Caribbean · The Leeward Islands
The one week everyone wants, and the eleven that are better value
St Barths is the Caribbean's hot spot: Gustavia's harbour, fourteen beaches, French food on the sand and, at New Year, the most competitive week in yachting. Fly to St Maarten, and the yacht has you at anchor off Colombier in two hours. We know which berth, which beach club and which week.
Where
Leeward Islands, 15 miles east of St Maarten
Fly to
St Maarten (SXM), then the yacht or a ten-minute hop to Gustaf III
Best months
December to March. New Year is the peak, March the sailing
Give it
Two or three nights on a Leewards week. New Year: ten to fourteen
Known for
Gustavia, Eden Rock, Nikki Beach, the Bucket Regatta
Book New Year
By June. The good boats are gone by then
Ellie in St Barths
My St Barths, in pictures
The full week is on the Caribbean page. These are my own photos from St Barths: the boat, the beach clubs and the lunches that ran into the afternoon.
Ellie Malouf · Ahoy Club
Why go
St Barths, honestly
Everybody has heard of St Barths, and most of what they have heard is the New Year week: superyachts rafted three deep in Gustavia, the fireworks over the harbour, dinner bookings made in October. That week is real, and we do it every year. It is also one week out of a twenty-week season, and the other nineteen are the ones we would send most people on.
The island is small enough to anchor around in a day and French enough that lunch takes three hours. The beaches are the point: Colombier reachable only by boat or footpath, Saline with nothing on it, Shell Beach a swim from the quay, Flamands for the long walk. Ashore it is boutiques, rosé and a handful of restaurants that are as good as anywhere in France.
On a Leewards week we give it two or three nights, usually in the middle, with Anguilla or St Maarten either side. For a party group we build the week around it: the DJ dates, the weekend, the right berth. For everyone else, March and the Bucket Regatta is the best St Barths there is.
Where we anchor
The anchorages, in the order we use them
Gustavia, inner harbourBerth, stern-toYachts up to about 60 metres go stern-to on the quay; anything bigger anchors outside. Allocated months ahead for New Year, so the berth is booked with the charter, not on arrival. The town starts at the gangway.
Gustavia outer anchorage, off Shell BeachAnchorageWhere the big boats sit: the roadstead outside the harbour, a two-minute tender into town and a swim to Shell Beach and Shellona. Some roll when the swell comes round the point.
- Anse de ColombierAnchorage, overnightThe one we would start with. No road, no building, a crescent of sand, turtles under the boat and moorings in the bay. Flat in the trades. Arrive by lunch and stay the night.
- Anse du GouverneurAnchorage, settled weatherThe south-coast beach with nothing on it. Anchor off in a calm spell for a swim and a towel on the sand; in a southerly swell it is a tender drop from Gustavia instead. Saline, next door, is tender-only.
- Baie de St JeanLunch anchorageEden Rock and Nikki Beach share the bay, with the little planes landing over your head. Anchor for lunch, then move on; it is open to the north swell and not a place to sleep.
Ashore
St Barths off the boat
Not a directory. If it is here, we have sat at the table or stood at the bar.
Eat
Lunch is the main event: Nao, Shellona, La Guérite or Eden Rock. Book before you fly, especially between Christmas and the Bucket.
- NaoEllie's favourite beach club. Lunch on the sand that drifts into the afternoon; the one she books first.
- La GuériteHarbourfront, Greek-Mediterranean, and the lunch that turns into a party with the music up by four. Book the terrace.
Eden Rock, Sand BarJean-Georges on the beach at St Jean. The long rosé lunch, feet in the sand.
ShellonaGreek-Mediterranean on Shell Beach, a tender ride from the harbour. The lunch that turns into the afternoon.
Le TamarinFrench-Caribbean under the trees inland. The quiet dinner on a loud week.
BonitoCocktails and Latin plates on the hill above Gustavia, with the harbour lit below.
Drink and dance
Where the DJ is playing decides the night. Party group? Check the dates before you fix the week.
Le Ti St BarthDinner that becomes a cabaret that becomes dancing on the tables. The island classic.
Nikki BeachThe all-day beach party at St Jean. Champagne showers by three, and the yacht tender waiting.
La Guérite, laterThe same harbourfront terrace after lunch: music until the sun goes down behind the boats and the tables are pushed back.
BagatelleHarbourfront, glamorous and loud by eleven. New Year's Eve starts here for a lot of people.
Do
It is a small island. Half a day ashore covers it; the rest is the water.
Gustavia on footThe red roofs, the boutiques along Rue de la République, the fort for the view. An hour, a coffee, done.
A Mini Moke round the islandHire one for the morning and drive the hill roads to Saline, Gouverneur and the Lorient surf.
- The Bucket Regatta, MarchThirty-odd superyachts racing round the island for three days. Watch from the water on your own boat, then join the parties in Gustavia.
- New Year's EveIf you are one for a party, put it on the bucket list. The harbour rafted with superyachts, celebrities on the decks, the famous DJs and the events that follow them around. Ask us in June.
