Saint Barthélemy has beautiful, white sand beaches found in small coves, and you'll want to see them all. Don't forget to bring your sunglasses and lotsa lotion. Bring a bottle of water as well.

Our two best beaches are Saline and Gouverneur. They are natural beaches with no facilities. You must take lots of sun protection. There are no shade trees on any of our beaches since our Hurricane Luis in 1995. Saline is a little more difficult to reach as you must climb over a short rocky trail. Sneakers are suggested. Both of these attract people who will swim and sun bathe completely nude. If this would bother you, try some of the others.

Flamands is much like a New Jersey beach, with surf and a slight undertow. St. Jean is very calm and a good place to wind surf. It tends to get busy when cruise ships are here. Grand Cul de Sac is a beach protected by a reef about a half mile off shore. The water is shallow and is like a giant swimming pool . Another great beach is Colombier. It is reached by a half hour walk from the end of Flamands or a boat from Gustavia.

Marigot Bay is good for snorkeling by the rocks. Few swimmers here because of the small beach. Petit Cul De Sac is in the northeast corner of St. Barts has a calm and protected lagoon with a beautiful white sandy beach. Generally quit and frequented by locals. Shell Beach in Gustavia is a very calm cove and is tranquil enough for swimming and catching the rays.

There are some excellent dive shops and we can advise you if you are a scuba person.