Gustavia
A Swedish-named harbour on a French island, coves reached by boat or footpath, and a runway so short that the last leg is always a small plane.
- Arrival
- Princess Juliana, St Maarten · SXM
- To the town
- About 15 minutes by air from SXM, then 6 by car
- Private jets
- Land at SXM, then a turboprop or helicopter
- Best time
- December to August
The city
A Swedish name, a French island.
For almost a century St Barthélemy belonged to Sweden. The Swedes took over the port of Le Carénage in 1784 and renamed it after their king, Gustav III, before handing the island back to France in 1878. Gustavia keeps the name and the harbour, with the old town gathered around the water.
The island is small and steep, and most of its life happens on the beaches: Saint-Jean beside the runway, the bay at Grand Cul-de-Sac, wild Saline, and Colombier, where no road has ever been allowed. The dry months run from December, and the trade winds keep the heat gentle.
Arriving
The last leg by turboprop.
Every long flight to St Barth ends on St Maarten. The island’s own runway, at Saint-Jean, is only about 650 metres long and takes small propeller aircraft only, flown by pilots qualified for it.
- Punta Cana 1 h 05
- Barbados 1 h 10
- Miami 2 h 55
- Atlanta 3 h 55
- Athens 11 h 20 long-range jet
When to go
December to August.
Highs stay between 29 and 31 °C through the year, and the sea never drops below 26 °C. From December to August the rain stays under 100 mm a month, February and March being the driest. September to November are the wettest months, inside the hurricane season that runs from June to November.
- 29° J 63 26°
- 29° F 43 26°
- 29° M 43 26°
- 30° A 65 27°
- 30° M 95 27°
- 31° J 62 28°
- 31° J 76 28°
- 31° A 100 28°
- 31° S 129 29°
- 31° O 109 29°
- 30° N 126 28°
- 29° D 89 27°
What to see and do
Days in and around Gustavia.
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Landmark
Gustavia harbour
The quays of the old Swedish port, with Shell Beach, its sand made of broken shells, within walking distance.
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Landmark
Colombier
A beach on the north-west tip that no road reaches, only a boat or one of two footpaths, with turtles in the sea grass.
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Landmark
Saint-Jean
The busiest bay on the island, where the small planes come in low over the hill and land at the water’s edge.
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Culture
Wall House Museum
On the point of the harbour, the territorial museum traces island life through watercolours, objects and documents from the Swedish period, salt making and straw work.
Official site -
On the water
Réserve naturelle de Saint-Barthélemy
Created in 1996, the marine reserve covers 1,200 hectares around Gros Îlets, Pain de Sucre, Île Fourchue and Île Frégate, with 45 coral species recorded.
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On the water
St Barths Bucket Regatta
Superyachts from 28 metres upwards race around the island over four days, and 2026 drew a record 39 entries.
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Opera & music
Saint-Barth Music Festival
For more than forty years each January, opera, ballet, chamber music and jazz have filled the churches of Gustavia and Lorient and an open-air stage.
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Food & wine
Saint-Barth Gourmet Festival
Visiting chefs cook alongside the island's restaurants for a week of special dinners and menus.
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Nature
Morne de Vitet
At 286 metres the highest point of the island, climbed on foot from the village of Vitet, with views to Saint Martin and Anguilla.
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Nature
Grande Saline
Salt was harvested from this pond until 1972; shorebirds now feed on the flats beside the second largest beach of the island.
Official site
On the calendar
A date to plan around.
Dates as published by the organisers. Runways, hotels and slots fill early around these weeks: the sooner we know, the more choice you have.
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17–21 Mar 2027
Sailing
St Barths Bucket
Regatta for large sailing superyachts based in Gustavia harbour, with four days of racing from 18 to 21 March 2027.
Port of Gustavia
In 5 months
Where to stay
Lagoons, hillsides and the harbour.
Shown for information. We have no arrangement with any of these hotels.
- Cheval Blanc St-Barth Isle de France The only certified Palace on the island, on the Baie des Flamands, and its only hotel with three MICHELIN Keys.
- Le Barthélemy Hotel & Spa The first hotel built from the ground up on St Barth in twenty years, on the bay of Grand Cul-de-Sac.
- Airelles Le Guanahani A peninsula of its own, given two Keys under Rosewood and reopening under Airelles on 1 November 2026.
- Hotel Christopher High on Pointe Milou, apart from the busier bays, with an easy and unpretentious welcome.
- Le Sereno Designed throughout by Christian Liaigre, the name behind the Mercer in New York.
- Tropical Hotel St Barth The second hotel ever to open on the island, above the bay of Saint-Jean, since thoroughly renovated.
- Gyp Sea Saint Barth A Sibuet family house at Colombier, styled on the old plantation homes of the islands.
- Hotel Manapany A beach in a residential corner, closer to everyday island life than its grander neighbours.
- Fouquet’s Saint-Barth The former Carl Gustaf, on the hillside above the harbour, one of the island’s classic grandes dames.
- Eden Rock St Barths An Oetker Collection hotel in the bay of Saint-Jean, rated Five-Star by Forbes Travel Guide.
- Hôtel Le Toiny Twenty-two suites on the hillside above Anse de Toiny, each with its own heated pool, and a beach club down at the shore.
Where to dine
Where to book in Gustavia.
No MICHELIN Guide covers St Barth. These are Fodor’s Choice restaurants, all in Fodor’s top price band.
- Bonito Fodor’s Choice Franco-Peruvian $$$$ Above the harbour, Gustavia
- L’Isola Fodor’s Choice Italian $$$$ Gustavia
- L’Esprit Fodor’s Choice French $$$$ Grande Saline, about 4 km east
- Abyss Fodor’s Choice French $$$$ Le Barthélemy, Grand Cul-de-Sac, about 6 km east
Elsewhere in Saint Barthélemy
More reasons to come.
Flying to Gustavia?
Choose how you arrive.
A Business or First Class seat on a scheduled airline, or an aircraft of your own. Tell us the date and how many are travelling, and we reply with one final price, our margin included.