Where it sits
St Barths on the chart
St Barths sits fifteen miles east of St Maarten, the gateway airport, with Anguilla to the north and St Kitts, Nevis and Antigua to the south. On a Leewards week it is the second or third stop. On a party week it is the base, with day trips out.
Drag to move. Double-click or ctrl-scroll to zoom.Zoom with the buttons, then drag to move.
When
When to be in St Barths
- Jan
- Feb
- Mar
- Apr
- May
- Jun
- Jul
- Aug
- Sep
- Oct
- Nov
- Dec
- New Year: the peak. Most boats hold a ten to fourteen-night minimum at peak rates, berths in Gustavia are allocated months ahead, and the good yachts are booked by June.
- January and February: back to normal. The same beaches and restaurants, a fraction of the boats, and rates drop to low season with deals later on.
- March: the Bucket Regatta and Les Voiles de St Barth bring the sailing crowd. Lively again, nothing like New Year.
- April: still good on the boats that have not left for the Mediterranean. Summer is closed.
Itineraries
Itineraries that call at St Barths
Full plans, day by day, with the boat each one runs on. Send one to the people coming with you; we reshape it around your yacht and dates.
The Leeward Islands in ten nights
Antigua7 stopsSt Maarten
Antigua to St Maarten, downwind the whole way: lunch at Nobu on Barbuda, Nevis and St Kitts, a weekend in St Barths and Anguilla's beaches to finish.
Open
A week in St Barths and Anguilla
St Maarten5 stopsSt Maarten
Three nights in St Barths over the weekend, Anguilla's beach picnic either side, and an uninhabited island in between. Six hours of cruising all week.
Open
St Barths then the Virgin Islands
St Barths8 stopsSt John
A weekend in St Barths and Anguilla's beach picnic, an overnight passage downwind, then a week in the Virgins. St Maarten to St Thomas.
Open
The Leeward and Windward Islands in 14 nights
St Barths13 stopsGrenada
St Maarten to Grenada, all the way down: St Barths, Nevis and St Kitts, Barbuda and Antigua, the French islands, Dominica, the Pitons and the Grenadines.
OpenYachts
Yachts in the Caribbean now
Every one of these can do St Barths. For New Year, ask us in June; for March, ask us now.
CORAL OCEAN
Lürssen · 73m · 1994, refit 2026
12 guests | 6 cabins | 28 crew
€650k – 790k
ENTRE 4
Sunreef Yachts · 24m · 2024
8 guests | 4 cabins | 4 crew
$100k – 125k
NORTHERN STAR
Hinckley · 23m · 1993, refit 2022
6 guests | 3 cabins | 3 crew
$52k – 60k
MINE GAMES
Benetti · 50m · 2023
10 guests | 5 cabins | 10 crew
$330k – 350k
BELLA
Feadship · 45m · 2008, refit 2014
12 guests | 6 cabins | 9 crew
€245k – 255k
FRENCH WEST
Lagoon · 24m · 2020
8 guests | 4 cabins | 3 crew
$55k – 72k
VAGATOR
Fountaine Pajot · 20m · 2025
8 guests | 4 cabins | 3 crew
€38k – 57k
TANZANITE
Westship · 44m · 2004, refit 2023
10 guests | 5 cabins | 7 crew
$145k – 160k
ALEXA OF LONDON
38m · 1992, refit 2025
9 guests | 4 cabins | 5 crew
€65k – 70k
MISS CHRISTINE
Trinity Yachts · 48m · 2006, refit 2024
11 guests | 5 cabins | 8 crew
$165k – 190k
WHISPER
Holland Jachtbouw · 35m · 2003, refit 2019
6 guests | 3 cabins | 5 crew
Price on request
VALINOR
Lagoon · 17m · 2023
8 guests | 4 cabins | 3 crew
€27k – 31k
SHADES OF GREY
Sunreef Yachts · 24m · 2024
9 guests | 4 cabins | 5 crew
€70k – 100k
NO SURRENDER
Custom Line · 37m · 2022
11 guests | 5 cabins | 7 crew
$140k – 155k
LE PONANT
Société Française de Construction Navale (SFCN) · 84m · 1990, refit 2022
32 guests | 16 cabins | 34 crew
€540k
Chakra
Devonport · 86m · 1998, refit 2025
24 guests | 19 cabins | 30 crew
€495k
Just Enough
43m · 2012, refit 2024
11 guests | 5 cabins | 9 crew
$119k – 139k
Avanti
Privilege · 22m · 2005, refit 2025
8 guests | 4 cabins | 4 crew
$51k – 55k
Southern Belle
Johnson · 27m · 2006
8 guests | 4 cabins | 4 crew
$54k – 59k
CROSSED SABRE
Burger · 44m · 2006, refit 2021
12 guests | 7 cabins | 11 crew
$175k – 195k
ARAOK
Fountaine Pajot · 18m · 2018, refit 2024
6 guests | 3 cabins | 3 crew
€25k – 29k
