tim
Moderator
Reged: 06/18/03
Posts: 6004
Loc: Vélo, Virginia, Vitet
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Mes amis,
Inspired by SuzanneD's quest for information, I have a novel suggestion. Let's have a discussion of St. Barth's beaches and stay reasonably on topic so that we might refer future questions to the thread. Inclusion of photos would greatly enhance the verbage.
As many of us are aware, St. Barth has close to 20 beaches, and I've listed most of them below starting clockwise from Gustavia. Topless sunbathing is common on almost all beaches. Saline and Gouverneur have traditionally tolerated nudity, generally more at the ends of those beaches. Some of the beaches listed are used mostly by locals:
1. Anse de Public
2. Anse Corossol
3. Anse du Grand Columbier
4. La Petite Anse
5. Anse des Flamands
6. Anse des Cayes
7. Baie de St. Jean
8. Anse de Lorient
9. Anse de Marigot
10. Anse Maréchal
11. Anse de Grand cul de Sac
12. Anse de Petit cul de Sac
13. Anse à Toiny
14. Anse de Grand Fond
15. Anse de Grand Saline
16. Anse du Gouverneur
17. Anse de Grand Galet(Shell Beach)
Okay, mes amis, show us your photos and/or give us a description of your favorite beach or perhaps your fondest memory on one or some of the above. Let's have fun with this.
Edited by tim (01/03/07 05:56 AM)
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tim
Moderator
Reged: 06/18/03
Posts: 6004
Loc: Vélo, Virginia, Vitet
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Gee, Tim, what a great idea. Here's a photo I took on St. Jean beach in November when the water was really high. Most of the months of the year, St. Jean presents a great opportunity for walking on a dry beach, but in the winter months high tides frequently prevent doing so and remaining dry. La Plage resto is immediately on the left in this photo with the foot of the runway in the distance. Normally one can walk from the Eden Rock Hotel at one end all the way to the condos at Les Islets de la Plage at the other end.
St. Jean beach also has its other side from Eden Rock where Nikki Beach resto/club is located. The high water doesn't seem to impact the beach as much over there, and sometimes one can find a little shade under the edge of the palms. There's an offshore reef that slows down wave action for the entire beach and makes for some semi-decent snorkling under calm conditions.
Edited by tim (01/03/07 06:18 AM)
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andynap
Reged: 10/24/02
Posts: 12148
Loc: Philadelphia
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Good idea- finally. :) Can't do it from work- at the end of the day if there is anything left over I'll send some pics.
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Andy -
St. Barts- where no day is ever the same and one day is not enough
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Mikey
Reged: 12/01/02
Posts: 350
Loc: Westhampton Beach, NY
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Tim,
You have had another stroke of brilliance...but denizens of this board, like myself, have become used to that. Only one problem that I can foresee and that is the "staying on topic" part. Good luck with this crew!!!
That being said, I have a strong affinity for Gouvernour. Getting there from almost anywhere but Gustavia is a bit circuitous but well worth the trip. It is a smaller cove than Salines and the beach slopes somewhat steeply into the water. There is a short, sandy shelf, a few submerged boulders and a rather steep drop off at the first breakers. Beyond the break, it is as smooth as a lake.
The beach itself can get crowded at this time of year but as we get furhter into January it is really very nice and quiet. I notice many locals, families, singles and couples use the beach. The new car park is a Godsend and it is only a very short walk from car park to the plage.
Another beach that deserves mention is L'Orient. Accessed by the path running by the cemetary it is well known to locals and is very family friendly. It is a protected cove so there is almost no wave action which makes it very appealing to my wife (who does not like waves). The beach is shallow sloping to the water and is backed by private villas and some commercial enterprises, notably the gas station. There is an unused sail loft up the beach, apparently a remnant of a long gone watersports enterprise. The view across the water is towards St. Maarten and the islets close to St. Barth.
Salines is a world class beach, a broad crescent unsullied by any residential or commercial development on or near its shores. Access is a hike across a sandy/rocky dune that some may find daunting. This time of year the beach gets crowded early...and stays busy throughout the day. It is, in my experience, the beach most favored by tourists and, as mentioned, some total nekkidity is practiced, usually at the far (right) end. Gouvernor has a similar ambience, is easier to access and generally not as crowded (especially with tourists and day trippers).
