Best Beach In St. Barth: Anse de Grande Saline

There has been an ongoing debate as to which beach on St. Barth is the best. Is it the untouched beach of Anse de Grande Saline, the secluded Colombier, or the more frequented Gouverneur?

Let’s begin by saying that St. Barth boasts some of the most immaculate beaches gleaming with white sand and clear turquoise waters in the Caribbean. Rarely overcrowded, you can’t go wrong with any of the 14 beaches on St. Barth. That being said, after visiting almost every beach on the island Pat and I have come to a conclusion — Anse de Grande Saline (or Saline beach for short) is by far the best beach on St. Barth.

Located on the Southern shore of the island between Gouverneur and Grand Fond, Saline is one of the best untouched beaches on the island rich in history as well. Prior to arriving the beach, you will pass by three restaurants and one boutique hotel, Saline Cottages. Each borders the salt pond that lies before the beach. The salt ponds were once used for salt harvesting to bring in some income to the barren island. It wasn’t until 1972 that the island decided to drop this effort and rely on tourism as it’s main industry. From then, the salt pond remained untouched and became a haven for wildlife and biodiversity.

Drive past the salt pond and you’ll reach a tiny parking spot. A narrow, rocky path leads to a sand dune. Once you reach the peak of the sand dune, you are blinded by a jaw-dropping view of turquoise sea, sailboats and yachts, and the unspoiled and spectacular beach of Anse de Grande Saline.

As you make your way down the sand dune, you begin to notice just how long the white-sand beach is. Rocky cliffs wrap the beach on each end creating intimate coves for adventure seekers and snorkelers. The view is backed by green rolling hills to complete this glittering picturesque landscape. What makes this beach so rural is the fact that there are no hotels or villas permitted within a few hundred feet of the beach. The first restaurant to appear is Le Grain de Sel (which literally translates to A Grain Of Salt – how cute is that!), located a couple of hundred feet prior to the parking spot. This unspoiled beach makes for a peaceful and exclusive escape.

As you walk from one end of the beach to the other, you will notice that there is no shade whatsoever on this beach due to the limited number of trees. I recommend you pack an umbrella, if it’s not too windy or a wide brim hat and a lot of sunscreen for your trip. Due to the limited amount of bars and restaurants, I also recommend you pack a few beers and waters in a cooler.

On the right you will find an old mooring spot where boats used to stop to pick up the salt harvested from the salt pond. On the left you will find a smaller beach and a few coves. Nudity is officially banned on the island but going topless is common. However, don’t be surprised if you do see a couple of nudists on the beach of Anse de Grande Saline. Although nudity is banned, rules on St. Barth are not really enforced.

In our opinion, Anse de Grande Saline boasts some of the clearest, purest, beautiful water on the island. They almost look radioactive to touch they are so clear. The steep sided sand dunes gently descending into the beautiful turquoise water makes for an unforgettable view from the sea. The view of Saline was even prettier from the water during our St. Barth jet ski tour the day after.

A morning, or heck even 3 mornings on Saline beach are a must while on the island, followed by a delicious lunch at one of my favorite restaurants in St. Barth—Le Grain De Sel. For more on Le Grain De Sel, read on at Where To Eat In St. Barth: Le Grain De Sel.

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