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9 Things To Do In Gustavia, St. Barth

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A guide to 9 of the best things Gustavia, the heart of the island of St. Barth, has to offer according to Sveva! 

Imagine a tiny old world city, dotted with red and green rooftops, elegant boutiques, open cafés and mega-yachts—welcome to Gustavia, the heart of St. Barth. Surrounded by various 17th century forts that line the harbor such as Fort Karl and Gustaf and a lighthouse, the town doesn’t span more than 1.3 square miles. So what is one to do in this small, elegant yet laid-back town? Here is my guide to the 9 best things to do in Gustavia.

1. Stroll through the town’s many duty-free boutiques 

As your car wraps around a cliff, you merge onto the main road in Gustavia. You find a place to park next to the small port and find yourself at the start of the town. Here you will find a majority of the high-end boutiques with a certain je ne sais quoi flair to them, that makes them different from other flagships I’ve seen. I’m talking Hermès, Prada, Calypso St. Barth…and shopping here is done with good reason, since everything is duty-free. But the beauty isn’t in these high-end stores we’ve already seen across the globe, but it is in the way they are presented. Two level open air properties lined wish shops with beautiful lounge chairs, cafés and courtyards that open up to a more casual atmosphere. It feels more like you are strolling through a small courtyard then it is a shopping center. Shops like Ralph Lauren have a pop-up bar nestled in a narrow street between two store fronts. Lounge chairs, string lights, and cocktails are served all day, but happy hour and pre-dinner is when the area is truly at it’s most lively. Well-dressed people flood the narrow street sipping on their Ralph Lauren inspired cocktails while watching the yachts sail into the harbor. To accompany the je ne sais quoi flair of Gustavia during happy hour, I brought with me my Canvas Crossbody Shoulder Bag that you’ll notice throughout my pictures. Boho in style yet elegant, perfect for a night out on the town. If you want to copy my look, you can purchase the bag on Bagail.com with my special 10% discount using the code BAGAIL90.

 2. Mega-Yacht Row 

As you head into the main town stay to the right on the side of the harbor. Here you will find yourself on what I like to call “mega-yacht row.” When I say mega-yacht, I don’t mean your typical “yacht” size of 40-80 feet, I mean MEGA-yacht, like 200+ feet yachts with 6 bedrooms, jet skis, a hot tub, a crew, and all the fun toys one could desire. Some of these yachts belong to people who are just sailing through the Caribbean, others yachts are just being rented by groups of people for the holidays. Either way, they are a marvel to walk by. You’ll never see anything like it. Particularly when the annual Sailing bucket regatta of superyachts happens in March. One mega-yacht that’s always roaming the island that you should keep your eye out for is Russian billionaire’s Roman Abramovich. At 533 feet, it is the secondest biggest yacht in the world and resides in St. Barth for the majority of the year. You can always see it around Gustavia during the day floating out at sea. It’s quite hard to miss next to the other mega-yachts, some would think it was a cruise ship!

3. Walk down Rue du Général de Gaulle

From mega-yacht row, make your way back to the main road, Rue de la République, FYI – one of the only streets with a name in St. Barth. As you reach the end you will find yourself in front of Select. Select is famous for being the kitschy dive bar that inspired Jimmy Buffet’s song, Cheeseburger In Paradise. It’s one of the more down-to-earth bars in Gustavia, featuring locals and simple, affordable full. It is always packed with people and live music. It is a fun, more grungy restaurant for those looking for a more casual experience. To the left of Le Select is one of my favorite streets in Gustavia, Rue du Général de Gaulle. Down this cobble lane street you will find smaller, local brand boutiques such as “Sunday” as well as intimate restaurants and casual bars.

4. NEW OPPORTUNITY: The monthly Sunday Gustavia marché or market

I was in St. Barth during Easter weekend April 2018, this was the first month and iteration of the new Gustavia marché! The marché is held on the first Sunday of every month in Rue du General de Gaulle from 8AM to 12PM. Unfortunately, due to Easter, the first market didn’t happen till the second week in April, for which I was not there unfortunately. Due to the aridness of the island, the main products that will be sold in this Sunday marché from neighboring islands is imported fruits and vegetables, accompanying products sourced both locally and not include fish, flowers, plants and local items that are not food. If you have the opportunity I suggest you visit it for a true look at the community of St. Barth and its traditions.

5. Stroll down Rue du Roi Oscar II

Rue du Roi Oscar II parallel to Rue du Général de Gaulle is mainly lined with restaurants, pizzerias, crêperies, and ice cream parlors. It is an under-rated street, aside from the famous Isola restaurant, but very pleasant for an evening stroll or a casual dining experience. Whether you are looking for a midday crêpe or ice cream or a casual pizza or high-end Italian meal, Rue du Roi Oscar II has it all tucked up on the hill in Gustavia.

6. Catch a sunset on Shell Beach

Shell beach is exactly what it’s called, a beach made up entirely of sea shells. It’s not the most comfortable beach to walk on, so definitely wear some sandals, but it’s one of the most unique. With Shellona bar, now called Do Brazil, on the water, it’s a hip and trending beach in the town of Gustavia, with music, drinks, and a fun crowd. Sunsets in this lagoon are spectacular so catch them from the beach before the sun hides behind Fort Karl (pictures below on the right). During the day, the occasional beach goer will walk to the top of the cliff’s on the left and cliff dive.

7. Hike to the top of Fort Karl for sunset

Once you’ve caught a glimpse of the dazzling sunsetting behind Fort Karl from Shell Beach, it’s time to make your way up to Fort Karl! This is a secret gem kept amongst locals, not many tourists know of Fort Karl or how to get there to be exact. The street before Shell Beach, Rue des Dinzey, will lead you straight to a small path leading up to Fort Karl. The walk is steep so be prepared for a quick 5-10 minute hike up the cliff. But make it quick or you’ll miss the sunset. Once at the top, you can enjoy the contrast of the crystal clear turquoise sea against the orange cliffs and white shells of Shell Beach on the left. When you look out to sea, a mix of orange, red, purple, pink, yellow and blue light blends into a sea of yachts and sailboats outlining Les Petits Saints, tiny rock islands clustered around Gustavia that breach out of the sea. Behind you is the view of the town of Gustavia as it prepares for the nights festivities.

8. Walk on the opposite side of Gustavia

The sun has set and it’s time to head back down to Gustavia, but not before catching a glimpse of the small town from the other end of the harbor. This is the more local end, one where most locals live. One of the few reasons for reaching this end of the harbor includes the jet ski and boat rentals or the beautiful restaurant of La Guérite (one of the only ones on the other end of the harbor!). It may seem out of the way, but I think the view of the town from this side is unique and offers your eyes a full blown view of the heart of the town.

9. Wake up early for the fish market

My last and final recommendation for the 9 Best things to do in Gustavia includes the morning fish market. When in St. Barth you are probably renting a villa. If that’s the case, you will find yourself eating in maybe one night of the week. This is the perfect opportunity to barbecue some fresh caught lobster or sea bass that you can buy from the morning fish market. But this fresh fish comes at a price, you will need to be an early bird and get their by 7AM because by 8AM the fish is all gone! This is the market all restaurants use to source their fresh fish daily. It is a must-do opportunity if you wish to rediscover the simplicity of island living, French-Caribbean style.

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Disclosure: This is a sponsored post for Bagail. All opinions remain my own and I was in no way influenced by the company.

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  3. Pingback: We Took A St. Barth Jet Ski Tour. Here's What Happened. - SVADORE
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