The island of St. Bart’s is blessed with a number of stunning beaches surrounded by rugged cliffs. This small island near the top of the chain of Lesser Antilles in the Caribbean is just as well-known for being a place for the rich and the famous to be seen as it is for its beaches.
On a recent visit to St. Bart’s, we took our rental car and visited every beach on the island. We found all of the best beaches in St. Bart’s and rated them so you can spend your vacation in St. Barts at the best beaches.
We highly suggest renting a car in St Barts in order to see as many of St Bart’s beaches as possible. Experts disagree on how many technical beaches there are, but we counted 17 beaches in St. Barts, some much more impressive than others. Here is our list of the best St Barts beaches not to miss and which beaches to skip.
Many of the beaches in St. Barts are located behind private property or have limited public access, however, by law ALL BEACHES IN ST. BARTS ARE PUBLIC. There are lots of scary signs, “Private Property,” but all resorts have to allow access to the beach.
You can visit any beach on the island, even if you aren’t staying in a resort on that particular beach. Always be respectful of private property, but some beaches require you to pass through privately owned resorts to access the beach, which is permitted.
*When looking for the best price and biggest selection of hotels in Saint Barts check prices on Booking.com, we’ve found they are the best option and have a great cancelation policy.*
1. Saline Beach
A favorite of most locals, Saline Beach, is a stunning stretch of sand capped on both ends with large rocky hillsides. Saline Beach is deep and long by St. Barts standards, and the best part is that it’s usually just about empty.
There are no resorts directly on the beach, and it has the feeling of being a virgin beach undisturbed by the development of St. Barts.
Ample parking is available, and the beach is just a short five-minute walk down a sandy path. The sand on the walk can be quite hot, so sandals are recommended for the walk.
2. Colombier Beach
The most famous beach in St. Barts is, without a doubt, Colombier Beach. Most tours and Catamaran sailing trips will go to this beach.
Colombier Beach is one of the best places on St. Barts to watch the sunset. On our Caribbean island hopping cruise, we had a port day in St Bart’s, and Colombier Beach was the highlight of the day.
3. Marechal Beach
Located at the tip of the peninsula between Marigot and Grand Cul-de-Sac beaches is the beautiful Marechal Beach. This beach can be a little tough to find, but you just have to drive in to the Le Guanahani Resort. The resort has a restaurant right on Marechal Beach and they allow visitors to dine there and visit the beach.
Follow signs to the “beach” of the resort signposts. Once you make your way to the end of the peninsula, you’ll find a beach on both sides of the thin strip of land. At the very point is a small hill with a few trails to hike for views of the beaches and the nearby offshore islands.
Swimsuit by Summer Salt
4. Flamands Beach
Another great beach is Flamands Beach in the Northwest of St. Barts. This beach is backed by a few fine hotels. The peaceful surf and practically empty shores made us fall in love with this beach.
From Flamands Beach, you can also see the cluster of small islands to the north of St. Barts. Flamands Beach is a good option for sunset as its west-facing shoreline gives great views of the sun and colors until the sun dips below the hills surrounding Colombier Beach.
We stayed at Cheval Blanc right on Flamands Beach which we highly recommend, check rates here.
5. St. Jean Beach
Among one of the busiest and most popular beaches on St. Barts is the beautiful St. Jean Beach. Located at the foot of the St. Barts airport landing strip.
At the center of this beach is the popular Pearl Beach Hotel. The far western portion of this beach is roped off because the runway literally ends at the beach in St. Barts.
6. Lorient Beach
Another popular beach on St Bart’s Northern shore is Lorient Beach. This beach, just one bay to the east of St. Jean Beach, is the favorite of surfers and visitors wanting to learn.
Public Access to Lorient Beach brings you right past the surf shop, where you can rent gear and even a guide. The surf shop and the public access are located near Jojo’s Burger, and parking can usually be found in the area.
7. Shell Beach
A great little town beach is Shell Beach, hidden behind the busy marina of Gustavia. A few streets away from the bustling town is Shell Beach a peaceful retreat popular with locals and in the know visitors.
On the beach, there is the popular Shellona restaurant. We suggest making reservations online here in advance.
8. Gouverneur Beach
Boasting some of the most dramatic landscapes and watercolor, Gouverneur Beach is a must-visit beach in St. Barts. There are signs saying private property, but just continue driving down the road, and you’ll find ample parking right down by the beach.
9. Grand Cul-de-Sac Beach
The winds of Grand Cul-de-Sac make it a popular beach with kite surfers and other adventurous water lovers. Families also flock to this beach for the shallow waters great for kids and snorkeling.
10. Toiny Beach
Tucked away in front of the Toiny Resort reaching this beach, but those who go will find a long, snaking stretch of sand. What also makes this beach attractive is the reality less developed it is.
11. Petit Cul-de-Sac Beach
Another hard-to-find beach is the Petite Cul-de-Sac, which is the furthest east beach on the northern shore of St. Barts.
12. Marigot Beach
Located on the northern shores of St. Barts between Grand Cul-de-Sac and Lorient Beaches is Marigot Beach. A nice enough beach, but compared to other St. Barts beaches, it’s just not as pretty. The watercolor isn’t as blue, and the sand is just okay.
13. Grand Fond Beach
On the southern shores of St. Barts, there is a small piece of sandy shoreline near the town of Grand Fond. The Beach is pretty small and rocky which makes it rather unpopular, but a beach none the less.
14. La Petite Beach
During different times of the year, this beach gets very petite, and in summer, it is almost nonexistent. The summer winds and currents cover just about all of the beach.
In winter, the waters pull out, revealing a narrow sandy beach. If you make the hike to Colombier Beach, you may walk right by it.
15. Corossol Beach
Located further up the coastline from Gustavia on the western side of St. Barts, Corossol beach has a quiet local feel to it. While it may not be the most impressive piece of sand on the island, it has its charms, like unparalleled views of the small islands around St. Barts.
16. Anse des Cayes Beach
This beach on the northwest end of St. Bart’s, located between St. Jean’s Beach and Flamands Beach, is currently overwhelmed with seagrass.
In the late summer of 2017, this beach is basically unusable due to the piles of decomposing seagrass. The seagrass washing ashore can be seasonal. If this clears up, it could be a nice beach.
17. Public Beach
The Public Beach just to the west of Gustavia is a short stretch of sand with a public boat launch. The beach itself is nice enough, but it is surrounded by an industrial area and some of the port facilities of the island making it less appealing.
On the positive side, you’ll have a nice view of the Gros Ilets and the popular Maya Restaurant here.
Related Articles
Pin me for later so you can find all of the amazing beaches in St. Barts!
