··· Saint-Barthélemy ···
A Treasure in the Caribbean Sun
The Caribbean island of Saint-Barthelemy (its proper name) but often
referred to as St.
Barths or St. Barts, lies about
1,250 miles (2,000 km) north of the Equator in the Leeward Island chain.
It is a mere
11 miles (18 km) long and only few miles wide.
St. Barthelemy History
St. Barthelemy was claimed by the French in 1648, it passed into Swedish
hands in 1784, and its largest city still bears the very Swedish name
of Gustavia. France bought the island back from Sweden (what
were those Swedes thinking??) in 1877. Thus the island remains
distinctly French in manner and custom. French is the native
language, though most people in the hospitality business (hotels, restaurants and shops) speak English.
You don't need to speak or understand French at all to have an
enjoyable visit.
Traveling to and around St. Barthelemy
St. Barthelemy requires U.S. visitors to bring a passport. Arrival at the island airport is an unforgettable experience,
as pilots must drop through surrounding mountains on to a runway of
only 2,048 ft. (625 m). Ferry services to St. Maarten/Martin come
and go from the harbor at Gustavia, and world-cruising yachts anchor
in the harbor as well.
To get around on the island, you will want to rent
a car. Several agencies operate at the airport, and there
are others in Gustavia. The islands roads are narrow and twisting, with
a speed limit of only 45 mph (70 kph), but after all, what's your hurry??
-- it's a small island. Belle
Vue is only fifteen minutes from the airport, by the way.
Staying on St. Barthelemy
The St. Barthelemy lifestyle, as one might expect in a tropical paradise,
is very informal -- jacket and tie are never required. Year-round
temperatures are remarkably constant, with daytime highs ordinarily
between 80 and 85F (28 - 30 C) and nighttime lows around 75F (24C).
There are frequent rain showers, and most homes on the island,
including Belle Vue, depend on these showers to fill the cisterns
which store their only supply of water -- so please be conservative
in your usage.
Local electrical current, by the way, is 220-volt 60 hertz, so be sure
to bring an adapter for your 120-volt American electronics. St.
Barths is in the Atlantic time zone, which is the same as America's
Eastern Daylight Time (it's one hour ahead of Eastern Standard, and
four hours behind GMT).
St. Barthelemy Beaches
 St.
Barthelemy's perimeter is made up of wonderful Caribbean beaches in
coves with dazzling white sands and emerald waters. By law these
beaches are all open to the public, so stop and feel the sand between
your toes at any of them -- and don't forget to take your snorkelling
gear along for a look under the surface of that clear tropical sea.
Some of the tropical island beaches are clothing optional.
Petit Cul de Sac is the closest beach, only a two minute walk from Belle
Vue.
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