Sexy st. barth!
“Aaahhh…St. Barth” – whenever I say the words, I swear I feel a sultry breeze flow gently over me. “St. Barth…,” yup, definitely felt my hair stir. Oooooh, and an undeniable need to do a little hip wiggle and execute a sexy hair flip.
You try it. Say “St. Barth.” Anything? A need to close your eyes or do quick sway of the hips or simply release a meditative sigh? If you felt it, you know what I’m talking about. If not…there’s likely another place you’ve travelled to that evokes similar reactions, just at the mere thought.
When I share with people that I have been to St. Barth six times, I’m often asked “why”? Or what makes me want to keep going back? I love these questions because, you know, more opportunities to express the joy and euphoria, but also because it whisks me back and lets me relive the memories all over again…until my next visit.
So, what is it about this beautiful island that pulls me back again and again? Well, as you’ve probably guessed, there are so many reasons. But perhaps what captures it for me and where I always begin is that it offers a unique blend of two of my favourites: the understated elegance and style of France blended perfectly with the dreamy beauty of an island. Or more simply, it’s as if a piece of France floated away and became an island. Which makes sense as St. Barthélemy is a French island. And it truly embodies a “Je ne sais quoi” quality of an island paradise.
Imagine being able to sip your morning café with a freshly baked croissant or baguette from the boulangerie, savour exquisite cuisine in stunning restaurants, sip rosé at a chic beach club, sink your toes in white sand beaches, swim in the warm blue waters, shop the latest styles, or just laze the day away by your private pool in your villa perched up on the hillside. Need I say more? Probably not, but I will!
I absolutely love that St. Barth offers so many delights and allows you to create so many unique experiences that speak to you. These are some of my favourite ones:
A Serene Start
I can still remember the first time I landed at the cute airport. You’ve just landed on one of the tiniest landing strips in an equally tiny plane. The flight and landing are exhilarating, for sure, but a little serenity is appreciated when you land. And that is exactly what you get.
Customs greets you with a “Bonjour,” a smile and a quick stamp in your passport. Your bags are ready and as you exit, what a wonderful surprise to not encounter any of the expected airport chaos…no buses, no slew of cars or taxis, no throngs of people, just…serenity. And that same serenity is woven throughout every aspect of the island.
Our concierge is waiting for us with a sign, another smile, followed by his lovely greeting, “Enchanté…” We follow the concierge to the car rental desk, literally 20 steps away (yes, I counted) and we are off in our car (our favourite pick is usually a cute convertible mini) following our concierge to our villa.
Oh. My. Villa!
The anticipation…oh, how I just love that feeling! You know what I’m talking about...that anticipation that builds just before you get to the place where you’re going to be spending your sun-filled days. You’ve seen the pictures, videos, reviews, IG posts, anything that you could find to give you any and all information that will help you decide and confirm that this is the absolute best spot for you to stay. And there you are weaving between the worry that it won’t be what you thought it was going to be and the hope that it will be amazing. And I can say with resounding joy that my hope won out every time. I have never been disappointed with any of the different villas I have stayed in. In fact, they exceeded my expectations every time. They were just beyond.
I can see myself breezing into the open-air entrances and immediately seeing the ocean that glitters just beyond the swimming pool. The scenery, that view…sigh. A quick orientation to the villa from our concierge and then I go on my own little exploration, but only after I’ve stood and stared at the ocean for those initial moments, breathing it all in and thanking the goddesses for this gift. Then off I go discovering all the wonders of the villa: checking out the kitchen gadgets, selecting which bedroom I want to stay in (often, the villas we’ve stayed at have 2 or 3 bedrooms), contemplating which side of the pool I want to lounge on, choosing the best spot to watch the sunset, admiring the gardens, palm trees, etc. By then, my husband has poured us a glass of something bubbly and all is just perfect…
I’ve loved all the villas we’ve stayed in as each one was unique and just spectacular. These are some of the ones I’ve stayed at: Villa Seaweed, Villa Up Side, Villa Pointe Milou, and Villa Rock U. I want to also mention that I have used WIMCO as our concierge to arrange our villa accommodation, car rental and for pretty much anything else you need such as restaurant reservations, beach or water activities, grocery shopping, private chef, etc. They are simply wonderful and I highly recommend them!