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Plus ca change, plus c'est la meme chose.
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julia
Reged: 11/20/03
Posts: 578
Loc: CT
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Great topic, Tim. We enjoy St. Jean, L'orient, Saline & Gouverneur. All mentioned already & I agree with the comments. I'd like to recommend Shell Beach as a nice alternative. It is a small beach but always seems to have something going on. The waves are gentle. Many local familes can be found there &, yes, the occasional brave soul who has walked from the cruise ship tender dock (although most cruise ship people seem to take taxiis to St. Jean beach). Shell Beach is good for shell (duh) collecting & has abundant sea glass, mainly on the right side of the beach as you face the water. There are usually a few yachts anchored off the beach. You can take a break for lunch or a drink at Do Brazil. As beaches go, it doesn't have a walkable, long stretch of sand as do other venues. However, Shell Beach has a certain charm. Worth trying, especially at sunset.
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andynap
Reged: 10/24/02
Posts: 12148
Loc: Philadelphia
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Well since I stay on Flamands Beach I guess that would be my favorite and it is. The problem- if there is a problem- is that I don't want to go anywhere else except maybe on Sunday for brunch we go to Le Plage on St. Jean. Colombier is a one time thing for me. Flamands has nice water, not too rough, hotels on the far end and some good restaurants.
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Andy -
St. Barts- where no day is ever the same and one day is not enough
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JackR
Reged: 10/10/02
Posts: 977
Loc: North Shore
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Here are a couple for you Tim:
And the walk to Saline, a pleasant journey as there ever was.
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LHouchin
Reged: 05/11/03
Posts: 99
Loc: Tulsa, OK
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We enjoy snorkeling off the beaches. With that in mind, Lorient and Petit Cul de Sac are at the top of our list. Petit Cul de Sac is very small and usually deserted. The snokeling outside the protected area is quite good. Lorient has a nice, lively reef just off shore. There is usually a large Tarpon surveying the area and it is not unusual to see Turtles.
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JEK
Moderator
Reged: 01/20/04
Posts: 10728
Loc: Northern Virginia
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While not my favorite beach, the most refreshing swim I remember was at Corossol. After a long hot, airless drive around the island we descended into Corossol, parked, dove in and were instantly refeshed. Still recall the plunge and the looks of the locals who swim there daily.
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Carnaval 2009: Mardi 24 Février 2009!!!!
JEK
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Theresa
Reged: 03/23/04
Posts: 413
Loc: Philadelphia, PA
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Flamands is one of our favorites, too. Like Andy, we stay along Flamands and sometimes have to remind ourselves that there are several other beaches worth exploring. We usually start the day on our deck enjoying coffee and the amazing view. Once we manage to tear ourselves away, we head to Saline, Gouverneur, or St. Jean. Once there, we enjoy a bottle of wine or champagne and later head "home" for lunch and to spend the remainder of the day on "our" beach. The funny thing is, it really does feel like "our" beach because even though it's the island's largest, there are usually very few other people along its stretch.
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Mike R
Reged: 05/26/03
Posts: 15742
Loc: Stinson Lake - New Hampshire
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being the antisocial snobs we are..LOL...Columbier is our favorite beach...its difficult to get to for many people which eliminates them from going...the water is flat assed calm when the wind is howling out of the east which makes the others too rough to enjoy....and we have had some very nice overnights there as well....
L'Orient and St Jean and Shell beach are the best beaches if you have little ones....
Petit Saline is another of a favorite of ours
Petit Anse, what little beach is left, has far and away the best snorkling
the rest are all good too....
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TJMatt
Reged: 01/24/06
Posts: 34
Loc: Troy, NY
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Have to go with Gouverneur for a few different reasons:
1) The drive down to it offers a great view and for me a great sense of adventure. It also seems that because of the severe nature of the drive and drop off that that keeps the numbers down.
