What is Your Favorite St Barts Beach?

For a variety of reasons, I no longer visit most of St. Barth's beaches as regularly as I used to and am curious to hear from readers their current opinions of the island's dozen or so beaches.

If I had to pick my favorite based on previous experience, it would probably be Saline. People watching of the mildly clothed or totally unclothed there is always entertaining. There are no rocks to negotiate on the way to the water as on some of the island's beaches. Snorkeling, although nowhere near as good as it used to be, is still okay. Sure, one has to climb over the little rocky rise to get there, but that makes the arrival all the more special. I'm not into beach side beverage or food service as is available on some other beaches, so that lack on Saline doesn't bother me.

What's your favorite beach, and why? Photos are welcome.

Oh boy, way to start the week off with a beach-session.

Mr. Tim,

My favorite beaches are: In no special order.....

Saline, because it is pristine and has waves for the kids and me. Crabs to chase.

Goveneur, because it is easy to park at. I used to visit Mr. Gillett at his compound befor he died. I like to find the sand dollars beyond the breakers.

Lorient, because it is right below my home. An easy swim for morning, afternoon or eve.

Marigot, because I like the fish when snorkeling. No-one ever there.

Columbier, because it is what it is. Unless there are a bunch of boats there. Still, turtles and much marine life. I have seen sharks, rays, turtles and countless other life. I found my first BIG Trident Trumpet shell there. (before the Marine Ban)

Petite Anse, because the snorkeling is good. It is quiet. Not a person in sight.

Flammonds, because it is BIG and usually wavey. I stay to the west. Usually desereted.

Public, because it is worth a visit to the shell museam and palm frond products.

Shell beach, because my kids like to pick up shells and such from the prior dredging. We also like to jump off the rocks to the north, climb up again and do it all over.

Enough.

Best to all Forgive my spellllling.

easy call for us

Colombier....

for what you dont see

Colombier and Gouverneur are our favs. Love the walk to Colombier in the AM and arriving to an empty beach. This trip we are staying in Lurin and excited to be so close to Gouverneur. If you get there early its usually deserted.

St. Jean- because we stay there.

I took this shot on March 7, 2000 and it has been my wife's desktop picture ever since.

Very nice

Interesting to see what I was shooting with then - my first DSLR.


Camera-Specific Properties:

Equipment Make: NIKON CORPORATION
Camera Model: NIKON D1
Camera Software: Ver.1.05
Maximum Lens Aperture: f/3.7
Sensing Method: One-Chip Color Area

Image-Specific Properties:

Image Orientation: Top, Left-Hand
Horizontal Resolution: 300 dpi
Vertical Resolution: 300 dpi
Image Created: 2000:03:07 08:37:25
Exposure Time: 1/640 sec
F-Number: f/12.0
Exposure Program: Normal Program
ISO Speed Rating: 200
Exposure Bias: 0 EV
Metering Mode: Pattern
Focal Length: 28.00 mm
Color Space Information: sRGB
Image Width: 2000
Image Height: 1312

Other Properties:

Resolution Unit: i
Exif IFD Pointer: 196
Exif Version: 2.10
Image Generated: 2000:03:07 08:37:25
Image Digitized: 2000:03:07 08:37:25
Image Compression Mode: 4
DateTime Second Fraction: 41
DateTimeOriginal Second Fraction: 41
DateTimeDigitized Second Fraction: 41

I think it changes each trip.

Lisa loves Flammands because of the waves and the chairs/lunch combo of the IDF.

I prefer Saline or Gouvernor because of their more "raw" location.

We'll be staying near Margiot next trip, so we'll check that out.
And we always spend a day or two at the Parrot Bar on St Jean.

JEK said:

I took this shot on March 7, 2000 and it has been my wife's desktop picture ever since.

Click to expand...

I have an original watercolor of that exact scene

love that scene, love that beach....

What a great way to start a Monday morning; instead of working I'm SBH dreaming. Thanks Tim.

Saline used to be our favorite. We prefer the East end, beyond the rocky outcrop that used to be difficult to traverse, but with our last trip, the sand had filled in the rocks and "anyone" could easily reach "our" private beach, so it's not as exclusive as it used to be. Plus, there's lots of junk washing ashore on the beach, so it's not as pristine as it used to be – it has lost some of the charm, but then there’s all the beach before the rocky outcrop, so no complaints.

Gouverneur seems to have become our favorite, and partly because it is so close to the Villas we book. The drive to Gouverneur, coming down the hill, really is spectacular. There’s not much positive to say about the drive past the salt ponds at Saline, though the walk to Saline, cresting the sand dune, is ideal.

Some days we like it calm, so we head to Saline, and other days, the rougher surf is fun so we head to Gouverneur.

If we are going to do something with services, it's St. Jean (Nikki Beach, or La Plage). That said, we can travel anywhere in the World and find developed beaches with services and crowds, so Saline and Gouverneur (with the slight preference going to Gouverneur) are clearly the top picks for us as these offer the only beaches we know of where one can enjoy a pristine beach sans clothing, 80-85 degree water, and lots of elbow room.

Saline:


Gouverneur:

Mike R said:

JEK said:

I took this shot on March 7, 2000 and it has been my wife's desktop picture ever since.

Click to expand...

I have an original watercolor of that exact scene

Click to expand...

My daughter is named Coco, after Ile Coco

In my house it's a split!
Mine: Gouverneur
Her's: Saline

The good news is that most days we do a morning beach and an afternoon beach. That seems to keep everybody happy!

Lovin' the beach thread!

I also like to visit the local beaches such as Public, where the sailing school is located and Corossol, which is a great place to watch fireworks that are shot off over the Gendarmerie.. great places for a taste of local life...

Thanks to all for the posts and photos. Please continue.

A brief note to those unaware of what to, or what not, to wear on the island's beaches - Nudity is officially not allowed on the beaches, but it is tolerated on Saline and Gouverneur. Most of the bare folks on those two sandy shores are found at the far ends from the main entrances. Topless bathing is common on all the beaches and some hotel pools, even for men. Remember, even though it might be okay to go nude, it's never, ever okay to be crude.

Toiny Beach. (When the surf's up)



~ Jean d'Arme ~

We too love riding the ring road and watching the surf pound the shore.