December 2021 Trip Report by Anne Cécile Bedford: What’s New and Happening in St Barth

The week following Villa and Hotel Specialist Allegra Pawlowski’s trip to St Barth, it was time for our lovely bilingual Villa and Hotel Specialist, Anne Cécile Bedford, to discover all that’s new since her pre-pandemic visit to St. Barth.

Read on, and, hopefully, you will be able to experience St. Barth soon.

Wishing you all a wonderful holiday season.

Sunny regards,

Peg

St Barth, me voila! after 2 years of absence, it felt so good to reconnect with this little piece of French Paradise! The island was definitely up and running, and it seemed exceptionally busy. It is time for our clients to go back to their favorite place and have a well-deserved vacation.

I checked into villa Wish located in Colombier for the first half of my stay. What a treat that was! The villa offers splendid views of the harbor, ships and planes coming and going and the sunsets from this villa are magical.  Villa Wish is nicely decorated in a contemporary style with 2 equal bedrooms, a lovely pool and a jacuzzi to relax at the end of a hard working day. I enjoyed strolling down to the bakery every morning to get croissants and all sort of French goodies. For first night dinner, I recommend “Les Bananiers” restaurant within walking distance from the villa. Their menu is diversified and it is a good place to get pizza. They also offer a daily special for lunch.  

A lot was going on in St Barth while I stayed there. There is a race that occurs every year in November, called the “Gustavialoppet”. It celebrates the island friendship between the French and the Swedish and they call it “Pitea day”(you will notice that many streets in Gustavia still carry a Swedish name). It is a weekend of festivities that bring those 2 cultures together and makes it a happy time for the locals and tourists.    

The ”St Barth Gourmet Festival” was the other highlight of the week. It is an international Caribbean Food festival with 10 renowned chefs who come to practice their art on St Barth. This is a wonderful time for food lovers to come visit St Barth and experience a unique culinary treat. Book your villa now for next year if you wish to be part of this gastronomic feast ([email protected]). Our local office will make dinner reservations for you.      

St Barth is about flavors! I had the chance to have lunch at the new “Gyp Sea” restaurant located on St Jean beach. Welcome to the new “Bohemian Beach Club” ! It is a restaurant but also a bar and a fashion boutique. You can enjoy lunch feet in the sand while facing the blue ocean. The dress code is barefoot and salty air. The food is amazing and expensive. Sun beds can be rented on the beach after lunch (80 Euros) or you can try yourself at some fun water sport activities.    

In a more simple way, one can also enjoy lunch, feet in the sand, at the “Ti Corail” on Grand-Cul-de-sac beach. They only have 20 seats and reservations are needed either for a 12:00pm or a 2pm table. They are closed Mondays and Tuesdays.

If you have missed “La Gloriette” restaurant next door, be a bit more patient. Albert is rebuilding “La Gloriette” and construction has started (stay tuned!).

My week was filled with many wonderful villa visits and here are some of my favorites!

Villa Antares in Mt Jean is a luxurious 4 bedroom villa offering privacy, serenity and comfort. This is the perfect family vacation and a great for couples as well. The main focus of the villa is the gorgeous infinity pool and the tropical oasis garden at the entrance of the villa.    

I loved villa White Sun nestled in Petite Saline. This 3 bedroom villa is stylish, luxurious with wonderful indoor and outdoor living space. The vegetation around is lush and the villa has a wonderful mix of Caribbean and contemporary style. There is a 62 foot heated pool and this is the perfect set up for couples or families.

Villa Elle will surprise you with its fun accent! Located Cliffside in Pt Milou, the villa offers dramatic sea views than can be seen from the 4 comfortable bedrooms. The villa is elegant, colorful and it features a heated pool, jacuzzi, a massage room and home theater.   

Villa Javacanou, one of my favorites, offers direct access to Marigot Bay. If you like swimming with the turtles, this is the place for you. There are canoes and kayaks available to guest as well. The property is fully air conditioned and features 3 bedrooms, a gorgeous infinity pool and a media room (villas with a lot of steps).   

The second half of my trip brought me to villa Nikki in St Jean, the perfect spot to walk down to the beach, shops, boutiques and restaurants. I enjoyed take out at Kiki-E Mo. They have delicious Poke bowls. Restaurant Zion and Le Piment are also good dining options while staying at villa Nikki.

I invite you to also check villa Dadaye in Lorient, villas Dzir, Always and The One in Colombier, villa Star in Lorient, villa Golden Palm in St Jean, villa Cap Azur in Pt Milou, villa Hemingway in Grand Cul de sac, villa Bel Air in St Jean.

My St Barth trip would not be completed without a few hikes during my down time. The natural pools of Grand Fond are fairly easy to access thru the mountainous coastline. The water there is crystal clear and turquoise; such natural beauty! Plan on an early morning hike or late afternoon as it gets hot. Better swim with shoes as there are sea urchins.   

The hike to Colombier beach is also a must! This area is only accessible by boat or by two hiking trails. The easiest one is at the end of the road that goes to Flamands beach. The more rigorous one is a hike down and back up from the observatory in Colombier. Bring your suit and pack some water! You will be greeted by goats and turtles along the way.

Of course, a day in St Barth always ends with a gorgeous sunset. Golden hour is my happy hour !

Sunny regards,

Anne-Cécile Bedford Bilingual St. Barth Specialist – villas and hotels