2) Lack of anything else around. The only thing to do while there is be at the beach. There are no shops within walking distance, etc.
3) At least the times that I have been it is relatively calm.
We first discovered Gov. on the same trip that led us to discover St. Barth's @8 years ago on a daytrip off of a ship. It was the memory of Gov.that inspired me to take my wife for her 40th last year and must say that the revisit was better than the memory. So good in fact that we are headed back this year and hopefully every year from now on. After all someone must be turning 40 somewhere!
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KevinS
Reged: 07/23/03
Posts: 3416
Loc: Boston
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TJMatt -
I've been celebrating birthdays on SBH for over 20 years. They don't have to have a "0" on the end to be enjoyed there. Keep up the good work.
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andynap
Reged: 10/24/02
Posts: 12148
Loc: Philadelphia
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St. Jean 2004
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andynap
Reged: 10/24/02
Posts: 12148
Loc: Philadelphia
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Panorama of St. Jean 2004
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Andy -
St. Barts- where no day is ever the same and one day is not enough
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Cheri
Reged: 10/13/02
Posts: 1686
Loc: St. Louis, Missouri
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Our favorite beach used to be Saline and we still visit there quite a bit. But our preferred beach now is St. Jean Baie just because of the location and the ease of getting there. We will be staying in St. Jean this year so it will be nice being so close as we love to watch the planes taking off and departing....never tire of that. And St. Jean is the most expansive beach for those who like to walk. So, just inquiring as to the state of St. Jean Baie (since the break in the reef last year)...can anyone report as to whether the water is still coming up to the restaurant at La Plage as shown in Tim's photo, leaving no room for walking? If so, hopefully it will return by the time we arrive in Feb since I plan on walking it at least some mornings...need that exercise!!
We also like Lorient for a quiet beach once in a while and Grand Cul de Sac for watching the wind surfers over a cocktail and lunch. And Flamand is beautiful and quite expansive as well. Last year on calm days it was wonderful and it's another great beach for walking.
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Cheri
Reged: 10/13/02
Posts: 1686
Loc: St. Louis, Missouri
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Nice photo of St. Jean, Andy! Taken when?
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andynap
Reged: 10/24/02
Posts: 12148
Loc: Philadelphia
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Quote:
Nice photo of St. Jean, Andy! Taken when?
Feb 2004
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Andy -
St. Barts- where no day is ever the same and one day is not enough
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KevinS
Reged: 07/23/03
Posts: 3416
Loc: Boston
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Cheri -
Tides make a difference, as does the phase of the moon. When in February are you visiting?
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Cheri
Reged: 10/13/02
Posts: 1686
Loc: St. Louis, Missouri
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Quote:
Cheri -
Tides make a difference, as does the phase of the moon. When in February are you visiting?
We'll be there early to mid February.
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tim
Moderator
Reged: 06/18/03
Posts: 6004
Loc: Vélo, Virginia, Vitet
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As some have already done, no discussion on the topic of St. Barth's beaches could be complete without choosing each of our favorite beaches and giving the reasons therefor. As my favorite beach I have to choose the one associated with the greatest number of mini-superlatives:
BEST PERSONALITY - The award goes to the sweet little sea turtle that invited me to swim and play with it just this December among the reefs at the far left end of this beach.
MOST DETERMINED TO SUCCEED - The lady who came down the entrance to this beach wearing barely 1.3 garments and proceeded to strip them off as she walked rapidly to the sea. The .3 was quickly discarded - no big deal, but she then amazingly removed the miniscule cloth covering her lower modesty while hopping on one foot and then the other without at all slowing her forward progress. She would have also qualified for the MOST ATHLETIC award had it not been for the next awardee....
MOST ATHLETIC - This award goes hands down to the talented young woman that my wife and I observed several years ago. She did cartwheels; she did handstands; she walked on her hands down the beach; she performed other gymnastic moves that amazed and delighted all who saw her. Whether she performed similarly every day at the beach, I know not. This particular performance must have occurred on her birthday, because she was wearing only the suit that we traditionally associate with that day.
BEST DRESSED - Are you kidding me? This award, of course, goes to the women of Saline Beach.
