weather, if you want to have a hand at actual sailing yourself.
The cheapest time of year to charter, however, is during the summer. That is low season in the Caribbean because of the aforementioned hurricanes. This means that you can get some really good discounts.
St Barts was claimed by the French in 1648. They subsequently sold the island in 1784 to Sweden, but they bought it back in 1878. Interestingly, although it has therefore mainly been French, its architecture is very Swedish. There is also a small airport on St Barts, with the runway ending directly onto the beach itself. There is something very special about landing and taking off there. If you cannot find a flight to St Barts, your other option would be to take a ferry from St Martin instead.
Most people speak English on St Barts, but French is still its official language. It is also known as the Caribbean answer to St Tropez, with its sophistication and wealthy clientele. There are a few villages on the island, and you would think is if you were transported to France.
St Barts has 20 beaches, most of which are very inviting. Some of these beaches are completely free of developments as well. You can, therefore, sail up to some of the beaches and then swim to them. The Governor and south Saline beaches are in the most beautiful condition. You can also go to Columbier beach in the west, but you can only get there if you have a boat, or if you are happy to hike for a very long time. Other attractive beaches include Grand-Cul-de-Sac, Flammands, and St Jean. The Grand Cul-De-Sac beach is the perfect beach for people who want to learn how to kite surf, windsurf, or sail. The current is held back just outside the reef, which makes it very safe. And, as a point of interest, you can see dolphins and whales there if you’re lucky. For families, Shell Beach is the place to go, as it has lots of tide pools and very little surf. For surfing, you must visit Toiny. St Barts really is Caribbean heaven and if you charter a yacht here, you will have the experience of a lifetime.