The Best Money Can Buy

Most guidebooks skim over St. Barthelemy, perhaps because it doesn?t offer the non-stop nightlife, gambling, golf, and other attractions demanded by the masses. It?s not that St. Barth is dull, but it would also be a stretch to call it exciting. Discerning travelers vacation here for one reason—to enjoy the good life, simple and relaxed but subtly sophisticated.

For those vacationers, this island offers plenty in just eight square miles. Its landscape is rugged, rather rural, and sprinkled with charming villages and red- or green-roofed villas clinging to its scrubby hillsides. Its beautiful, white crescent beaches, most completely undeveloped, nestle between hilly headlands. The water sports enthusiast will find good sailing, fishing, diving, snorkeling, and windsurfing. If you don?t need to ask the price, Gustavia offers tax-free shopping for some of the most famous labels in fashion, jewelry, crystal, and such. Being French, St. Barth also serves up some of the best cuisine in the Caribbean.

Fall 2001