My nominee for the BARB contest is Le Grand Saline. Feel free to nominate your favorite St. Barth beach.
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The best moderation is the least moderation.
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JEK
Moderator
Reged: 01/20/04
Posts: 10728
Loc: Northern Virginia
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Trip (Arriving) report?
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Carnaval 2009: Mardi 24 Février 2009!!!!
JEK
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Mike R
Reged: 05/26/03
Posts: 15742
Loc: Stinson Lake - New Hampshire
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I think whats being lost in this thread is the fact that we band of A.D.D. dysfunctional misfits CAN indeed stay on topic when challenged to do so...LMAO
give yourselves a hand everyone!!!!
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karma is a beautiful thing at times
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ashtangi
Reged: 06/10/05
Posts: 482
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Quote:
I think whats being lost in this thread is the fact that we band of A.D.D. dysfunctional misfits CAN indeed stay on topic when challenged to do so...LMAO
give yourselves a hand everyone!!!!
until now
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JEK
Moderator
Reged: 01/20/04
Posts: 10728
Loc: Northern Virginia
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Quote:
Quote:
I think whats being lost in this thread is the fact that we band of A.D.D. dysfunctional misfits CAN indeed stay on topic when challenged to do so...LMAO
give yourselves a hand everyone!!!!
until now
Mike always has a hand for himself . . . .
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Carnaval 2009: Mardi 24 Février 2009!!!!
JEK
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Mike R
Reged: 05/26/03
Posts: 15742
Loc: Stinson Lake - New Hampshire
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amen brother
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karma is a beautiful thing at times
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BillK
Reged: 10/02/02
Posts: 1376
Loc: Aurora (Toronto) Canada
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Quote:
Mike always has a hand for himself . . . .
. . .it's usually patting him on the back.
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BillK
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Mike R
Reged: 05/26/03
Posts: 15742
Loc: Stinson Lake - New Hampshire
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amen brother...LOL
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karma is a beautiful thing at times
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JackR
Reged: 10/10/02
Posts: 977
Loc: North Shore
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A game I like to play is trying to catch the ghost crab who wanders too far from the hole. One can entice them with tiny pieces of sticks. They are fast and shy usually but this guy was old and Big and slow. It was about 5 inches across and basically came up and begged for scraps. I found him early on Governeur on morning. Jack
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JEK
Moderator
Reged: 01/20/04
Posts: 10728
Loc: Northern Virginia
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Quote:
Quote:
Mike always has a hand for himself . . . .
. . .it's usually patting him on the back.
Hmmm, I thought it was petting him in the front . . .
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Carnaval 2009: Mardi 24 Février 2009!!!!
JEK
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beachfamily
Reged: 02/19/05
Posts: 95
Loc: nyc
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Quote:
jack r, was this photo of the eden rock and st. jean beach, (our overall, daily favorite),
taken in the good o' days when filao beach was our home away form home?
the clue: the filao beach chair!
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beachfamily
Reged: 02/19/05
Posts: 95
Loc: nyc
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Quote:
Have to go with Gouverneur for a few different reasons:
The drive down to it offers a great view and for me a great sense of adventure. It also seems that because of the severe nature of the drive and drop off that that keeps the numbers down.
we never miss a vist to gouverneur, and every year, for the past 16 years, we stop at the top of mountain and stare down at the breathtaking, most magnifient shade of turqoise awaiting us.
until a few years ago, the parking was an expereince in itself, but it was always worth it.
unfortunately, the waves and the quick drop into the ocean make it difficult for me to get in and out of the water, so we don't stay long.
but a trip to st. barth would not be complete without a visit to gouverneur.
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JackR
Reged: 10/10/02
Posts: 977
Loc: North Shore
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I checked the date of the picture-1/24/2003
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goldold25
Reged: 09/30/03
Posts: 165
Loc: Fairfield County, Connecticut
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We love Flamands because of the waves and the proximity to Isle de France and the luxe lunches.
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Always planning my next trip.
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goldold25
Reged: 09/30/03
Posts: 165
Loc: Fairfield County, Connecticut
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