A Hair Raising Landing
Each year around 160,000 visitors go to St. Barths, half of them are one day excursionist arriving to Gustavia on board of catamarans that come from Philipsburg, in St Maarten. Those coming in little planes will have the feeling of being in an amusement park, while landing. The landing track, 800 mt. long, is located behind a hill, which force planes to descend suddenly, using brakes immediately after landing, to avoid going into the depths of the ocean.

St. Barths, is a stop for many ships sailing in the Caribbean between Anguilla and the Virgin Islands. Gustavia and the near isles provide natural ports of great beauty, attracting not only sailing boats but floating palaces. In the waters surrounding isles like Isle Fourche live a wide variety of tropical fishes as well as corals.

Gustavia a French City with Swedish Legacy    
The small port of Gustavia is always full of yachts, sailboats and catamarans, but the water is not deep enough for big cruisers. Gustavia is still a free port, with elegant French style boutiques offering dresses from Gucci, Cartier or Versace, among others. 
From St. Martin arrive daily, hundreds of visitors willing to buy in the duty free shops. On the streets you can breathe a certain Parisian air, with hundreds of youngsters dressed with elegance. There is no sight of beggars or peddlers, nor abandoned shops or the classic rum stands.

At the time when St. Barthélémy was a Swedish colony, three forts were built, Oscar, Karl and Gustav, at strategic points of the city; today they are still in place. At the feet of fort Oscar is the Musée de St Barths (opened from Monday to Friday, Saturday mornings; closed at noon; entrance fee), exhibiting the history and traditions of the island. Inside, is also a collection display of local handicraft. A walk of around five minutes, will take you from port Karl to the popular Shell Beach.

Beaches Abundance
Leaving Gustavia, to the west, you will soon reach Corossol, a little and traditional fishermen village. Over the golden sandy beach are the colorful boats next to the traps used to capture lobsters. Women sit down in front of their houses, spinning carefully and patiently; hats, small carpets and baskets, using lanthanum palms.

In St. Barths there are, at least, fourteen beautiful white sandy beaches. One of the best is Colombier, located at the northeast of the island, and where turtles go, every year, to deliver their eggs. You can’t go by car, but walking, aabout half an hour, from the town, is worthy because of the splendid views of the island. Another way of reaching the beach is on a boat from Gustavia. Northeast from Colombier, you’ll find Anse des Flamands, with small hotels and water sport centers. At the north coast is St. Jean, the most popular beach on the island. Protected by a reef, is divided in two by a promontory on which is Eden Rock, an ancient hotel that once received a guest called Greta Garbo. Now you can enjoy in the restaurant a fresh lobster, while looking into the dark blue waters. This place seems a little size copy of the French Blue Coast, with high quality restaurants, bars, shops and small hotels.

Following west, you’ll find Lorient, where the first French colonists arrived. When the sea is calm, the transparent waters are excellent for diving. Some other days, huge waves delight wind surfers. Likewise, Grand Cul de Sac, is an excellent beach, protected by a coral reef and scarcely deep waters, and with a big salt pond at the back. Sand fleas may be a problem, like in Anse de la Grande Saline, a southern beach very close to the salt pond. Windsurf lovers come to this beach attracted by the waves. Nearby, sea birds enjoy the salt pond, where they have found a good place to live.