LOOMA
Fountaine Pajot · 20m · 2023
8 guests | 4 cabins | 3 crew
$34k – 65k
OCEAN CLUB
Trinity Yachts · 49m · 2009, refit 2025
12 guests | 5 cabins | 10 crew
$195k – 250k
KASKAZI FOUR
Lagoon · 19m · 2016, refit 2025
8 guests | 4 cabins | 4 crew
€23k – 30k
NEVER ENOUGH
Feadship · 43m · 1992, refit 2019
10 guests | 5 cabins | 7 crew
$110k – 127k
GRAND ILLUSION
Palmer Johnson · 44m · 1994, refit 2017
10 guests | 5 cabins | 7 crew
$115k – 125k
PERSEVERANCE 1
Baltic · 40m · 2021, refit 2025
8 guests | 4 cabins | 6 crew
€100k – 110k
BETH ANN
Westport · 34m · 2012, refit 2025
8 guests | 4 cabins | 5 crew
$65k – 75k
ELVIS MAGIC
Oyster Marine · 20m · 2003, refit 2025
6 guests | 3 cabins | 2 crew
$25k – 26k
HOUBARA
Sunreef Yachts · 24m · 2012, refit 2026
7 guests | 3 cabins | 3 crew
€34k – 45k
UTOPIA IV
Rossinavi · 63m · 2018, refit 2022
12 guests | 6 cabins | 12 crew
$475k – 505k
RAY
Sunreef Yachts · 22m · 2025
8 guests | 4 cabins | 3 crew
€70k – 77k
SWEET CAROLINE II
Trinity Yachts · 50m · 2009, refit 2021
12 guests | 7 cabins | 11 crew
$19k – 230k
OKINAWA
Fountaine Pajot · 18m · 2024
10 guests | 5 cabins | 3 crew
$29k – 63k
QARA
Horizon · 25m · 2001, refit 2023
6 guests | 3 cabins | 3 crew
$37k – 42k
SIETE MARES
Lagoon · 24m · 2025
8 guests | 4 cabins | 4 crew
€65k – 69k
CALYPSO
Feadship · 38m · 1978, refit 2025
11 guests | 5 cabins | 8 crew
$120k – 135k
YKNOT NOW
YYachts · 23m · 2020
6 guests | 3 cabins | 2 crew
€24k – 38k
TOP FIVE II
Royal Hakvoort · 61m · 2021
12 guests | 7 cabins | 19 crew
$600k – 650k
YOLO
Sunreef Yachts · 22m · 2022
8 guests | 4 cabins | 4 crew
€59k – 70k
The Peddler
Custom Line · 26m · 2019
8 guests | 4 cabins | 4 crew
$69k – 74k
ENCORE
Sunreef Yachts · 18m · 2026
8 guests | 4 cabins | 3 crew
$56k – 62k
REVE BLEU
Lagoon · 21m · 2023
8 guests | 4 cabins | 4 crew
€45k – 60k
IL MIO CANTO LIBERO
Nautor's Swan · 32m · 2014, refit 2026
8 guests | 4 cabins | 4 crew
€85k – 102k
Aurelius 111
DUTCH YACHT BUILDERS · 34m · 2011, refit 2023
6 guests | 3 cabins | 3 crew
Price on request
Lady Joy
Christensen · 48m · 2007, refit 2025
12 guests | 6 cabins | 11 crew
$199k – 225k
ARKTOS
Lagoon · 24m · 2026
9 guests | 4 cabins | 4 crew
€70k – 96k
SEA BLISS
Sunreef Yachts · 23m · 2024
8 guests | 4 cabins | 3 crew
€63k – 70k
48 yachts in rotation. The order changes with every visit so no boat is always last.
Questions we get asked
St Barths, answered
Common questions
When should I book St Barths for New Year?
By June. Most yachts hold a ten to fourteen-night minimum over Christmas and New Year at peak rates, and the boats people want are committed by mid-year. Berths in Gustavia are allocated well ahead too. If you are asking in November, we will tell you honestly what is left.
How do we get to St Barths for a yacht charter?
Fly to St Maarten, which has direct flights from the US east coast and Europe. The yacht meets you in Simpson Bay and St Barths is two hours away, or take the ten-minute hop to Gustaf III airport and board in Gustavia. Nobody needs to do both.
How many nights should we spend in St Barths?
Two or three on a Leewards week, usually in the middle. If the trip is about St Barths itself, a party group or New Year, base the boat there and make day trips to Anguilla or St Maarten's Tintamarre.
Is St Barths good for families?
Yes, outside New Year. Colombier and Saline are quiet, the water is calm on the leeward side, and the island is small. The Virgin Islands are still the first charter we recommend for young children; St Barths is for the week after.
Can we plan the week around the parties?
That is exactly how we do it for party groups. Look at which DJs are playing and when, line the week up to be in Gustavia for those nights or the weekend, and use the quiet islands for the days either side.
Want St Barths in your week?
Tell us the dates and who is coming. We will say which nights to give it, which berth to hold, and whether the week you want is still open.