Most people know that in order to catch the best sunset in St. Barth, you have to head to Shell Beach. What tourists don’t know is that once the sun creeps over the bellowing cliff of Fort Karl next to the beach, the sunset is not over yet.
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My first year in St. Barth, Patrick and I headed to Shell Beach in Gustavia for the famous island sunset. With Shellona, now called Do Brazil, as your beach restaurant serving you cocktails and appetizers, enjoying the sunset is easily done in style. Shell Beach got it’s name exactly for why you think, for some reason, it is one part of the island where a ton of shells have accumulated on the shore. This makes Shell Beach one of the 4 rarest beaches in the world to have shells naturally wash up on its shore at this magnitude. During the day, the beach is pretty empty because of it’s rocky nature, making it a perfect place to get a way from the hustle and bustle of Gustavia.
For those who are a bit more adventurous, once you make it to the end of Shell Beach you can actually continue along the coastline for cliff jumping. It’s a popular activity to do on Shell Beach during the day and is only accessible via swimming to the left and reaching these huge rocks that you’ll have to climb or via boat. The cliff is clearly marked by the locals offering two different jumps a 7 and a 10 meter (22 to 32 feet)! Choice is up to you. I’m personally scared of the open water…and sharks…so did not head over to cliff dive, but next time I promise I’ll give it a go! Bring a go-pro along the way if you do.
What we didn’t know a year ago, was the once the sun set behind Shell Beach, the show was not over yet, in fact it had just begun. After some research I discovered Fort Karl, a local kept secret, with in my opinion a better sunset then Shell Beach. Head out of Shell Beach and make your way to the street prior, called Rue des Dinzey. At the end you will see a small mountain, which secretly has steps that lead up to the top. It’s a 5-10 minute hike up a lot of steps, depending on how in shape you are. Pat and I live on a fourth floor walk up, so the “hike” for us was more of a stroll..! But I promise, the trek up is worth it. I highly recommend you bring a bottle of wine if you can to augment the experience.
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. Fort Karl is one of the 3 Forts in St. Barth built in the late 1700s as a way for the Swedish to protect the main town of Gustavia from attacks. It was named after he brother of King Gustaf III, Karl. From here, you can see the cliff jumping area even clearer from up here. It’s at the tip of the cove all the way on the right. You have to swim around the cove to get to it. As you look below, the sea is swarmed with Yachts and sailboats as they try and get the best spot to enjoy the sunset.
Behind you is the view of the town of Gustavia as it prepares for the nights festivities. Fun fact, if you decide to build a house, establishment or any type of structure in Gustavia, by law it cannot be taller than about a palm tree and the roof has to be colored a certain palette of red, white, green or grey. St. Barth does this in order to ensure consistency in design and structure of the town. St. Barth maintains elegance at every touchpoint, even when it comes to the design of the main town!
As you move to the tip of the cliff, there is an overlook. From here you will see the ocean with a mix of orange, red, purple, pink, yellow and blue light blending into a sea of yachts and sailboats outlining Les Petits Saints, tiny rock islands clustered around Gustavia that breach out of the sea. This is the gold mine of sun sets. Pop your bottle of wine and enjoy the final moments of your idyllic day in St. Barth before heading back down to Gustavia for an unforgettable dinner at one of their main fine restaurants.
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3 comments
looks gorgeous, I hope to visit St Barths one day!