BEACH: loafing, lounging & living like a local

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bonjour and welcome to the island of beautiful white-sugar sand beaches & turquoise blue water. in France (remember St. Barts is French) all beaches are public – how lovely! what this means is there’s no snootiness going on at the hotels and resorts saying ‘you cannot come here and enjoy this view’. this isn’t always the case elsewhere (read: SBH’s neighbor – St. Martin – boo). i think this provides the perfect opportunity for one to share some perks the hotel/resort guests have without the hefty bill at the end of the stay. please keep in mind that i’m not saying it won’t cost you a pretty penny to have lunch or cocktails at the fabulous hotel/resort while enjoying the beach but you don’t have to feel obligated to do so. having said that – it’s another vote YES to the villa rental being a great idea!

there are more beaches than this on St. Barts. sadly, i didn’t get to them all – next visit, i promise! i’ll highlight the ones i did go to and what each offers. one thing i must mention, while spending time at the various beaches i noticed how much the locals seem to enjoy their beaches too. they certainly don’t take ‘the good life’ for granted as they close up their shops and head to the beach during the lunch hour(s) of 12-3 or on sunday when most things are closed – good for them!

absolutely wonderful and a local favorite! i can understand why…it’s peaceful and the white sand beach & cove are unspoiled. also, there’s great snorkeling here. one note – you have to bring your own EVERYTHING…no amenities here and no shade. it’s suggested to go early or late in the day to avoid the strongest sun. you may witness a sans suit experience.

a small, shelly & calm cove – this beach makes for super swimming. there are also terrific rocks children climbed and jumped off the day i visited shell beach. i only made it to the first “biggish” rock to jump…those kids are brave! it’s popular amongst the locals as it’s in town. many families came and ate their lunches in the shade of the rocks and played in the water with their kids. a great beach bar/restaurant – do brazil – has prime real estate here where you can rent chairs & umbrellas, have drinks & eat while listening to good music.

oh my goodness, can you say fantastique?! this gorgeous beach is so soft, wide and has a terrific surf for riding the waves. we chose to make the day out of it and have lunch & lounge at the amazing st. barth isle de france resort at flamands beach – ooo la la. you can probably guess that all the amenities you might need are available there! it was fun to see the boats come in & drop anchor as their passengers were whisked ashore for a leisurely lunch. we also had the privilege of watching local fisherman work for their daily catch – with just a net! truly a sight to be seen. i even enjoyed getting tossed around in the undertow!

what a SCENE! the beach at st. jean – known as the island’s “sexiest” – is a blast to say the least. again, fantastic soft sand & crystal clear water for floating, swimming & snorkeling make this an outstanding choice for the day. your only issue will be choosing between Nikki Beach & Eden Rock to spend your hard earned money on chairs, lunch & drinks. the entertainment (people watching, meeting/greeting & dancing) is free!! we decided on Nikki Beach and had a fantastic lunch & out-of-this-world rum punches (which are even tastier in the water). we took a nice swim around the rock formation that Eden Rock sits upon and chilled on the floating dock. boats come in and out of this bay as well but the BEST & MOST FUN things to watch are the little planes landing and taking off all day long right above your head.