I should add that there are fabulous hotel choices if that’s your preference. Here are some options, many of which I’ve had the pleasure of dining at: Eden Rock, Cheval Blanc, Le Sereno, Christopher, Le Toiny.
Mmm, Chic Cuisine. And…I can dance on the table?
Almost as soon as I’ve booked my villa, I start thinking about the restaurants that are an absolute must. There are so many amazing choices. Reservations are highly recommended especially for the more popular ones and that’s where WIMCO is really helpful.
How and where do I even begin to describe the restaurant experience in St. Barth? It is just heavenly. In the simplest terms, I would say the experience is comparable to dining in any beautiful high-end restaurant in major cities around the world (e.g., New York, Miami, Rome, London, Paris, etc.). The food is exquisite, the service impeccable and it’s all enveloped in that understated elegance I mentioned earlier. The bonus element: the sultry setting…by the beach being caressed by the sound of the waves, or on the beach with your feet in the sand, or perched high looking out over the ocean watching the sun quietly slipping away.
And then there’s those nights (and days too) when you just want to have a little (or a lot) of fun and dance it up…on the table. Yes, ON THE TABLE! If that’s not your thing, it’s totally fine. All are welcome to either join in or just sit back with a glass of their favourite rosé and listen to the heart-pumping music being masterfully orchestrated by the amazing DJs. So much fun!
So, here are my favourite restaurants that have me going back again and again: L’Isola, Sand Bar, Bonito, Shellona, Le Rivage. And if you feel like some music and/or dancing to go along with the yummy food, consider giving these a try: Bagatelle, Nikki Beach, Le Ti.
Hmmm…What Shall I Do Today…
I love that I can do as little or as much as I want to do…and it’s all so close. After all, St. Barth is only 25 square km, and you can get anywhere on the island in about 10-15 minutes. If I want to laze around my pool…well…I just walk the few steps from the kitchen or living room to my poolside lounger. No noisy people or distractions, just the occasional splash of water in my direction (totally intended) from my husband, translation: “are you coming in the water?”
And these are the days when you’re so relaxed that you just don’t want to go out. So, you make use of the excellent BBQ at the villa and grill up something wonderful, toss together a salad and some other delectable side dish that you conveniently picked up from the supermarché. Favourite wine or bubbly is ready to be poured. Absolutely perfect…
All that relaxing just encourages more relaxing and the need always comes up for a lovely spa day, so I’ll venture to one of the hotels and be royally pampered. Then I’ll slide bonelessly (but I like to think, gracefully) into a leisurely lunch.
And then, there’s the beach or I should say, beaches. There are 11 of them so you can go to a different one each day. I think we’ve visited most of them and all are spectacular…our favourites though are Gouverneur, Saline and St. Jean. Speaking of the water, one of our other pleasurable activities is to charter a catamaran, helmed by an experienced captain who knows just where to take us for snorkeling and stunning views. We had the perfect day for a sail and to top it all off - a delicious lunch on board.
And…my visit is never complete unless I head to town (Gustavia) and walk the lovely little streets for…yes, you guessed it…a little browsing and shopping of the latest European fashions in the cutest shops for the beautiful flowy dresses that are the epitome of St. Barth, and pretty shoes, and fabulous handbags, and lovely body products…oooh, la, la!
Rinse and repeat any of these activities as often as you want. I never get tired of it.
Yes…it’s all these reasons that keep me going back. I suppose it’s a place that lets me feel that I’m away and yet I have come home. It’s a place that lets me be as laid back as I want while letting my inner glamourous diva make an appearance for a night or two of dancing. It’s a place where the scenery takes my breath away again and again. It’s a place that lets me enjoy the best of Europe and island bliss all at once. It’s a place that touches and rejuvenates all of me - body, mind, soul.
On one of my recent visits, I met a nice gentleman on the plane who was heading to St. Martin with his wife; they have been going there every year for the last 20 years. As we exchanged stories of the love for our respective islands, he said something that so resonated with me: “Sometimes, you just find your place.” I have found my place. I hope you find yours.
